31 May About Book Covers, From a Publisher’s Desk
At TWAGAA, we love the excitement that writers feel when their book is finally coming to life, especially when it’s time to design the book cover. That moment when “the book becomes real” is indeed magical.
But let’s pause here to calibrate function, form, aesthetics, and style.
As publishers, we’ve noticed a growing trend: Authors (and sometimes their enthusiastic friends, relatives and support staff) often share AI-generated designs, Canva mockups, or Pinterest references and insist, “This is what I want!”
While we truly appreciate their passion, it’s important to remember…
A good book cover is not just a pretty picture.
It’s a carefully crafted communication tool.
The book cover has a job, and a very important one…
- To attract the right readers.
- To stand out in both physical and digital formats.
- To convey the tone, genre, and personality of the book’s content.
- And to do all this… in 2 seconds or less
- As per industry standards
Here’s what helps the bookcover…
- Reflecting emotions readers can feel: Is it mystery, joy, longing, defiance, or awe?
- Delivering what the book is: Thriller, Spiritual, Self-Help, Fiction, etc.
- Tells what the book is not: Sometimes “not cheesy romance” is a better brief than “make it romantic.”
- Trusting the process: Designers are ‘visual communicators’ with skill, craft, training, experience, and empathy. They read between the lines, literally, things that most people “don’t know they don’t know.”
What usually doesn’t help…
- Mockups with 4 fonts, 5 colours, and stock images from 1998: Design is not decoration.
- “Can we make it look like every other bestseller?”: The whole point is to stand out, not blend in.
- Vague feedback like “It’s not popping.”: Having clarity in feedback communication on function, form, aesthetics and style.
For Graphic Design students…
- Your job isn’t to decorate a cover – it’s to tell and sell a story visually.
- Keep studying type, layout, composition, and semiotics. Learn the difference between an art and a cover design.
- And never underestimate the power of negative space, or lack of it.
In summary…
We want our writers to be involved in the process of cover design.
We respect their voice, opinions and suggestions.
But most of all, we want to create something great together, because that’s the very esssence of TWAGAA, and that is …
Together We Are Great, Amazing & Awesome!
***
Let’s elevate the style, aesthtectic, form and function of our shelf.
One cover at a time.
Until next time!
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Need help navigating your publishing journey? Our door is always open for writers. We offer bespoke solutions for authors ready to move from manuscript to marketplace – and beyond. Contact us!
