Why self published authors need to pay attention to their book covers

We may tout the line “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but it’s something we are all guilty of. Creating the cover for your book is the best way to create a first impression. Before your target reader experiences the story you’ve created, they see your cover. The work of the book cover is to attract the reader and introduce your work to the reader.

What elements should you pay attention to when you design your book cover:
• Make it pop: Make use of contrast (a black text against a white background or vice versa, creates a distinctive effect). Also remember to use lots of space, a visually appealing design is one that is first friendly to the eyes, a crowded design distracts from the design.
• Make it clever (non-fiction) or emotional (fiction): A tongue-in-check title grasps the attention of the reader before the content does (remember, Losing my Virginity? and ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck”?), and emotional title creates an instant connection to the characters that are going to be introduced to your reader.
• Pick the right font and effects: A relaxed font like Comic Sans might not create the intended effect for a thriller. Think about the emotions you want to convey and explore different fonts until you find the one that fits.
• If it’s too hard, go simple: As with writing, the first draft of your book cover might not work. Hence, the next step is to remove the clutter that isn’t in line with the message you want to pass.  Any element that distracts from the central theme can be done without.

CANVA (www.canva.com): This tool is easy to use and it comes in handy if you’re on a budget. Here is how to use Canva in five steps:
•Open Canva and select the ‘Kindle Cover’ design type or insert your own custom dimensions
• Choose from our library of professionally designed layouts
• Upload your own photos or choose from over 1 million stock images
• Fix your images, add stunning filters and edit text
• Save and share
We look forward to seeing how you employ these tips with your next or current book cover!
• This article is powered by Bambooks, Nigeria’s largest digital library. Read unlimited ebooks, magazines & comics for only N500/month. Sign up @ www.bambooks.io