As an indie author, you’ve probably read
about the differences between traditional publishing, self-publishing, and
hybrid publishing. Some of you may have chosen to self-publish for the advantages
it brings over traditional publishing: higher royalties, creative control,
faster time to market, global rights retention, and more. Or you may have
chosen to self-publish after rounds of unsuccessful queries. Either way, all
indie authors need to understand the Elements
of a Cover that Sells before finalizing their design and clicking that
sweet button on Amazon that allows you to say, I am an author.
I’ve often heard traditionally
published authors complain they have little to no say in cover photography
or design. Authors begin to imagine what their cover looks like as they are
writing their story. They feel they know their story best and therefore have
the knowledge needed to design a great cover. Unfortunately, they link those
two thoughts incorrectly. Knowing a story well is usually a fault when it comes
to creating a cover, which is why traditional publishing houses usually keep
authors far away from cover design.
Why? This is a problem best described
through the cliché: it’s hard to see the forest through the trees. When authors
are asked what their book is about, they often have a hard time answering.
Their book is about so many things. They try to describe the main storyline,
the subplots, the theme, the lesson, the story arc, the relationships between
the characters, the character’s backstory, how the family got their dog, why they
moved to San Francisco, all without giving away the ending. Has a friend ever
asked you what your book is about? How hard was it to simplify your work into
just a sentence or two?
Most authors are sentimental about their
book, and rightfully so. They want the cover to do it justice. But they forget
that the cover is packaging. It is intended to sell the product. It's not
intended to be the product. So, what sells a book? Does the cover need to
intrigue readers? Does it need to have colors that pop against a white
background? Does the text need to have high contrast? Maybe these are concerns
if you are Stephen King or Nora Roberts. But if you are reading this, you are
likely not already a New York Times Best Seller, and therefore, these details
are secondary. You are trying to get your book read by readers looking through
hundreds of thousands of titles in a similar price range in a world where a
new book is published on Amazon every five minutes. The truth is, your
cover needs to do one thing: give your story away.
The market landscape in books has been
changing for a while now. Readers are left to choose from such a wide variety
of books, and they usually spend just seconds on a cover or description to
determine if they are going to buy it. This doesn't mean you need to be
intriguing or stand out from the crowd. It means quite the opposite. Creating
mystery around your book by using a unique cover confuses readers; they don't
know what you are trying to communicate. Instead of being intrigued and ready
to know more, they are ready to move on.
Catching readers’ attention starts with a
good description. You want to set the scene very quickly and give as much away
as you can while asking as few questions as possible. If your book asks five
new questions every time it answers one, this keeps the reader turning
pages! If you cover or description does that, it turns your potential
readers off.
When you go to write your description,
think about the Who, What, When, Where and Why. Who is the narrator? What is
the biggest event that happens in the story? Is your book set in WWII? You
readers need to know this. These are only some of the questions you need to ask
yourself to write a good blurb. You don't need to tell the entire story to
catch a reader's attention, but you need to make sure you lay out a clear
introduction. You also need to make sure you give a few things away: is your
book a love story, does it contain magic or is it considered sci-fi? Does your
main character experience abuse, trauma or loss? Not everyone wants to read a book
about murder or fairies. And that is okay; your audience is not everyone.
I was talking to a newbie author who was
publishing her first book, a memoir about being raped at the hands of her
ex-boyfriend. She didn’t want her description to give away that it was a book
about rape, with the fear that this would turn off readers. She was convinced
that if they were drawn into her book from the beginning, they would be so
intrigued by her story, the content of the book would no longer matter. This is
a common thread among new authors who were not traditionally readers of that
genre before they began writing. Remember this if you remember nothing else:
Readers are finicky. If you trick them into reading your book, they will
remember and not in a positive way. It creates a breeding ground for poor
reviews. Make sure they know what they are getting themselves into. Trust that
there is an audience for your book. A broad description doesn't reach a wider
audience; instead, it stops you from finding yours.
So how do you write a good description? I
can usually tell by the first few chapters what the book’s description should
say. By then, I’m developing ideas about the cover image and the mood of the
cover. Let me give you an example of a bad blurb versus a good one.
Bad Description: Meet Jenna Lucas, a young
twenty-something fashion designer who seems to have life figured out. One day,
a letter from a lawyer reveals an inheritance that Jenna wasn't expecting. In a
leap of faith, Jenna goes on an adventure of a lifetime in a last ditch effort
to find out what this inheritance is really about. During the trip, she meets
Pete, a quirky old man that won't leave Jenna alone. Is he as crazy as everyone
makes him out to be, or is he the key to uncovering the secret about Jenna's
family that's been hiding for so long?
If you read the first description and look
at the cover, it's hard to paint a picture. You are given information that may
or may not be relevant, and every sentence brings up a question without
answering any. It's not the specifics of the cover that are the concern, but
the title, cover, and description do not work together to sell potential
readers anything.
Good Description: Jenna Lucas was never
really close with her aunt, Lauri. The day of her mom’s funeral was the last
time Lauri came to visit; effectively separating herself from anything that
reminded her of her sister. But when Lauri passes away, Jenna inherits a ticket
on the Royal Maritime, a ship that circles the Arctic in an exuberate display
of the Northern Lights that only shows itself once every nine years. But the
trip was planned for Lauri, and during the cruise everybody Jenna meets was
expecting someone else. Join Jenna on the trip of a lifetime, a last chance at
knowing her aunt, and discovering the real reason why she left so many years
ago.
In the second description, we are given
where the story takes place, what is happening during the book, the reason
behind the story, and the important characters. It sets the reader up for
really knowing what they are getting into, and in turn pulls them into the
story. There is a little bit of mystery to the end, essentially offering up
stakes for the reader (if you don't read this book, you'll never find out why Jenna's
aunt left!). And you can even picture Jenna on the cruise, hearing stories from
the different passengers, and piecing together information about her family.
But most importantly, the cover, description and title all work together to
paint this single picture.
Here is a good test: If you read the cover
of a book and you can’t describe it in once sentence, you are in trouble. How
would I describe the second book? A woman inherits a ticket on a cruise ship,
meets some interesting people and finds out more about her family along the
way. I wouldn’t even know where to begin on the first one.
If you are designing your cover yourself,
have a friend read the first three chapters and then tell you what they think
your book about. Use this information to write a strong, descriptive blurb that
really paints a picture of the story, and use that picture to create a cover.
From there, your title should pop out. These three pieces should work together
to sell your potential readers a single story. If you are hiring a book cover
artist, make sure you write your description first and let the artist work to
create a cover that fits.
Kari Anders is a book cover designer who works mostly with self-published authors and small publishing houses. She worked in freelance design for six years before attending graduate school, and now teaches design and runs freeebookcovers.com. All of Kari's covers are designed as CreateSpace Wraps for only $75, with the eBook version included for free. Her site specializes in Pre-Made Book Covers, but she also does interior design and custom covers.
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