Cover Up! What You Need to Know About Creating Your Very Important Book Cover

When browsing through selections at the book store, how do you determine which books you want to pick up, flip over and read the overview? (If book stores are a foreign concept to you, feel free to equate it to browsing at Amazon.com.) Chances are pretty darn good it's all about the cover.

I'll spare you judging books by their covers humor and get straight to the point: A good book cover is immensely important to the overall success of your book sales. But if you're self-publishing, and are not a graphic designer by profession, how do you get a top-notch cover for your book?

I actually was a graphic designer by profession a number of years ago, so I have the software and the know-how to create my own book cover. I also understand the fundamentals of design – which is good for you, because I'm happy to share what I know.

First, let's talk about options for book cover design. I'm a big fan of bartering, so let's start there. There are tons of talented graphic designers in the world, and chances are, you know a few, or you have friends who know a few. Start talking to people, find out who has the skills to create a book cover for you, and offer a bartering deal. You're a writer so I'm sure there are many types of writing you can offer in return, whether it's website content, a bio, etc. Decide what's fair and a fab book cover will soon be yours.

If you are publishing through Amazon.com, like I did, they offer a free service for Kindle books called Cover Creator. It's pretty simple, offering a variety of templates, stock art, fonts, colors, etc. to give you a unique book cover. You can also use your own photo, if you prefer.

Amazon also offers a paid service for custom book cover creation. It's a little pricey, starting at $399 and going up to $1,199 for a book cover with a custom illustration included.

If you Google "book cover design", you'll find a number of options available. 99designs.com offers a number of custom design options from graphic designers all over the country for a flat fee of $299. wavecloud.com has different pricing options for e-books and print books. Prices start at $199 and includes two layouts and two rounds of changes.

Look up a few local design firms and get quotes for books covers. Remember that you're not just getting the front cover designed. Book cover design is about the front AND the back covers. They should act as one, with a single, fluent design concept. And it should be one price for all. You never want one concept for the front and one for the back. And you don't want to pay twice, either.

Now, about the design of your book. What's important to know?

1. The obvious: Your book title should be large enough and legible enough to be easily read.

2. The author name must appear on the cover.

3. However, unless you are a best-selling author, your name should never be larger than your book title. You won't be selling books based on your name, but you might be selling books based on your title.

4. Don't get crazy with six different fonts and 10 different colors. Better to have simple, strong cover than a busy, crowded one.

5. If you are using your own photo, make sure it is high-resolution with good color and no blur. There's nothing like an amateur photo to scream "AMATEUR BOOK!".

6. If you are using stock art, make sure you choose an image that makes sense for your story. In the case of my novel, "The Makeover", I took my own image of a wadded up tissue that was used to blot lipstick. This image has more than one meaning and was used to entice the reader. Does it mean that the main character's life is getting a makeover and that involves lipstick - or the removal of it? Does it mean she's kissing this part of her life goodbye?

7. Get lots of feedback. And insist that your friends and family are very honest with their opinions. Better you get the truth than fake enthusiasm. You don't want to change your book cover once you've published your book.