Like it or not, we all judge books by the cover. Part of the reason behind this is simple: certain genres follow certain guidelines in the way they present their books. Everyone can spot a harlequin romance a mile away, if only because of the explicitly sensual characters portrayed on the cover. Self-help and how-to books often showcase full color photographs of the projects contained in the book – a sneak peek, if you will, of its contents.

Get right down to the nitty-gritty of it, and it’s easy to see how the cover will sell a book. As a self-publisher, this little fact can become a terrible realization – especially if you’ve already gotten boxes of printed volumes stored in your garage. The importance of taking time to design – or have designed – a really good cover for your book can’t be underestimated.

Why the Cover?

With a few exceptions, your readers don’t get to read your book before they purchase it. Even if they do get to read it, that will consist of the preview you have uploaded to a site or the quick thumb-through that they do while standing in the aisle of a bookstore.

Dig even further into the cover issue, and you’ll learn that the industry itself relies heavily on cover art. Sales reps will only carry the book covers and jackets when they approach bookstore owners and buyers. Wholesalers and distributors will often say, “Just send us the cover copy”. In short, every element of the buying decisions surrounding your labored-over work is made on the illustration, design, and sales copy outside your book.

A good, strong cover design will not only give you a bit more pride in your work, but it will give the book’s contents a huge boost in credibility. It helps your book to sell.

Putting a bit of imagination into the title of your book, and your advertising budget into cover design, gives everyone what they need: a compelling cover with art and sales message that encourages buying decisions in your favor.