Reasons Your Book Cover is the most Important Part of your Book

With the spread of the internet, publishing is getting easier and easier by the day. This means there is a huge supply of books especially on online publishing platforms and if you are a relatively unpopular writer, your book cover (and title) is extremely important. Here are some reasons why:

A Book is Judged by the Cover

If you are not George RR Martin or Malcom Gladwell, then yes! Your book will probably be judged by the cover. It is the first impression your readers have about your book and it should be catchy enough to draw their attention. It should be like a beautiful girl’s skirt; revealing enough to expose some skin but not too revealing so it doesn’t expose the important part.

Engages the Reader’s Emotions

“Obi and the Big Tree,” might not engage the emotions of your prospective reader, especially if the cover has a picture of a boy standing beside a big tree. The cover of the book should be able to speak to the emotions of your reader. The cover of a horror novel should send chills around the reader’s spine. The cover of a motivational book should scream “open me!”

It should Inspire Confidence in the Book

The cover of a book should tell the reader that the writer is a professional. While you want it to be catchy, it shouldn’t have all the colours of the rainbow (except it is a children’s book).

It Shows the Reader You Care About the Book

If you do not care about your own work, then why should the reader? And that is the message the book cover passes to anyone who sees it. It represents the craft and work you have put into that book and it shows you care enough to pay attention to every detail.

To get a good book cover, you should follow the following steps.

1. If you are not a graphic designer, then get a good one. Did we hear you hear you say “no money?” then try premade book covers, Canva is a good place to start.
2. Post your covers on an editor’s forum and get their opinions about it.
3. Post the cover reveal on social media before publishing so you can get the opinions of the people who are supposed to read your book in the first place.

Ejedegba Samuel