No matter how much us literature nerds try not to judge a book by its cover, we ultimately do. Given that there is science backing the logic that we use sight to gather information about something new. So yes, to increase the chances of your book getting picked up, you ought to have a book cover design that entices the reader and intrigues them. It should convey the genre of the novel. Here is The Bombay Circle Press’ guide to help you along your artistic exploration so that your book cover can stand out among the shelves!
- Create a moodboard
According to the theme, genre, or setting of your novel, start creating moodboards. It can include anything to everything under the sun. This is the first step of deciding your book cover design. Don’t put a lot of pressure to shortlist options as of now. Play around with ideas, colours, images, different fonts and whatnot. This will not only help you streamline your process, but would also be beneficial in the future if you choose to go to a graphic designer for help. So basically dump all of your ideas and inspirations into one or several moodboards!
- Choose the right colour palette and typography
After creating the whole moodboard, you need to start shortlisting elements and maybe start making a few rough drafts of your book cover design. If you are confused about the selection process, try picking out elements from your story. The murder weapon or the room of your protagonist or some abstract doodle of your plot! It is time for you to get those creative juices flowing.
- Hire a freelance illustrator
You can also hire a professional for your book cover design. A graphic designer might be an expensive option, but you will be paying them for their creative expertise, which will very well be reflected in the outcome of your cover design. Your moodboards would help them stir the design in a desired direction! You can always ask them to prepare several drafts and shortlist a few designs before finalising one.
- Take help from AI
ChatGPT or any other AI that websites can nowadays create pretty much anything that you want them to. However, the lack of human touch will be apparent. This should always be kept as the last option, since graphic designers are far more creative than any AI. You can play around with several prompts and edit the designs to your liking using any of the designing tools that are freely available.
In the end, your book cover design should very well reflect the genre of the book and give the audience some idea of what they are getting into. If you are looking for some inspiration or are on the verge of pulling all your hair out over your book’s cover design, take a step back and reach out to The Bombay Circle Studio for your design needs or more! The Bombay Circle Studio provides end-to-end publication services. We offer customizable solutions and guide authors every step of the way, making their publishing journey smooth and successful.