As an up and coming author you are, to be truthful, surrounded by competitors. So as your book sits on a virtual website or real store bookshelf, how do you get it to stand out amongst the competitors? A great book cover design can attract the attention of potential readers. When choosing to create your own book cover design you should consider the following stages.
Topic
Scene
Technique
Topic
When creating a book cover design you should take the time to think about the topic of your book and the general atmosphere you are creating in your writing.
For example, if your book is a work of horror fiction, then you are creating a dark atmosphere and this should be reflected in your book cover.
If you are creating a non fiction book such as an informational guide on perhaps finance, then your cover should reflect the topic by using images related to money and other economic matters.
Obviously the book you have written will have a title that reflects its theme and will also be located in its relevant section with regards to its genre. The cover illustrations will give the reader an extra insight into the content of your book.
As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words"
Two books in the social media section will share shelf space, virtual or not, but a book on the real world success of social media will need a cover completely different to a book that discusses the dangers of social media addiction.
Scene
Once you have decided on the type of topic you are trying to convey in your book cover design, you should then decide upon a scene that would achieve your aim.
Using the above example of a horror book, you could have a scene from the book where the main character is trapped by the main monster or villain. You would then refer to the chapter in the book to note small details of the surroundings you may have mentioned. You may have the main character trapped in a cellar with their back up against an old wooden door as part of your book.
This could be used as a perfect book cover design idea because you will give the reader a visual account of what your character looks like and also an image of an important scene.
Referring to the example about the success of social media I mentioned above you could have a picture of a group of happy looking business people celebrating their latest social media campaign.
The scenes available to you are only limited by your chosen topic, book content, and imagination.
Technique
Your next choice is the technique by which you intend to actually bring your book cover design ideas into reality.
You can of course hire someone to create a cover for you, which is not as expensive as you may think.
There are plenty of budding artists and photographers that are trying to establish a reputation. Most of them will charge a fairly low price in return for the publicity your book will bring to them via a book cover design credit that lists them as the creator.
If you have followed the steps above and have a good idea of what you are trying to achieve in your book cover then you will be able to give the artist a framework to refer to.
You can also use stock artwork or photographs from various websites around the internet.
These sites usually allow people to use the pictures on their site for a small fee and with a set of terms with regards to licensing.
When using this method you will have a vast selection of pictures available to you, but be sure to check the licensing terms before using a picture for your cover. If in doubt it is a good idea to contact the customer service department of the website to clarify any questions you may have.
The next technique is to actually create the cover yourself from scratch.
This may sound daunting but it actually is not as hard as you may think.
There are some fantastic art software programs available that can be used to create book covers.
If you are good at art you can use these programs to create any image you could be using normal methods such as paint and canvas. There may be a learning curve, but the results can be amazing.
If you are not so great at art you can always use stock pictures, or even go out with a camera and take your own photographs, then use the art program to create your cover.
Using art software is usually the most cost effective way of designing a book cover and is also far less constricting in as far as licensing terms are concerned.
If you wish to learn more information and tips then read my page on book cover design
Read my step by step guide on book cover design
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