Book covers really do matter. Editorial folks would like to think that it’s all about the content. Marketers would like to say that it’s the title and the marketing plan that will carry the day. While those scenarios may be true in some cases, we cannot escape the fact that readers buying books look first at the front cover. And that cover will many times determine whether or not they actually pick up the book and look more closely.

If you get them to grab that book, they’ll flip it over to the back cover, check out a synopsis of the book, and maybe read some endorsements. They then open it up and check the table of contents or begin to scan the wonderful writing that begins on page 1. At that point, they’ll make the buying decision.

But they first had to pick up the book. And that had to happen because of an interesting cover.

And think of the books that land on the desks of book reviewers. The best title and most well-written manuscript may not even get the opportunity of a review if the cover is poorly done.

You see, if you want the books you produce to be purchased and read, the covers must pass “the glance test.”

Here are some things to take into consideration as you look at book cover designs and consider that “glance test”:

• Is the cover design visually attractive? Is it tasteful?
• Does the cover design create interest?
• Does the cover design stimulate a reaction from the potential buyer?
• Does the cover design effectively convey the author’s message and style?
• Will the cover design appeal to the book’s target market?
• Does the cover design stand out from the crowd?

Don’t Cut Corners on Cover Design

To insure that you get a cover that satisfies all the bullet points above, you will need a professional graphic book designer. Because the cover design is a major factor in how your book will be perceived at first glance, you need to entrust the cover to someone who can deliver what you need.

Fair or not, it’s an inescapable truism in the book marketing business that not just any graphic designer will do—for the best results you need a designer who really knows the trade or industry that the book is written for and will be marketed in. These designers know the questions to ask, and they know how to work with the editorial and marketing departments to get the best possible cover for a particular product.

Remember the Spine

I purposely waited until the end to mention this last detail (because it is usually thought of at the end of the design process, if at all)—the book’s spine design. Most new books don’t get the luxury of being “face out” on the shelves. The spine is sometimes all the potential buyer sees. That means that the beautiful, dramatic cover (upon which great effort and sometimes expense may have been lavished) never gets seen if a book buyer doesn’t reach out and pull the book off the shelf. Therefore, a strong readable spine design is also extremely vital.

We’re Here to Help

Here at The Livingstone Corporation, our major client base is in the Christian Booksellers Association. We use CBA-experienced designers for all of our CBA cover design projects because of their familiarity with the subject matter and the customers themselves. We work with your teams to fine-tune every cover, giving it the attention it deserves.

After all, if you believed in a book enough to get it this far, we want to deliver a cover and spine design that propels it off the shelf and into readers’ hands.

Larry Taylor
Creative Director of Design and Production