Creating the Perfect Book Cover
I’m so excited to share that my Cover Reveal will happen next month! If you’re not already subscribed to my blog and newsletter, I encourage you to do so.
My debut novella will be published by The Wild Rose Press (TWRP) this fall. One wonderful part about TWRP is that they allow you to be a creative part of the cover design process. As a daughter to a wedding planner and designer, I’ve always loved design. I still remember when the florist would arrive at our home, which just so happened to also be the historical wedding venue chosen by thousands of brides and grooms, with buckets of colorful flowers and decor, and the energy that zipped through me in anticipation. I loved helping the florist finalize her floral creations, decorate the arch (which could only be done on site), and work alongside my sweet mom to create swags of greenery or other additions. It was like Christmas every weekend, and I was in heaven.
Now you may be wondering, how does this relate to creating the cover? Well, it all starts with a vision.
Even though the TWRP has their own artists and designers, as authors, we get to be involved in the process (can you see my happy dance?). TWRP asked what my vision was for my book cover, what my main characters looked like, and also requested that I reference 3-5 published books with cover design preferences.
First thing first: what was my vision? I had a general idea what I wanted it to look like—cheerful and Christmasy, but I also wanted to do some research. You can find anything on the internet, including a tutorial on ‘how to make a book cover’ on YouTube, design ideas on Pinterest, more than three dozen concepts on Canvas, etc.
After researching, I jotted down some helpful suggestions when envisioning or creating a book cover:
Think of a design that reflects your writing style or the book itself
Create a mood board to collect your ideas
Consider the genre and story themes
Make the title stand out with fonts and colors
Look for book cover design inspirations from already published books
Get rid of clutter
So, I pondered some designs that represented my funny and delectable romcom, jotted down notes, and created a rough sketch to help me further visualize. I’d already created a mood board (go me!), so now it was time to identify cover preferences.
There are so many varieties of covers—some with text only, some designed with abstract artistic elements, while others have models or cartoons with or without facial features. I even once saw a post on Instagram from an Indie Author who designed her very own cover and included a picture of herself dressed in an etherial fairy costume walking along a brook (talk about creative!). She completed the cover art with graphics and a whimsical font.
But what will attract readers and reflect my romcom?
I perused my own at-home library for books and online on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for Christmas books, searching for styles that grabbed my attention. I quickly realized that I gravitated toward book covers with vibrant colors, a few, key elements, and characters like One Day in December: A Novel by Josie Silver, or The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss, or Christmas in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft.
With the style now in my head, I wrote a quick and concise vision of my book cover, described my main characters/love interests, added the cover references, and then sent all three to my publisher via their online forum. Then, I waited.
A few weeks ago, the designer reached out with two initial rough designs to see if they matched my vision. Both were realistic and included models, but they didn’t have the right feel—the cover needed more color and cheer. So, she asked if I’d be up for cartoon-style characters. I quickly agreed. Last Friday, the designer sent me the next draft. And guess what? The cover was so cute and cheerful, and the MC was perfect! But, the love interest needed a bit more tweaking, so she asked me to provide a few more examples of male characters. After another day of collaboration, I received the near-final cover and could not be more pleased. It’s fun, cheerful and full of Christmas spirit!
I can’t wait to share it with you all next month. It’s as if Christmas is coming early!
In preparation for my cover reveal, will you play a fun game with me? I suggest reading my previous blog post, ‘What's Going on with Your Books?’ first since it includes my mood board and a brief overview of the upcoming novella.
What says Christmas to you?
What do you think the cover will look like?
What elements will it include?
Until next time, I send you love.
xoxo