How to Design a Book Cover: The 10 Steps Guide

You must have heard that 

"Don't judge a Book by its Cover!" right?

Well, it's quite famous because we often judge people and things based on their appearance, especially books. As the first impression really matters. 

Just imagine going to a bookstore or scrolling through them online. What would be the first thing that will catch your eye? Obviously, it’s the book cover.

You know, interestingly around 80% of the people gets interested in a book due to its cover. And 60% of them even buy a book based on its cover. 

Yeah, I know that's a huge number. So, book cover really matters and it even affects the decision of the buyer.

No matter how good your content or story is. If you fail to design a good book cover, then trust me, the chances of getting failed is quite high. 

And after going through such efforts of writing your book. I am sure that you don't want to take any risks. So, how about designing an appealing cover letter that will take all the limelight?

Exciting right? So, let’s move forward and learn and some amazing steps to create a perfect one for you.

Step-By-Step Guide to Design a Book Cover

I know it seems like a daunting task to you. But trust me, it is not as hard as it seems. It fact, its quite interesting. And I am sure you will love designing it. 

So, don't worry, I have kept things as easy for you as possible. And have broken down this whole process into a simpler one. Thus, here is how a book cover is designed:

1. Understand the Theme of your Book
2. Research Other Book Covers
3. Choose the Right Dimensions
4. Select a Design tool
5. Pick the Right Image
6. Select the Right Fonts
7. Time to Choose Color Theme
8. Add Your Text
9. Make the Back Cover and Spine 
10. Review & Print

So, let's understand each step in detail to know how it's done.

Step #1: Understand the Theme of your Book

Before you start designing your book, make sure that you are clear about the theme of your book. As it greatly impacts the design. So, think about it. Whether it is a mystery, thriller, or non-fiction. Thus, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• What is the message of my book?
• Who is my target audience?
• What do I want to reflect in my book?

When you have answers to these questions, choosing the right color and pictures gets easier for you. 

Step #2: Research Other Book Covers

So, the next thing that you need to do is check out other book covers of the same genre. Pay attention to:

• Fonts used for title
• Color theme
• Styles and trends
• Placement of text
• Choice of images

Thus, it will help you brainstorm and can even inspire your design.

Step #3: Choose the Right Dimensions

Before you start designing your book cover. Make sure that you are clear about the size of your book. 

Obviously, books range in various dimensions. So, it depends on whether your book is printed or an ebook. Thus:

• A common size in ebooks is 1600x2560 pixels
• In print books, it is 5” x 8” or 6” x 9”

So, the dimensions really matter while designing your book cover.

Step #4: Select a Designing Tool

Well, luckily you don't really need to buy any expensive software to design your book cover. There are many free ones out there with custom book cover designs to help you design a perfect cover that matches your vibe. 

So, here are some of the most popular ones to consider:

• Canva
• Adobe Photoshop
• BookBrush

Thus, there are a lot of them out there. So, you can use their custom covers to change fonts and designs to meet your requirements. 

Step #5: Pick the Right Image

So, the main image of your book cover should be good enough to grab the attention of the readers right away. But make sure that it reflects what your book entails. 

Thus, you can use an image, an illustration, or a simple graphic. Just ensure it's high-quality and not blurred. 

And most importantly, it must be free to use. Not a pirated one.

Step #6: Select the Right Fonts

Now, it is time to choose the right font and size for your book. 

They really matter as they reflect the vibe of your book.

For instance, you might want to use sharp and bold fonts in a horror book. Likewise, use the soft and elegant font in a romantic novel, right?

Just imagine switching them. That doesn't fit, right? Well, here are some tips for you:

• Only use 2-3 fonts
• Make sure it's readable
• Choose the right size
• Select the font that matches your genre

Step #7: Time to Choose Color Theme

Colors can help you say a lot without words. So, make sure that you are choosing the right color as per the theme of your book.

Just make sure that your colors don't clash.

Make contrasting color combinations to make your text stand out from the background. 

If your image is dark, choose a light color text. or vice versa.

Step #8: Add Your Text

Now, the fun part begins. It is time to add title, author name, and any other text in your book to make your dream of publish your own book a reality. Here are some good tips for you:

• Write your title on the top or center of the book
• Place the author's name at the bottom
• Avoid adding too much text
• Keep it clean and neat

Step #9: Make the Back Cover and Spine 

Well, if you are making a print book. Then you will also be needing a back cover and spine. 

But no worries, once your cover is ready, that's not a big deal. Just follow the cover design and get it done. The back cover usually includes:

• A short description of the book
• Photo of author (optional)
• Barcode
• Logo of publisher

While the spine includes:

• Book title
• name of author
• Maybe a little logo

Step #10: Review & Print

The final step in designing your book cover is to review your design once in the end to see if something is missing. 

You know the best way is to let others check it out. They might point out mistakes that you can't see. 

Once you are done, it is ready to be printed.

Wrapping it Up!

In a nutshell, designing a book cover might sound like an overwhelming task. But with the right steps and tools, you can ace it. All you need to do is follow these steps and make your design journey a little easier.

Remember, a book cover is not just a piece of decoration, but it gives your readers a sneak peek into what's to come. So, it better reflect what's inside your book. 

Thus, take your time and be creative. It is time to design your book cover like a pro. Happy Designing!