Elements of a Good Book Cover

"Never judge a book by its cover"

Whilst this would be nice, we all know that covers matter. Your cover can make or break your book. So what makes a good cover?

1) The Title
Use a large, bold font that can be easily read even when the cover is viewed as a thumb-nail image. 2-4 words in length is best.

2) Subtitle
If your title isn't enough to get your message across use a subtitle containing your books keywords and place it below the title.

3) Author name
Again, make is readable. 

4) Colours
Contrasting tones work best.

5) Images
Avoid too much clutter. Pick an image that visually conveys what your book is about.

Let's take a look at a few examples of good covers:


This cover has easy to read text and the images give instant insight into what the book is about.


There are no doubts that this is a chick-lit. The text is easy to read and the images give a clear message that backs up the title.

I love this cover. The whole thing works really well together and creates curiosity.

The title has a "fancy" font but as it's just the first word it remains easy on the eyes and the image of the woman nicely sets the tone for the book.

What are some of your favourite book covers?
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1 Comments

  1. Jo Linsdell21 June 2013 at 23:13

    You might want to check out http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/09/e-book-cover-design-awards-information/ (by JOEL FRIEDLANDER). He does a monthly crit of covers and gives feedback on what works and what doesn't. Consider sending in your cover to get feedback.

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