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COVERS THAT SELL
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Whether setting up a display to entice readers
or creating a cover from scratch, there are a
few things booksellers should know about
book covers. We are all aware that readers
judge books by their covers, but that doesn’t
mean just any ole book cover will sell. When
I created my covers for my first series I’ll
admit, I had no idea what I was doing. I
wanted something eye-catching, that branded
my series and evoked the feels. That’s all
good, and I might have accidentally followed
some rules for cover designing by genre, but
it’s much better if we know what sells from
the beginning. I’ve learned now that readers
are attracted to particular types of covers,
and it depends on what they like to read.
There are three necessary things for any
cover, no matter the genre. The first is the
title. Now, before you think I’m babbling the
obvious, please give me your listening ears. I
can’t tell you how many books I’ve seen
where the title takes a backstage to the
graphics on the cover. It needs to be bold,
jumping out to entice readers. It’s important
as booksellers for us to remember that most
readers see books as thumbnails on a screen
or from a far distance through the store or
library. Titles are lost if they aren’t the
overwhelming focus of the book. Readers
shouldn’t have to squint or try to decipher a
title lost in a beautiful graphic. Secondly, the
same idea goes for an author’s name.
Prominent placement, in bold is favorable
for books that want to sell based on author
branding, which I can’t stress enough. And
therefore, that leads me to the third point
which is that successful covers, in any genre,
benefit and sell when proper attention is
given to branding. Covers that span a series
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dresses sell historical romance, whereas
shirtless men seemed to sell better in the
contemporary genre. And those writing
romantic suspense were sporting covers
that were edgier overall, with a slight
dark component to the total feel.
Fantasy/ Science Fiction
How does a reader passing through shelf
after shelf discern books in a display as either
fantasy or a mystery? Well, I picked the
brains of experts in the field and found there
are a few distinctions between genre covers.
And most importantly, a book that tells its
would-be reader what genre it belongs to
without even leaving the shelf is going to sell
better over time. Bright colors and a broad
array of them are one way that fantasy/
science fiction novels can flag down a
hardcore fantasy reader. For each of the sub-
genres within this category there are specific
rules, but one
seemed to stay
consistent and
that is a figure or
object needs to be
central on the
cover. For space
operas, a ship
needs to be right
in the middle and
it will no doubt
grab the attention
of every fan in
that genre before
they are through
the door. A figure
poised for action,
was something consistently reported as a
winner for fantasy books. The key here is the
reader needs to know right away that this
book isn’t about this world. It’s fantasy. Mystery/Thriller
Although this isn’t a genre that I read or
write, browsing through the top-sellers
on Amazon gave me a clear idea of
what covers attract this audience’s eye
most. It’s relatively simple, actually.
One to three colors seems to be what
makes these covers instantly stand out
as mystery thrillers. Secondly, a single
central figure, immersed in an action
scene is important. The minimal
environment around the character
provides just enough context to grab
reader’s attention .
Romance
Covers that are keeping voracious
romance readers coming back are evoking
two emotions: love and sex. More times
than not, the top ranked romance books
have a central figure and a preponderance of
skin showing. But in all cases, I found the
covers were cute. They made me feel pretty
looking at them. They reminded me that we
are humans and our desires for attraction
and companionship are real. Women in big
by Sarah Noffke (TopShelf Columnist)
which are represented by a color scheme and
share distinctive text have been shown to have
higher read-through rates. Now all these
points apply well for any genre, but fortunately
for those of us who enjoy niche books, there
are specifics that apply to those covers.
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Conclusion
Are these guidelines hard and fast for cover
designing? No, there are always exceptions.
I’m sure I’ll get a billion emails from readers
who have examples of covers that broke the
rules and made a zillion dollars. However, I
did the homework for you. I found that the
covers, which in most cases, tell a reader
what genre the book belongs to, and more
importantly, follow guidelines that have
helped sell books for many best-sellers. It’s
important to consider these ideas because
when we know how readers think, we can
better serve them, and that benefits everyone.
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AUGUST2017 9