Category: Getting Published

In the most general and historical sense, typefaces can be classified into two groups: serifs and sans-serifs. A serif is a decorative stroke that finishes off the end of a letter’s stem (which is also called the “feet” of a letter). If the letter possesses this decorative stroke, it’s called a serif font; if not,…

This is a question we get asked a lot. And this is one of those places where there is a great distinction between a movie poster and a book cover. Both movie posters and book covers have a lot in common, mainly their ultimate goal; to sell the story to the right audience. But while…

As with every new product that’s about to hit the market, a sneak preview is always an excellent way to stir some excitement and start some discussions around your book. A dramatic cover reveal is a fantastic marketing strategy -it’s cost-effective, it’s intimate and it makes those who see your book cover feel special, as…

The tools used for  designing a book cover can vary a lot. Sometimes illustrations are made, sometimes classical paintings are used and most often stock imagery is being used. Collage is a great part of the process of book design. Once the imagery has been decided upon, a suitable typeface for the genre, period and overall…

A question designers hears all to often. Nevertheless an important one. For while political thrillers and historical fictions are almost exclusevly designed with Serif fonts, action and adventure novels are almost always designed with bold, powerful Sans Serif characters. And while every government building around the world, every presidential seal is created with Serif fonts,…

Renowned book designer Chip Kidd (who designed the cover to Jurassic Park and many others) once said that a good book design is about giving form to content but also appreciating the balance between the two. Book cover design might turn out to be a very complicated process. While the designer is after creating a catchy,…

These are exciting times not just for authors, but also for publishers, designers and everyone who has one foot in the publishing industry. While the century-old process of getting published changes rapidly, as does the means in which we publish, the quantity of books published is skyrocketing. Pre-made book cover designs are the new kids…

Books with good graphics, eye-catching font and good quality covers sell more copies than those without. It’s as simple as that. But designing (and choosing) the right cover for your book might be trickier than you think. It’s not just about what YOU think reflects the content of your book – in fact, whether the…

You have worked for many years on the manuscript, spending considerable time to get every paragraph, every word, every punctuation mark precisely the way you want. Congrats! Now it’s time to send your book out into the world. Naturally you’ll need a book cover. Where most authors takes the wrong step is by asking a…

No book cover is perfect. But all great covers are great for different reasons. Some captures the essence of the story, some are marvels of design and some lay the foundation for thousands of future book covers (think of Da Vinci Code). But certain elements are true for every cover. In the next posts we’ll…