Book Cover Design is a Whole Different Animal

Compared to magazine and brochure design, understanding a book covers shelf display and the target audience the book is to appeal to are just a few of the differences encountered and that must be understood. It is easy to make a pretty book cover, but to make a cover that actually works on the shelf and gets picked up is what it is all about. Placing items so when a person views the cover and "reads" thru it is critical to the covers success. The photography used on the cover is a major part of the design and must showcase the piece so it can compliment the cover. Most of the covers shown below, I also did the photography for and the setup of the items used. I also do the layout of the insides, but not always. It really depends on the client. All the book covers shown below were created by me and are being sold on shelves at grocery stores, hardware stores, book stores and other high profile sites.

The Book Cover Layout Process

Creating a well designed book cover is a process that takes a little bit of time. Starting with the inside layout of the book is really the beginning point. Once the inside styles and colors are created, then those are also used on the front cover to keep the book consistent. The inside layout will usually come in the form of a word file from the author or client and is then formatted into a book format with chapters and highlight pages. Once the inside is completed, the "premier piece" or item or idea is used in creating the image for the cover. Once the layout of the cover and inside is completed, I then forward everything to the printer for printing and binding and distributing.

The examples below should give you a good idea of the professionally made covers I can do, and also do for you. Click on an image to view a larger version.