What Makes a Good Cover?

Creation of the cover for a book can be a difficult, lengthy, and at times, controversial process. At traditional publishers there will be very different priorities for the marketing team versus the editorial, creative, and production teams. Marketing wants a cover that will sell the book. Editorial wants a cover that reflects their own editorial sensibilities. Creative wants a cover the shows off their personal creative expertise. Production simply wants a cover NOW to get the book published as quickly as possible. Off to the side there’s the author, who will have a separate set of preferences and priorities. At most publishers, unless the author is a household name expected to sell a huge number of copies, the author preferences come in dead last.

For a self-published author (an SPA) it can be especially difficult because of the subjective nature of their own preferences. For this (and many other) reasons, creating the cover falls under the category of “Don’t try this at home.” It is crucial not only from a visual but from a technical standpoint to have a qualified designer well-versed in the tools that are used to create the cover. At Virtus, our designers exclusively use Adobe InDesign.

There are many visual elements to consider. A so-called “good” cover should not only be eye-catching, but should speak in some way to the contents of the book. This is specifically why, at traditional publishers, the editor (who should know the book inside and out) will meet with the creative team very early on to establish a creative direction. For an SPA, a discussion with the person managing the designer is advisable. At Virtus, we schedule a cover launch call with the SPA for every title, for this reason.

A good cover should be not only easy to read, but easy to read in a small format. Gone are the days when most book buyers are browsing in bookstores. The majority of books are sold online, and depending on the venue, the image of the book cover might be limited to a very small thumbnail. Some venues such as Amazon do offer the ability to zoom in to see a cover, but this can still be an issue. For this reason, simplicity with regard to the cover is often the best way to go.

In terms of images, it is best to avoid trying to use multiple images on a cover: It’s advisable to use one compelling image that in some way captures the essence, mood, or tone of the book.