I think it’s time we talk about book covers.

We all know the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but let’s be honest, this usually applies to people, and not actually a book. If we are really keeping it honest here, then readers and authors alike understand that books really are judged by the cover. A book cover is the very first thing a reader sees whether that is on a shelf at the bookstore or library, or online.

 

First Impressions

A book cover is the first impression, and like every first impression, you want to put your best foot forward. It’s true that within the pages of the book itself the writing may be amazing, but if the book cover is made of poor illustrations or the text doesn’t stand out and it looks cheap, then a reader may assume the same goes for the rest of the book as well. You have only seconds to pull a reader in as they come across your book, so don’t you want to take advantage of everything you’ve got?

 

Self-publishing is a Business

Just like with any business you want to show your consumers that you have the best product out there, and you can match the competition. With a poor book cover, it’s hard to imagine the effort of putting the “best product” forward is true in this case. If you are a self-published author (looking to gain readership and credibility) then you are creating a business and thus every decision you make on publishing your book is a business decision. Show your consumers you can make good business decisions by hiring a great cover designer (and editors and proofreaders as well).

 

[Related: Hate writing blurbs? I’ll do it for you. Check out my blurb writing service.]

 

There are times that I am pitched books for review, or come across a book description first (though not often) and I read the description and think yes, this sounds interesting, maybe I’ll give this a try. (But realistically how often does a book come by you without the cover being the first thing you see?) Then I go to the book purchase page itself, or flip the book over and I see a cover that looks like a PowerPoint presentation. It is terribly disappointing. I do not want to be let down as a reader, especially before I even begin reading!

If you are an author with a so-so cover right now, and you realize it’s really not up to par, it’s not too late! Create a new edition! Change the cover on Amazon!  This doesn’t have to be the end point, things can always be updated and changed in self-publishing, that is the beauty of making all the choices yourself and creating your own business as an author.

In case you still are unsure about how important a good book cover is, there is a website dedicated to showcasing the worst book covers out there. Do not end up on this site: lousybookcovers.tumblr.com .

 

 

This guest post was contributed by Katie McCoach. Katie is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Editorial Freelancers Association. She has had essays published in TrainWrite and Kalliope and is currently writing a contemporary romance novel. For advice on editing, writing, and publishing, visit her blog and be sure to also follow her on Twitter.