This is a guest post by my pal and two-times Pulitzer-Prize nominated author Sibella Giorello, who shows you how to nail your best book cover! Read on:
A twist on the old adage rings true: You CAN judge a book by its cover.
And your readers will.
Let me demonstrate. Here are three different covers for The Stones Cry Out, the first book in my bestselling mystery series featuring a female forensic geologist.
First cover, courtesy of an excellent traditional publisher:
The cover’s got some cool atmospheric vibes for a geologist-protagonist, and the book won a Christy Award for Best First Novel. But does this cover say: THIS IS A GRITTY MYSTERY?
Not really.
When the book’s copyright reverted back to me, I changed the cover. Back then (about eight years ago), custom-made covers could cost around $600-$800, or more. Instead, I bought a pre-made cover for about fifty bucks. (Find them by Googling “Premade book covers.”)
Cover #2 is attractive in terms of appearance. But still doesn’t say “gritty mystery.”
Finally, I bit the bullet and hired a custom book designer. I went with Deranged Doctor Designs (http://www.derangeddoctordesign.com/). I liked their work, their prices are reasonable, and they’re really nice folks.
Here’s the new first cover.
Not only is this eye-catching—even in thumbnail size—the cover also alerts readers to a female protagonist in the mystery/suspense genre. BINGO.
But with more books in the series, DDD’s designer also branded the series visually using that “running-girl” element.
See how these all link up nicely:
But wait—there’s more! My protagonist is also featured in a Young Adult mystery series. Working with the same designer at DDD, she kept the “girl” heroine element but gave the prequel its own visual brand for YA—different fonts, colors, etc.
As you can see, covers can change. And probably should if you’re not happy with yours.
Here are 5 tips to nail your best book cover:
- Check out bestsellers in your genre. Find the common elements — images, font, colors.
- Make a file of covers or images. The more images you can show a designer, the better they can create.
- Cover designer names are sometimes listed in a book’s early pages—near the copyright info. You can find that in “preview” mode on Amazon and other e-retailers.
- Ask around for references. Then listen closely if anyone has reservations about a designer’s attitude. You’ll be working closely with this person; a good relationship helps.
- Don’t hesitate to change. Right now, I adore my covers. But should the mystery market change, I’ll change with it.
About Sibella Giorello:
After riding a motorcycle across the United States, Sibella Giorello wrote feature stories for daily newspapers. Her stories earned two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize. She now writes the bestselling mystery series featuring forensic geologist Raleigh Harmon. “The Stones Cry Out,” the first book in the series, won a Christy Award for best first novel. The long-running series now includes a prequel series, where 15-year-old Raleigh Harmon learns about life, and how to use mineralogy to solve crimes. Please visit Sibella at www.sibellawrites.com