10 Things to Consider When Hiring a Book Cover Designer
For hundreds of years, books were considered an indispensable source of world’s knowledge. But today, it’s getting more and more difficult to compete with television and the Internet. That’s why each and every book element should be treated with the utmost attention.
To attract the cockered modern reader, the book cover design should be almost perfect.
By meeting the physiological needs of the reader, you’ll imperceptibly attain a better aesthetic impression. The classic simplicity, is always better than the expensive but clumsy design.
So, is there a universal and 100% effective way to create a book cover that rocks? Obviously, there’s not. But still, there are a few unspoken rules that you must stick to in order to succeed with your book cover design. By knowing them, you will be able to get more attention and control the designer’s work.
Without much ado, here’s our top 10 Things to Consider When Hiring a Book Cover Designer
#1 Tastes Differ
You have to decide whether to entrust the design to the professional or not. The designer’s view of the aesthetic appearance of the book cover may be opposite to yours. But you do know the content, and that’s your greatest advantage! The content may dictate, for example, an abstract design. Books, designed in such a way, look as well as books with illustrations.
To attract potential readers, try to show something unique and relevant on the cover. However, don’t be afraid to experiment at this stage of design. Experiments with different techniques of drawing and computer effects may lead you to unexpectedly beautiful designs.
#2 The designer must understand the theme of the book
Otherwise, there is a huge risk that the cover would be contrary to the content, thereby causing the feeling of incompleteness and lack of understanding. Book cover design must be smoothly integrated into the overall concept!
The design of covers for books of different stylistic direction has its own characteristics. Therefore, the designer should have a deep understanding of a specific category of books for which he creates the cover.
#3 A Competent Design equals an Original Book Cover
A competent design of a book cover should be combined organically with the content, and provide a better understanding of the book concept. Thus,
- if the book is intended for a child, the cover should be beautiful, bright and colorful;
- if the book is scientific-oriented, the design may be a strict minimalism;
- the design of a fiction book has no restrictions, except, of course, the fact that it has to correspond with the semantic load of the work itself.
When it comes to the graphic design of the book, we must admit that the cover is designed along with many other layout elements such as title page, flyleaf, reversal, illustration, etc. All these elements should be in the same style, organically combined and harmonized with each other. I believe that’s the only way to create a truly holistic and attractive book.
#4 Book Cover Format
One of the major problems in selecting a book format is choosing an optimal combination of the width and height of the book. According to the golden ratio rule, the ratio of the width of the book to its height must be equal to 1: 1,618. Another rule states the ratio of the width of the book to its height should be equal to the ratio of adjacent numbers of the Fibonacci series.
Be sure to take into account the purpose of the book, the readership, the number of copies, the budget, and the technical capabilities of the printing house. However, there are some general rules (you may not stick to them):
- Books for mass market – 4-1/4″ x 7″
- Nonfiction – 6″ x 9″ and 7″ x 10″
- Novels, essays – 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ and 5-1/4″ x 8″, Long novels – 6″ x 9″
- Workbooks and manuals – 8″ x 10″ – 8-1/2″ x 11″
- Trade paperbacks –5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ – 6″ x 9″
As I said before, you may pick any size you feel is suitable for your needs.
#5 Price May Vary According to Your Requirements
There’s no strict price in book cover design niche. Of course, a neutral cover with a simple background and a few text objects will be much cheaper but not as attractive as a unique one. The key point is to find the balance between your needs and budget.
#6 The Designer May Require a Professional Photo
A not too banal and well-catchy professional photo is among the best choices for book cover design. The designer may ask you to send him a photo from your personal archive (if such a solution is reasonable). Hand-drawn illustrations are great as well.
#7 You can’t ignore trends
In 2016, the main book cover design trends are abstract objects (fantasy and science fiction books), big and easy to read fonts (to simplify the perception even more; sticking to KISS concept), the protagonist’s back, soft falling into the one’s arms (typical for female-oriented books), and a few more. The key point is to design a cover that not just meets with the tendencies but is also timeless. This quite challenging task requires premium taste and sixth sense of the designer.
#8 The typeface is of the utmost importance
Do not forget that the inscriptions on the back of the cover (where you put an author’s name, the logo of a publishing house, and a book title, and a category of the book) must be written in the main font of the book. It’s great if this information is written in bold contrasting letters. Don’t let this nuance spoil the overall perception.
#9 Consider the psychology of color
Color greatly affects the perception of any object, not just the book. Therefore, you have to choose a correct color gamut to evoke the desired feeling and intention to the reader. It’s no secret that most writers publish books for commercial purposes. Color sells!
#10 Design Must Ease The Perception
Getting to the creation of the book, remember that you have two objectives: firstly, you must create a true work of art; secondly, you must ease the perception of the book by the means of design, including book cover design. Try to avoid an excessive diversity of colors and discord – let the book be thoroughly imbued with the unity of style; let all its elements be interlinked; let the technology and good taste be in a mutually beneficial and complementary alliance. Do not miss a single detail, apply all the rules, show your taste and sensitivity – and the book will be a true work of art!
Bio:
Lucy Adams is a writer from Buzz Essay – a young but very prospective platform that provides essay writing services. However, being a generalist, Lucy has a lot of different interests, including design, marketing, traveling … and, of course, blogging. Thus, freely send your ideas and get a fast response. In case Lucy feels comfortable with the suggested topic, she’ll prepare a high-quality article just for you.
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