If you find that, even with the tips you’re picking up from this course, book design just isn’t for you, that’s absolutely fine. Better to realize your strengths (which may be conquering the feat of writing an amazing book) and consider getting professional help in other areas of the book publishing process where you may not have the skillset to make your book as successful as possible. While your niece is a wonderful artist who gets A’s in art class and impresses all the relatives, you probably want to resist the temptation to ask her to design your book. Sure, it might save you money up front to use a relative, but that may cost you dearly in sales down the road. Good book design takes someone who knows publishing standards and traditions. It also takes someone who can understand the core message and tone of your book and turn that into compelling imagery.
Look for someone with a proven track record who has designed book covers or interiors that appeal to you. A good book designer will attempt to combine designs they already know sell books with cutting-edge artistic elements to attract 21st-century readers. They'll also listen to you, but override you if your ideas are just not right. Don't be offended; we can't all be good at everything!
The role of an author is to communicate stories, ideas, or facts to their readers in an engaging way. But sometimes, authors struggle to communicate their own intentions to those who are helping them publish a book. Translating your ideas into a design that attracts readers is challenging, and if your designer has trouble understanding what your book is like, who your audience is, or what you have in mind, you’re not likely to get the results you’re looking for—even from a top-notch designer.
Here are a few tips for properly communicating with a book designer:
Many authors assume designers will read their book in full, but it’s important to understand this is highly unlikely when working with a busy professional. That means it’s up to you to communicate the content of your book, in addition to any ideas you might be starting out with.
Some of this can stem from your other marketing efforts. Your book description should offer readers an idea of the content, tone, and genre of your book. So if you’ve accomplished this with your description, then it’s a great way to convey that information to your designer as well.
You’ll also want to make sure you tell the designer all of the basic, relevant information about your book, like your name as the author (with proper spelling) and your final title and subtitle.
You also likely have some ideas about how you want your book to look, and it’s important to get those thoughts across ahead of time to minimize trial and error in the design process. One of the best ways to approach this is to send your designer examples of other book covers and interiors that align with your own ideas. Also, if you’re not sure what you want yet, looking through existing books is also one of the best ways to decide what you want for your own.
Take a look at other books in your genre, or with similar themes and content. If there are books you know you’re competing with, make sure to check out their covers and interiors. This provides more than just information, it gives you (and your designer) a good idea of what your readers likely expect from your genre. This is important, since it will catch their eye and communicate immediately that your book might be similar to others they enjoy reading. That’s also why this is worthwhile, even if you have some ideas for your book already.
You can also look around for any images that strike you as appropriate. For example, if you’re writing a novel about ships and sailors, take a look at different images online that depict ships or ocean scenes. Anything that appeals to you can be sent to your designer for inspiration. You can look for logos, art, photos, or any image that may have style elements that you want to incorporate.
And remember, you’re not looking for images to copy, you’re looking for artistic elements that can be used for inspiration. For example, you won’t actually be using the images of ships you find. But if you find an image of a ship that also manages to convey the ominous mood of your maritime mystery novel, there will likely be style choices your designer can emulate in their own design. Other images will give your designer an idea of what direction to take.
A good book design will identify a book within a certain genre, but will also offer something unique that stands out and communicates the essence of your book’s plot, characters, moods, or themes.
After you’ve given your designer what they need, they’ll offer you a few options. You’ll want to be receptive to their thoughts, since they have specialized experience and knowledge in book design. You may have to let go of some of your initial instincts in favor of what works visually and what appeals to audiences.
That being said, there is a right way to give feedback to a designer if you really don’t like their ideas. Instead of just saying “no,” specify which ideas you like and which you don’t. If you like a certain image, but not the title font, make sure to let them know. Within that, try to tell your designer what you like or dislike about various elements, so they know what direction to take for a second round.
A great designer will still need you doing your part—in this case, that means detailed communication and staying open to their expert input.
This chapter was compiled from the following posts on the IngramSpark blog:
How to Work With a Book Cover Designer by Tim McConnehey, founder and owner of Izzard Ink Publishing
4 Ways to Make Your Book Cover Design Shine by Patti Thorn, managing partner at BlueInk Review
5 Tips for Front Book Cover Design by IngramSpark Staff
