For a book which would have good sales, lots of readers and positive reviews, it usually isn’t enough to have a great story written. It is certainly the most important thing, but the „package“ also matters, and that’s why every good book needs also a well-designed book cover.
Most of the authors like to let that part of work to professional designers – with a good reason. When the book is written and the publisher is chosen, the next step is choosing a designer which will represent the book on the front page and make it appealing to the future readers. In order to find the right designer for his book cover, an author must do a lot of research. Most of the designers have their websites or blogs with portfolios and book cover samples, so you can learn more about their work and their aesthetics. Most of them use social networks like Facebook or Instagram to promote their work, too. It’s a good idea to check all that – it might take a little bit of time, but you get the first impression of the kind of covers that designer usually works on – and that’s valuable information. You can see what genre that designer usually work on, do you like his style and, of course, is it suitable for your book.
Once when an author chooses a designer whose work appeals to him most, he should contact him to check his availability and prices, and to give him at least general information about the book.
If it’s not possible for a designer to read the entire book, he must at least read the synopsis. A designer must have enough material to work with – that’s why he must know the plot of the book and the main characters. Though, it is maybe not a good idea to make too specific demands right away. Of course, it is very useful for a designer to hear about the author’s vision of his book cover. An author should give enough information about the book to the designer but should be careful not to limit the designer with too many specific demands. Of course, some basic stuff should be agreed before the designer starts his work, but some ideas will appear in the process, and some ideas will be rejected. The authors know well how often they make changes in their original manuscript, and therefore they should know that making of a good book cover is also a creative process which is a lot harder if it’s limited with too specific demands.
The main thing in the cooperation between an author and a designer is sincerity. If the author doesn’t like something about the book cover, he should say so – as precisely as possible, so the designer would know what changes to make. If the author insists on a design which wouldn’t be the best solution for that book, a designer should help him with the advice. If in the end both the author and the designer are satisfied with the book cover, it is certainly the right one.
