A book cover gives potential readers a first impression of it and what may be inside of it. It does this by communicating the genre, as well as highlighting the tones of the story. So by creating a book cover that is able to capture the attention of would be readers is a sure fire way of securing book sales.
If you decide to go down the more traditional route of publishing your book with an agent and publisher, then it is typically the case that an in house graphic designer will be used to create the book cover. However, when choosing to self publish this luxury is not provided and the author needs to hire a professional graphic designer to create their book cover for them. For anyone looking to do this, there are places online where they can find book cover designers for hire.
Professional graphic designers work with various software packages in order to create the perfect book cover that will attract readers. They will not only create the graphics but also the typography that best portrays the content and style of the book. By hiring a specialist graphic designer, it not only saves time but gets a book ready for publishing.
What do book designers do?
The aim of a good book cover is to get the attention of potential readers so that they pick the book up and purchase it. It is the job of a graphic designer to create graphics and fonts that grab the attention of an individual, whether that be when it is in the book store or at home on the book shelf.
This is why the design of a book cover is essential for the success of it. By understanding the ins and outs of what a graphic designer does it can help with budgeting costs and planning the marketing strategy.
What are the elements of book design?
When it comes to book cover design, there is more to it than the visuals on the front. There is also the typography, the layout, the ISBN, etc.
Both printed books and e-books have the same elements of design for the outside. When it comes to the inside of a book, a good layout should have clear chapter headings, page numbers, margins, and footers.
The interior of a book’s content should be that of the traditional order of a title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents, the body of work, acknowledgements, and a biography of the author. There may also be additional elements added, such as a preview, an epilogue, or a prologue.
The design of the interior of an e-book is much simpler than that of a printed book. The reason for this is that they appear differently on different types of e-reader devices and so graphic designers tend to keep things simple. Layouts that are reflowable let the contents be adapted to different types of e-readers.
A good book design helps to creatively and accurately format both the interior and exterior of a book. The timeline of doing this is different depending on whether it is for a printed book or for an e-book. For an e-book, the design and layout of the interior of it can be done in as little as one week, although it can take a few weeks in some instances – depending on the design complexity and the number of pages.
For a printed book, the design and layout can take somewhat longer – between three weeks and three months. Again, this varies depending on the complexity of the book.
How to choose a book designer?
When it comes to choosing a graphic designer to create a book, it can be an overwhelming task, especially when it is something that has not been done before. A good book designer can either work with a rough idea or can start with a blank canvas – it really does not matter.
It is best to stick with hiring a graphic designer that specializes within the genre of the story. So if it is a fantasy book, then choose a designer that has experience in this niche. The reason for this is that the genre of a book has a direct impact on the graphics and colors used on the cover.
If a graphic designer is not accustomed to working within a specific genre, the design that they produce may not fit the style or tone of the content inside of it.
It is important to avoid hiring a graphic designer that does not have the right experience. Although it may be a more expensive option, there is a benefit to using a more expensive designer as they know all about the publishing industry and how it works. Because of this, they will likely possess the knowledge required to produce a book cover that will sell it.
When hiring a freelance specialist book designer, the price can really vary, depending on how much experience they have. It may also depend on the type of book being worked on and if anything out of the ordinary is required for the book cover design.
This is why it is important to establish a budget for the design work, as this will have a direct impact on the type of graphic designer that can or cannot be hired. Once a budget has been set, then research can begin and potential designers are highlighted. Always study their previous work so that a good understanding of their style can be grasped. This helps with determining if they are the right fit for the book.
Asking a graphic designer about their timeline is something that is very important but is often overlooked. While some designers may be able to turn their creations round quickly, for some it may be a much slower process. Again, these are things that need to be factored into any decision that is made about hiring a book designer.
Carol
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.
