Whether browsing a bookstore or shopping online, prospective readers view book covers when contemplating a purchase. Though the book cover may not be the only selling point, readers can be attracted to a book or repulsed based on how appealing the book cover is. Some book covers look like the designer ran out of book cover ideas and chose something bland or cliché. When designing a cover, the designer may want to consider different book cover ideas before deciding which would be most attractive to the readers.
This page is been completely devoted to bringing you incredible book covers and explaining why they are effective; why they are successful. We have brought you an impressive collection that spans across genres, time periods and target audiences ranging from the very young to the very old in order to spark cover design ideas. When you have come to the end of your writing, and now face the next step of creating the perfect cover for your work, we hope that these selections will aid you in your discovery of what helps to distinguish one cover from another; so that you may use these ideas for yourself.
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Why Book Covers Matter
A book cover needs to be attractive and excite the reader about the book. The book cover should depict the spirit of the book. This is done with images, color, and text. The images may be an illustration or photograph that shows a main component of the story. The graphics might show the main characters, an important object, or an event from the story.
When looking for a book cover idea, the designer may want to look at successful book covers of books in the same genre. However, designers should avoid copying other book covers. Instead, they should consider how they can improve upon existing covers and make them unique to the book. The illustration and text should reflect the mood of the book. For example, the font for the text of a children's book is often rounded and playful. Classic literature often uses traditional serif fonts on the book covers.
Many book cover designs follow a simplified template of having the main illustration taking up most of the front cover with a solid color across the top where the title of the book is displayed. A designer may create something interesting by changing the shapes and angles of a traditional template to match the mood of the book. Even a jagged edge can go a long way to capturing the mood for a book of mystery or murder.
Color is an important decision when creating ideas for book covers. Even if the prospective readers are not aware of its influence, color affects our attitudes towards objects. It's no accident that many books about money have a lot of green on the covers. The classics often have book covers with traditional color palettes reminiscent of the art of the period. The covers for children's books are typically of bright, cheery colors that would be attractive to children.
When considering book cover ideas, the designer needs to consider each element and how it furthers the goals of capturing the mood of the book and being attractive to potential readers. The design of book covers is a unique challenge. Designers will be well on the way to creating a successful cover when they choose a color palette, font, images, and layout that will pique the reader's interest in the book.