We all do! There is a reason for this saying and that is because every reader will judge your book by its cover. I know this from the very painful experience of not receiving a professional book cover from my traditional publisher. No matter how many influencers and booksta peeps I sent my book to it never got any love and I get it! The cover was trash. So when my traditional publisher closer and I regained control over my book, that was the number one thing I knew that I would do differently when I republished my book, A Lost Woman.
If you follow all the bookstagramers and booktok peeps, you know that when you send them your book it will go into a very big pile of books. How do you stand out? Get that single shot love? With a book cover that sets you apart. And trust me you can't get this book cover on Canva - I tried. Check out my other novel The Blood Inside Me - not bad, but not great either. Not to mention, this particular wolf cover has been used numerous times by other authors, specifically in the online novel world.
Therefore, when I decided to go forward with republishing my debut novel, I knew that I would hire a professional book cover designer. Luckily through my new job at Indigo River Publishing, I had access to the wonderful Emma Elzinga. So let's break down what truly makes a great book cover that is going to get you the right readers.
First, when working with a book cover designer, always vet their prior work (that's a given), but also take note of the questions they ask you about your book. Emma did a deep dive into my book with her questionnaire, which led to her creating not just a beautiful book cover, but a cover that showcased what my book was about. And she did this by getting to know my book and her professional knowledge of cover designs in that genre.
Second, you need to do your research. Look into the other books that your book will be sitting next to on the self at bookstores. Does it stand out? Does it fit in? Yes, you want both ironically. If you are too different, then readers will not associate your book with that genre. For example, rom-coms have a very distinctive cover pattern these days, so if your rom-com doesn't have this, readers will not think it's a rom-com. So make sure your cover designer has examples of your favorite books in your genre.
Basically, it is imperative for your book cover to tell the potential reader about your book, while always setting itself apart on the self. Because, as I said, that person is going to judge your book by its cover, so make sure if give a good first impression.
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