Judge a Book By Its Cover: The Importance of Good Design

We’ve all been told not to judge a book by its cover. However, if you’re seeking to publish a book any time in the future, I want to urge you to throw that advice out the window. I cannot stress enough the importance of good book design.

Whether or not we like it, we do judge a book by its cover, the second we pick it up. So, let’s turn that around: If you want people to pick up your book and feel compelled to read it (and I’m assuming you do) they need to know in those first seconds of viewing the cover what to expect on the inside. Your cover design is your visual representation of all the work you put into the meat of your book, so don’t cheat it. Use it to its full potential.

If your cover is not an intriguing and accurate depiction of the writing underneath it, then you are throwing away book sales. Think of your book’s cover as clothes—I mean, they do call it a “book jacket.” You have a sense of style that reflects your personality, and you (hopefully) dress accordingly. You choose items that communicate to others who you are without you actually having to speak to them. Your book is the same way. Choose for it a style that reflects the tone and vibe of the words within.

You not only want a design that echoes the book itself, but also a design that is stylistically sound. This means the text must be easy to read both in person and online, and in a professional and appropriate font. Color theory also comes into play here. What do the colors used on the outside of your book say about the mood of your story? Do your graphics, images and illustrations look like an expert’s or an amateur’s work? Is everything working together in a meaningful way?

All in all, a poorly designed cover can be off-putting and can cheapen the actual work inside. When publishing a book, make sure you work with a designer to come up with a clear design that you love and that represents the quality of your story. No matter how strong the writing is, your cover is your sales pitch, if you will, to your audience. Make sure you really sell it!