Book Covers
In college, I projected 35mm and 70mm movies for our audiovisual club, Lens and Lights. An arrogant bunch of kids. Yeah, I loved it. Side note: Projectors are loud!
Older projectors like ours contained 20 minutes of film, meaning that two projectors were required. When they ran low, the projectionist would execute a “changeover.” The process began with an automatic bell that rang when the projector had about five minutes of film left. They would then start the arc lamp and get ready to turn on the motor. Seven seconds before the end of the reel, a “start cue” would appear in the upper right-hand part of the screen. This moment was tense as the projectionist had to focus on the film. The start cue looks like a scratchy sold black, white, or red circle. Five seconds would count down, and then the “changeover cue” would appear as the same visual cue as the motor start. The operator had two seconds of film to close the damper on one projector, open the other damper, and switch the sound over. Later, the “presto-changeover” company developed a button that simultaneously operated the dampers with one button press.
Now projectors are either digital or use a platter, which uses a massive (six feet wide) film reel to eliminate changeovers. I have not projected for 30 years, but I still see these changeover cues when I watch movies. Of course, I point out the cues to my friends to annoy them. That’s interesting, but what does this have to do with books?
Book covers are the primary advertising tool for getting a reader’s attention. If an author fails to put effort into this critical aspect, their book does not interest readers. When I began my writing adventure, I put much effort into an outstanding (lousy) cover. I showed it to my self-publishing helper, Bethany, and she did her best not to laugh. Thus, the process of creating a professional cover began.
The first step was to study successful book covers. During this time, Bethany pointed out the many flaws of awful book covers. I looked at hundreds of covers and formed ideas of what my book should look like. We worked on concept art and discussed all the necessary elements to create a solid cover.
The second step is to create a bold title. The font and layout should all match the graphics and the author’s name. The tile has many pitfalls, like having a flowery font on a serious book. Then, select or design the cover graphics. They also must be bold to tie into the book theme. For example, if the book is about submarines, it must have a submarine on the cover.
Book covers range from flashy graphic designs to stark single elements on plain backgrounds. The look should be catchy because the author wants readers to buy the book. This means the cover needs to reach readers at a primal level and jam open their wallets.
What are all the elements? This is complex answer has a zen quality. I spent days studying good book covers with a detached mindset to identify the patterns. I also looked at hundreds of books with 1-star reviews. I began seeing elements coming together in successful covers and the many flaws of poorly designed covers. What are the flaws?
I recently came across a book where the author described a harrowing tale about surviving a remote plane crash. The cover had a picture of the author smiling in the wilderness, plus the picture was out-of-focus. Smiling? Out of focus? Really? I wanted to yell, “Digital cameras have gigabytes of memory! Take a hundred pictures and use the one that is in focus! And stop smiling. This is important!” I was helping a self-published author with their work, and they wanted to use a specific picture of themselves on the cover. The picture was of a filthy man who looked like a homeless beggar, but the book’s intent was a spiritual awakening. This means, “If you read my book, you will have answers to your life’s problems and live successfully.” My polite feedback translated to, “Nobody is going to buy your book.” That was four years ago, and I missed the mark by six sales.
I have an adventure novel where the title font is square, and the author’s name font is round. Another book I have has an entirely different theme on the back cover. My mother gave me a self-published book by her friend’s daughter titled “Guide to being a successful marketer.” The title is left justified, and the background image is right justified. Who will buy a book from an author who cannot even center a title? I once got a “recommended read” about a spy novel. The cover had a woodcut image of the hero (I assumed he was the hero. I obviously did not read this mess.) looking away with suspicion while holding a gun. It was drawn so awful that his face looked like somebody punched Pinocchio. I distinctly remember asking out loud, “Did you try to come up with the worst book cover?”
So… What is the exact procedure for creating an excellent book cover? Umm… I cannot explain it. Sorry. It is a 100% artistic task that does not fit any mold. It took days of studying to recognize good and bad covers. If I were to summarize, a cover needs to be bold with clear intent and dramatic contrast. The fonts must be striking, readable, and compelling. But there are hard choices. For example, the font. All caps? Square or round? Soft or solid outlines? Multi-color font? Yet there are some general rules. Center the fonts and have the same theme on the back as the front. Do not be too wordy on the back. SPELL CHECK!!! Put the ISBN on the back cover. Do not put a summary on the front. And then there are those rules that every author or publisher has an ultra-strong opinion of that nobody agrees with. The author’s picture on the back cover? Book reviews on the back cover? Book price?
What does this have to do with projectors? All my cover efforts gave me a new problem. As I am painfully aware of movie cues, bad book covers stand out. I see every single mistake, and I now hate going to bookstores. Does this mean I judge a book by its cover? Readers are supposed to judge a book by its cover. That’s what it is for.
Of all the problems in this world, seeing bad book covers is not a big deal. Maybe there is a self-help book out there for me? Off to the bookstore to find one? Gahhhh.
You’re the best -Bill
May 29 2019 Updated April 27, 2024
Older projectors like ours contained 20 minutes of film, meaning that two projectors were required. When they ran low, the projectionist would execute a “changeover.” The process began with an automatic bell that rang when the projector had about five minutes of film left. They would then start the arc lamp and get ready to turn on the motor. Seven seconds before the end of the reel, a “start cue” would appear in the upper right-hand part of the screen. This moment was tense as the projectionist had to focus on the film. The start cue looks like a scratchy sold black, white, or red circle. Five seconds would count down, and then the “changeover cue” would appear as the same visual cue as the motor start. The operator had two seconds of film to close the damper on one projector, open the other damper, and switch the sound over. Later, the “presto-changeover” company developed a button that simultaneously operated the dampers with one button press.
Now projectors are either digital or use a platter, which uses a massive (six feet wide) film reel to eliminate changeovers. I have not projected for 30 years, but I still see these changeover cues when I watch movies. Of course, I point out the cues to my friends to annoy them. That’s interesting, but what does this have to do with books?
Book covers are the primary advertising tool for getting a reader’s attention. If an author fails to put effort into this critical aspect, their book does not interest readers. When I began my writing adventure, I put much effort into an outstanding (lousy) cover. I showed it to my self-publishing helper, Bethany, and she did her best not to laugh. Thus, the process of creating a professional cover began.
The first step was to study successful book covers. During this time, Bethany pointed out the many flaws of awful book covers. I looked at hundreds of covers and formed ideas of what my book should look like. We worked on concept art and discussed all the necessary elements to create a solid cover.
The second step is to create a bold title. The font and layout should all match the graphics and the author’s name. The tile has many pitfalls, like having a flowery font on a serious book. Then, select or design the cover graphics. They also must be bold to tie into the book theme. For example, if the book is about submarines, it must have a submarine on the cover.
Book covers range from flashy graphic designs to stark single elements on plain backgrounds. The look should be catchy because the author wants readers to buy the book. This means the cover needs to reach readers at a primal level and jam open their wallets.
What are all the elements? This is complex answer has a zen quality. I spent days studying good book covers with a detached mindset to identify the patterns. I also looked at hundreds of books with 1-star reviews. I began seeing elements coming together in successful covers and the many flaws of poorly designed covers. What are the flaws?
I recently came across a book where the author described a harrowing tale about surviving a remote plane crash. The cover had a picture of the author smiling in the wilderness, plus the picture was out-of-focus. Smiling? Out of focus? Really? I wanted to yell, “Digital cameras have gigabytes of memory! Take a hundred pictures and use the one that is in focus! And stop smiling. This is important!” I was helping a self-published author with their work, and they wanted to use a specific picture of themselves on the cover. The picture was of a filthy man who looked like a homeless beggar, but the book’s intent was a spiritual awakening. This means, “If you read my book, you will have answers to your life’s problems and live successfully.” My polite feedback translated to, “Nobody is going to buy your book.” That was four years ago, and I missed the mark by six sales.
I have an adventure novel where the title font is square, and the author’s name font is round. Another book I have has an entirely different theme on the back cover. My mother gave me a self-published book by her friend’s daughter titled “Guide to being a successful marketer.” The title is left justified, and the background image is right justified. Who will buy a book from an author who cannot even center a title? I once got a “recommended read” about a spy novel. The cover had a woodcut image of the hero (I assumed he was the hero. I obviously did not read this mess.) looking away with suspicion while holding a gun. It was drawn so awful that his face looked like somebody punched Pinocchio. I distinctly remember asking out loud, “Did you try to come up with the worst book cover?”
So… What is the exact procedure for creating an excellent book cover? Umm… I cannot explain it. Sorry. It is a 100% artistic task that does not fit any mold. It took days of studying to recognize good and bad covers. If I were to summarize, a cover needs to be bold with clear intent and dramatic contrast. The fonts must be striking, readable, and compelling. But there are hard choices. For example, the font. All caps? Square or round? Soft or solid outlines? Multi-color font? Yet there are some general rules. Center the fonts and have the same theme on the back as the front. Do not be too wordy on the back. SPELL CHECK!!! Put the ISBN on the back cover. Do not put a summary on the front. And then there are those rules that every author or publisher has an ultra-strong opinion of that nobody agrees with. The author’s picture on the back cover? Book reviews on the back cover? Book price?
What does this have to do with projectors? All my cover efforts gave me a new problem. As I am painfully aware of movie cues, bad book covers stand out. I see every single mistake, and I now hate going to bookstores. Does this mean I judge a book by its cover? Readers are supposed to judge a book by its cover. That’s what it is for.
Of all the problems in this world, seeing bad book covers is not a big deal. Maybe there is a self-help book out there for me? Off to the bookstore to find one? Gahhhh.
You’re the best -Bill
May 29 2019 Updated April 27, 2024
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