Last Wednesday we kicked off our self-publishing series with an introduction, followed by Michaeline’s wonderful interview on Saturday with Lois McMaster-Bujold.
There are many things to consider when thinking about self-publishing. Since the comments of Saturday’s post included a discussion of the importance of book covers, I thought that would be a good topic for us to address this week.
Books are often judged by their covers. In many cases, the cover can be the first (and possibly only) chance for a book to make an impression on a potential reader. For an interesting discussion about designing covers, check out Chip Kidd’s TED talk “Designing books is no laughing matter. Ok, it is.”
“A cover is a book’s advertising – it functions to tell the prospective reader something about what is inside, with respect to both content and its place within the greater population of books.” ~ Theophania Elliott
A good cover evokes a response in the viewer – an emotional hit. It draws the reader in and embodies the book, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. That’s a big job for something that someone may only glance at for a second or two.
Audience
A strong cover is all about marketing; its job is to attract an audience. Your audience.
So, how do you know what will attract your audience? Continue reading →