(LOGO)
Hellooo, everybody! Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of talking
about writing, we're switching gears to the publishing process. Specifically how to put
together a fancy dancy book cover. And I'm super excited about this topic because it was suggested
by one of my patrons on Patreon. This vlog is dedicated to Seliah.
(Singing) "Se-li-ahhhhhh!"
Not only is Seliah one of the members of my Cyborg Army on Patreon, she was also one of
my beta readers for The Savior's Champion, and her feedback was hilarious. Thank you so much for
all your support Seliah, you're awesome, and so pretty. That said, Seliah wants to know all about
designing covers, so let's get to it. The cover is more often than not your readers first impression
of your book. So you wanna make it a good one. If the cover isn't eye-catching, people will scroll
right past it. If it's unprofessional, you are guaranteed to lose sales. So I'm going to give
you five tips for planning a professional cover that will grab reader's attention. Please keep
in mind these tips are mostly for self published writers. If you're going the traditional route,
your publisher is going to choose the book cover for you. You're probably not gonna get much input,
but if you're self publishing, be sure to implement these steps in order to plan the
best cover possible. Number One (1): Know your message. When you plan a book cover you gotta
take several variables into consideration: what is your genre, who is your target audience, and what
emotion or theme are you trying to convey? This is super important, because you're trying to attract
a certain kind of reader, one who would actually enjoy what your book is about. I know an author
who wrote an erotic fantasy novel, this book was all sex, and the cover was a sword. Needless to
say she attracted the wrong kind of readers, and they were pissed off. How are you gonna make this
your cover when the only weapon being wielded is a flesh sword? So be honest with yourself. What
is your book really about? Who will it appeal to? This extends far beyond pictures, fonts can easily
communicate a genre, color schemes can speak volumes as well. And if you're just not sure what
a book cover in your category would look like, for fucks sake Google it. Browse through Amazon,
go to the library, check out books that have the same genre and target audiences yours and see what
they're doing, because your aim is to get your book into the hands of the right readers. Number
Two (2): Look for symbols. Sometimes writers tell me they have no idea what to do with their
book cover. So I'll ask them about the imagery in their novel, and they usually respond with, “Qhat
imagery?” What do you mean, what imagery? You wrote the book, what are the recurring visuals?
The Hunger Games has the Mockingjay, Jurassic Park has dinosaurs, find symbols within the text that
are indicative of the plot because these images can potentially serve as a focal point for your
cover. If your story revolves around a jewel, use a jewel. If your plot’s all about an island,
use an island. Showcasing an important image gives your reader something to latch on to and remember.
Now of course, there are certain symbols that are used a lot. A lot of fantasy novels feature
swords, a lot of paranormal novels feature vampire fangs. Try to steer away from visuals that are
overdone, but if you must use them, present them in a different fashion, try to make it look new
and fresh. But if you go through your entire book and create a list of recurring imagery, you should
have lots of options to choose from. Number Three (3): Be aware of trends. As I already mentioned,
it's a good idea to analyze other covers in your genre. While you peruse these covers,
it's a good idea to pay attention to trends, both current and outdated. A while back I saw a fantasy
novel launch and the cover was indicative of a lot of fantasy trends…from the 90s. If I hadn't known
it was a new release, I would have immediately assumed it was old, which means the reader might
question whether the story itself is stale or outdated. Now the goal is to avoid old trends,
that means you should totally get on board with current trends, right? Wrong. Playing into current
trends is kind of like getting a trendy tattoo, it looks cute now, but in a few months you're a meme.
There are a lot of cover trends that people poke fun at. Particularly the teenage girl in a dress
or a night gown, walking through a mysterious forest. You all know what I'm talking about. Jokes
aside, when you play into trends, you're making your book blend in. Oh look, another chick in a
night gown…NEXT! So while it's vital for your cover to communicate its genre and audience,
it's still smart to avoid sticks that everyone's doing. Number Four (4): Consider the thumbnail. A
lot of aspiring writers have fantasies of readers walking into a bookstore, seeing their book on a
shelf and falling in love. But these writers have been living under a rock. These days,
an overwhelming majority of books are purchased online, and this percentage gets higher with each
passing year. So when you plan your cover, you absolutely must consider your thumbnail because
that's how your book is going to appear online, in thumbnail form. A lot of writers want covers with
massive landscapes, multiple characters, weapons and moonlight and magical dragons. But here's the
thing, these covers look good in person, but when you shrink them down to thumbnail form, it's a
muddled mess. Congratulations, you've created a clusterfuck. Additionally, colors are extremely
important to consider, especially if you're looking at the thumbnail. If your book cover is a
wash and browns and grays, the thumbnail is gonna look like a turd. And if it's covered in neon
pink, yellow and green, it's gonna look like an acid trip. But if you pair contrasting colors, you
can create a cover that pops in thumbnail form, one that really grabs the reader's attention. And
lastly, Number Five (5): Hire a professional. I can't believe I have to say this, but unless
you're a professionally trained designer, you need to hire a cover artist. “But Jennaaa, why can't I
make it myself?” Because if you make it, it'll look like shit. “But Jennaaa, I can't afford a
cover artist.” Then now's a good time to start saving your money. “But Jennaaa, I'm artistic.
I draw crayon portraits all the time.”(Sighs) I can't, no. Can't do it. No. Here's the deal, folks.
You know the phrase: don't judge a book by its cover. It exists because people judge books by
their covers, a lot. And believe it or not, that's what they're there for. Covers are designed to
attract readers. It's your most obvious marketing tool. If you skimp on your cover, you're just
telling people that you don't care. You don't care about your book, you don't care if anyone reads
it, and if this is the case, there's a very real possibility that this carelessness is reflected
in the story itself. If an author didn't take the time to put together a professional cover,
I'm gonna assume that they didn't take the time to do a professional edit either. In other words,
the odds are much greater that this book is bad. So if you wanna avoid people making negative
judgments about your book, hire a cover artist. Let the masses know that you take pride in your
work and you wanna give it the fair chance it deserves. So that's all I got for you today. Your
book cover in many ways can make or break your novel’s success. Understand your messages and
symbols, pay attention to the thumbnail, and for God's sake hire a professional cover artist—it's
their job to make your book pop. A huge thank you once again to Seliah for suggesting this topic.
If you'd like the chance to have a vlog dedicated to you, check me out on Patreon. I've got tons of
other rewards, including behind the pages content, and critiques! Links listed below. With that said,
don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays. Eve: The Awakening is
still available in ebook and paperback on Amazon right now. You can also order a signed copy, all
the links are listed below. And if you have any questions be sure to tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye!