A well-designed book is an important way to stand out from the competition. Tellwell's cover design service will include an experienced and talented book designer laying out the front, spine and back cover of your book, with two revision rounds included between drafts to incorporate your feedback.
For a comprehensive overview of the process, check out the Tellwell Cover Design Webinar below.
The first step is to fill in a detailed cover design questionnaire, which will prompt you to outline your vision for the design. We created the Tellwell Cover Design Guide for Authors (below) to help you make key decisions for your book’s design by summarizing the anatomy and best practices of cover design, and offering tips for collaborating with a professional book designer.
Here are the top 6 tips from the guide on how to make a great cover:
- Do your research: A bit of homework early on will keep you ahead of the curve. Take note of design trends you like by searching books on a website like Amazon and filtering the results to your own book's genre. You can then include links to these examples when it's time to complete your design questionnaire.
- Less is more: Make sure your cover isn't overwhelming, and conveys the essence of your theme. Simple is usually best, through the use of large title text and a singular, evocative image that creates an emotional reaction.
- Mock it up: Prepare a visual reference for your designer to organize your ideas.
- Brief the designer: Clearly communicate your hopes and ideas in your design questionnaire.
- Keep an open mind: Keep your original idea in mind, but consider your designer's work with fresh eyes. Tellwell's experienced team of designers are here to use their wizardry to help massage your vision into a professional product you can be truly proud of. Plus, you have two revision rounds if you need to request any adjustments to your cover drafts.
- Get feedback: Canvass trusted friends and colleagues for their opinions. Keep in mind that a book cover has one purpose: make someone buy your book! At times, this may necessitate sacrificing perfectly meeting your vision in order to catch the eye of the buyer.
Below: the Tellwell Cover Design Guide for Authors.
Below: three stunning book covers that combine the author's input with the designer's expertise.
After you submit your questionnaire, one of our book designers will create an original design by combining stock images, symbols and font styles to create an attractive and cohesive book cover that meets your vision, while keeping with current design trends in your book's genre.
You will then have the opportunity to request changes during two free revision rounds. Learn how to submit revisions here.
The scope of cover design creation process includes a finite amount of Photoshop work, such as combining a maximum of two or three images with effective fonts, resulting in eye-catching covers that are much more than the sum of their parts! To see a collection of designs published by Tellwell authors, please click here.
If you have a complex and highly unique vision for your cover, it may not be possible to realize this vision through the graphic design work described above. Instead, original artwork created specifically for the book is likely the best solution, in which case we recommend purchasing a Custom Cover Illustration.
Alternative solutions include purchasing additional design time or revising your vision to fit within the scope of graphic design included in your publishing package. In either case, please don't hesitate to consult with your Project Manager.
Related Article: