A book’s cover design might be the single most important marketing feature. We’ve all heard the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” a million times, but the truth is, we all do judge books by their covers. If you’re an author who self-publishes, investing in custom cover design services is crucial to getting your sales off the ground once you publish your book. There are several reasons why, starting with, if you’re an author, you probably aren’t also a cover designer.
Effective Marketing and Branding
You didn’t write your book to be a marketing success, but it sure would be nice, wouldn’t it? Unless your name is Stephen King or John Grisham or J.K. Rowling, your book won’t stand out among the thousands of other books in bookstores, both brick-and-mortar and digital. A well-thought-out book cover conveys a little enticing tease about the characters and the story, drawing in potential readers. The cover speaks to the genre the book fits into, and if the book is part of a series, the cover will help establish a brand for the series and for your name as an author.
Custom Cover Design Can Catch the Eye of Reviewers and Others
Self-publishing authors know how important reviewers are to their success, particularly online. A book with no reviews or bad reviews raises red flags with readers. Bad cover design will also cause negative reactions from potential reviewers and even some gatekeepers in the traditional publishing industry.
Cover design can even have an effect on your Advance Review Copies. When your faithful fans see your new book, they don’t necessarily need to be blown away by the cover art, but the more professional and clean you can make it look even before it’s released to the public, the more reviews you’ll get from your team.
