Fiction Book Cover Design For Beginners

Fiction Book Cover Design For Beginners

by | cover design

Fiction book cover design can be overwhelming for a beginner, as I remember all too well! Back in 2019 I was a debut author about to publish my first novel, The Day She Came Home. One of the most exciting parts of the process was getting to design the book cover. This would be the first impression readers had of my book, so I wanted to get it just right! 

Having no background in graphic design, I wasn’t sure where to start. But after doing some research online into book cover trends in the women’s fiction genre, browsing designer portfolios, and putting together a design brief, I connected with a designer on Reedsy.com and we created a cover I absolutely loved.

Here are some tips I learned during this process that any fiction author can use when looking for their ideal book cover design.

Research Your Genre

The first step is looking at other book covers within your genre to get a sense of current design trends. Even if you have a very specific vision in mind, it’s important your cover aligns with reader expectations so they instantly recognize your book as one they’ll enjoy. 

Pay attention to how many words the title has. Are they short words, or longer with more syllables? Look at the font type. Is it serif or sans-serif. Thrillers, for example, tend to use sans-serif.

The Stranger by Harlan Coban is a great example. Notice, too, that the text is in bright yellow. That’s a trend in the thriller genre right now. 

Book cover of The Stranger by Harlan Coben. The name and title is in yellow block capitals and there's a house in darkness with a light on in one of the windows

In historical fiction, you’ll notice many also use sans-serif in their font design, particularly if the story is set in the 20th Century.

Cover of All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. The title is in white block sans serif capitals and the authors name is in gold sans serif block capitals. There's a photo of a city with the sea in the background

If it’s mediaeval history, the font is often a lot fancier, and will be in serif. In which genre do you write and what do you notice about those covers? 

Book cover for The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weird. The name and title is in a serif font and there's a picture of the back of a woman with long hair wearing a red dress

What is it in your genre?

As the saying goes – “same, same, but different!” Give readers the same, but with a twist.

Why do covers need to look the same?

Browsing my local Waterstones recently, I heard someone complain that all the thriller books look the same. And that’s for a good reason!

When browsing for new books, readers look for visual cues that signal a story will deliver what they love about that genre. The goal is to make them “stop the scroll” and read your blurb. So while you want a cover that’s unique, it should also feel familiar.

The reader wants to know it’s something they are likely to enjoy before they pick the book up to read the blurb.

When you’re a big name like JK Rowling or Stephen King, then you can have a unique book cover design. Your name alone will sell the book. Until then, go with convention.

Added tip – going with convention will make your life easier, too. There are infinite book cover designs available, so having a rule of thumb to start with will remove a lot of the overwhelm.

Choosing a Book Cover Designer

Once I researched cover trends in contemporary women’s fiction and decided the style I was after, it was time to find a designer. I put together a design brief explaining my book, target audience, budget, and sharing examples of comparable covers I liked. 

Browsing designer profiles on Reedsy, I made a shortlist of those whose work seemed like a good fit based on their examples. I looked for a mix – some using photographic images and some creating original illustrated art. I learned illustration often costs more since it’s entirely custom artwork. This helped me gauge what was feasible within my budget.

Waiting in excitement for my fiction book cover design!

After connecting with my chosen designer and agreeing to terms, the waiting began! I was so excited knowing she was off crafting cover options just for my book. This was the first time seeing my story come to life visually.

When the first draft came in, I was over the moon! We did a few tweaks and revisions, finessing the design until it perfectly captured the essence of my novel. Nothing beats that moment of seeing your cover come together.

The Final Design

Here was the gorgeous final cover design for my debut novel.

I absolutely loved it and was so proud to have this represent my very first published book. 

Publishing your first book is an enormous milestone, and I’m so chuffed I achieved a dream I’d held for so many years. 

As time passed and trends changed, I eventually decided to update the cover. This time I chose a pre-made design from BookCoverZone.com. These are more affordable than custom designs, and while not created specifically for your book, they are high-quality images you can adapt to fit your story. 

Fiction Book Cover Design Tips for Beginner Authors 

Here are some final tips I’d share with fellow fiction writers searching for the perfect book cover design:

– Even before your book is finished, start looking at covers within your genre to develop an eye for effective designs. Make note of what you like and don’t like to inform your own cover.

– Cover design takes time, especially if you’re new to the process. Be prepared to try a few different options early on as you refine your tastes. 

– Have fun with it! This creative step is a rewarding part of bringing your story to life.

– Consider investing in a quality author website where you can proudly display your fabulous book cover design! Here’s why your author platform starts with a website.

Final thoughts

Finding the right cover to convey your story is an exciting journey. With some savvy research and an experienced designer, you can have a book cover that captures the essence of your novel and draws readers in. So take your time and enjoy this important creative process. Before you know it, your book will be on shelves wearing the perfect cover!

If you’re a beginner writer and need help getting started, I invite you to sign up for my video series, 21 Days of Writing Inspiration? It provides daily motivation to get you unstuck so you can build momentum with your writing. Then you’ll be designing your own book cover!

 

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Emma Dhesi

Emma Dhesi is an author mindset coach and bestselling author who helps writers let go of perfectionism, self-doubt and writer’s block through her signature programme, Unlock Your Creative Block.

She is the host of the YouTube Channel, Emma Dhesi, where she interviews debut and experienced authors alike.

Through her 1:1 coaching programme, Emma helps new authors start and finish their first novel. Emma provides personal written feedback on their pages and guides them through the emotional rollercoaster that is writing a novel!

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How To Choose A Book Cover Design

How To Choose A Book Cover Design

by | cover design, marketing

​To find the right book cover design for my debut novel, The Day She Came Home, I worked with a designer I found via www.reedsy.com.

It was a really interesting process, especially as I’m not great with visuals! 

Finding the right book cover design

The first thing I had to do was look around at designs within my genre, women’s contemporary fiction. This gave me an idea of what book cover design was in fashion at that moment.

I encourage you to do the same. You might have a specific idea of what you want the cover to look like, but if it doesn’t fit with your genre, your potential reader won’t recognise it as a book they’ll like, and move on.

When a potential reader of this genre was browsing the online stories, they want to see a thumbnail they immediately recognise as a story they would enjoy.

The aim is to make a potential reader ‘stop the scroll’ and read the book blurb.

Unintuitive as it seems, readers want to read the same story again and again, only with a twist.

As they say in Thailand, ‘same, same, but different!’

Your book cover design suggests they will get the same, same, but different.

Finding a book cover designer

After researching the market and deciding on the cover I wanted, I had to put together a brief.

This included the description of my book and its main characters, who my target audience was and, importantly, my budget!

I also shared examples of ‘comparable’ books.

Next, I browsed the designers registered with Reedsy and looked at examples of their cover designs. I shortlisted the five designers I particularly liked the look of and thought would capture the look and feel of the book cover design I wanted.

I chose a mix of book cover designers, some who used predominantly photo images and others who used original artwork. 

Part of my learning was that those who use original artwork charge higher prices (thus outwith my budget) which makes sense! They are creating something unique rather than using stock photos.

A useful learning experience there!

Waiting for the book cover design

From the designers on my shortlist, not all were available, or were within my budget, which was helpful because it narrowed the field and made the decision of whom to work with much easier!

Once we’d agreed on the terms of the agreement, my chosen designer then headed to her studio to put together some book cover designs for me to choose from.

I then chose my favourite and together we tweaked the design to get it just right. That was the most exciting part of the process for me.

I loved opening up each image, watching the book cover design develop with each iteration. It was wonderful to see the design that would complement my words.

The final book cover design

This was the original design. I loved it!

But as I’ve learnt, fashions change, and in time I updated the cover.

This time I went with a pre-made book cover from BookCoverZone. They sell high quality, pre-designed book covers you can tweak and adapt to fit your novel.

These designs are much cheaper than commissioning a brand new book cover and, although they are not tailor made for your book, the quality of the images and designs are of the highest calibre.

Here is the second book cover design for my debut novel, The Day She Came Home.

Do you need an author website?

I’ve discovered that having an author website is a vital part of your author career. Even if you’re unpublished. 

As a published author, where better to showcase your new book and book cover design than on your website? Read why you need an author website and how to start.

Final Thoughts: It takes time to find the right book cover design

If, like me, you’re new to design, know that it will take time for you to find the right book cover design. I’m still learning and think it’s time for an updated cover.

In fact, like me, you’ll probably try a few out in the first few years of your publishing career. That’s not a bad thing. It shows your understanding of cover design is developing and getting more discerning as you go.

Even as you’re writing your first novel, browse the top selling books in your genre. Look at the images, colours and fonts. Do you like them? Do you not like them? What can you tweak so you like the cover without confusing your prospective reader?

Have fun with the book cover design. This is one reward that comes after all your hard work writing the manuscript.

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