Do you judge a book by the cover? This question is always asked in the publishing market and we know that a beautiful cover does not guarantee a good story, the book cover does have great importance for the project.
When deciding on a book cover, many writers may already have in mind the project they have designed, and there is nothing better than being able to count on a professional designer or cover artist to develop the cover idea for your book.
Check out some points that should be taken into consideration when hiring a professional to develop your book cover. I will also raise points based on my personal experience in this type of creation that can help you in this process.
Note: all covers used in this post were developed by me. If you need help with your book cover, just get in touch.
The importance of a good book cover brief
Every promising project begins with a good briefing, and when it comes to developing your book cover with a designer with experience in the subject, there needs to be a good alignment of the story with the proposed cover.
At this point, you will talk to the designer about your expectations, important elements that cannot be missed in the development, fonts you thought of for the title, color palette, among other points. The development of a moodboard (semantic panel of references) can be interesting at this moment and makes all the difference in the development of the project.
Typography and visual elements for book cover
A fundamental point to think about when developing your book cover is the typography and visual elements chosen. At this moment, the designer's work is essential to understand what the best choices will be for the success of the project.
In addition to the illustrative elements, I believe that the text communicates all the time. And as a lettering professional, I consider this a differentiator for clients who develop their covers with me.
The Lettering on book cover
The lettering is a rich and impactful differentiator for the book cover. Thinking about a design for the title presents a thousand possibilities for the project, which can range from more elegant and harmonic letters to more elaborate letters that convey the visual elements of the story right away in the text.
Take a look at this book cover project that I developed for the classic Frankenstein. The entire title sign was hand-drawn and developed to harmonize with all the illustration elements present in the project. The endings of the letters convey a cutting aspect, very present in the story. The cover ends up telling a little of what will be coming next, without giving everything away, but rather, instigating the reader.
Advantages of the designer being a Lettering Artist
If the designer you choose is also a lettering artist, you can count on these textual elements as a differentiator for your book. In the art of lettering, the artist is free to develop letters that communicate and transmit the message in a more assertive way, fitting the text of your book into the most appropriate style. Counting on this in a single project is a rich possibility for the success of your book cover.
Advantages of the designer being an Illustrator
If the designer also develops illustrations, you can count on him to add unique elements to your project, bringing all the charm of the handmade drawing and a unification between the drawings and the book cover design.
Care for the color palette and graphic design
A designer and cover artist will help you develop a color palette that makes sense with the story and the moment of your book's launch. Colors convey messages and when used well, they can help or hinder a project, you need to think carefully.
Your designer will be able to help you better harmonize the colors and make suggestions that will be in harmony with the story being told. Another point of attention is the graphic design of your book. If the cover artist is also a designer, he or she can help you with the layout of the project and the internal elements of the complete book.
In this classic Frankenstein project, the cover elements are also present in the book's graphic design. Leaving the final work even more complete and conceptual. Check out some details:
Designer style and book category
Before hiring a designer or cover artist to develop your project, you need to carefully analyze the professional's portfolio and understand whether their work style matches the specifications of your book.
It is always possible to adapt a type of communication in different book categories, but understanding whether the style it proposes works for your project will save you from possible frustrations during the project. Always try to be aligned with the designer on the ideas and solutions proposed so that the result is successful.
An attractive design tells a story and sells more
We shouldn't judge a book by its cover, should we? But there is no denying that an attractive, well-thought-out and well-structured design, in addition to telling a story through a cover, sells much more.
If you need a designer, lettering artist and illustrator to help you develop your project, whether printed or digital e-book, get in touch with your idea.
Let’s develop together the book cover you’ve always dreamed of!
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