Essential Elements of a Book Cover Design (Front and Back)

A good book cover design is often what dictates whether a reader picks up your book or not. The book’s title and synopsis so get a person interested in opening your book. But, what initially attracts their attention is the cover design. A book with an eye-catching and unique design can grab a reader’s attention from a good distance away or when they are scrolling through an online bookstore.

So, what essential features make up a good cover design? What should you do, and what should you avoid doing, when designing the front and back covers?

Let’s go through all the essential features of a book cover design and the dos and don’ts of designing the cover pages.

Essential Elements of a Book Cover Design

1. An enticing title and clear author name

   Titles and author names are pretty obvious necessities for a book cover. How else do people know what the book is called or who wrote it? The title usually occupies a prominent portion of the book cover design, and the name of the author is placed above/below it, or at the bottom of the front cover.

   The title, as well as the author’s name, traditionally appear on the front, back, and spine of the cover.

   Since it is the main component of the design, the title needs to be catchy, straightforward, legible, and easy to remember. That’s why you’ll see many books with really large, one-word titles (see below).

2. A vivid subtitle

   A subtitle is the small line of text that accompanies the book title. While the title is the hook to get you to pick up the book, the subtitle is the closer. Its job is to give you more information about the book in just one clear sentence (see below).

   Subtitles are not a rule, however, as not all books have them on the cover. They’re more useful for clarification when the title is a little too obscure.

3. Captivating imagery

   The only other element on the front cover of a book that can be considered equal in importance to the title is the imagery. Whether it’s a photo, digital art, or illustration, the imagery has to be visually appealing to pique a reader’s interest. Of course, the image doesn’t work all by itself. It works along with the title and subtitle to catch eyes. But good-looking, quality imagery (along with interesting colors) really is what the eye notices first.

4. Appropriate typography and font choice

   The typography and font basically deal with the style of any text on the cover. The typography is different for the book title, subtitle, author’s name, and any other text on the cover. Normally, the title is the one with the most stylistic typography when compared to the rest of the text. And, it is also the largest font on the book cover. The typography of all the main text – title, subtitle, and author’s name – has to match the overall design of the cover. It should also match the theme or genre (fiction, non-fiction, thriller, or romance) of the book.

5. An eye-catching spine

   The look of the spine is important – for printed books – as this is what the potential reader sees when they are browsing through books placed front-to-back on a shelf. Think of books in a library. Keeping books front-to-back saves a lot of space and makes room for other books. Books are rarely placed side by side with the front cover fully exposed to the viewer.

   You’ll see this kind of placement only on magazine stands or on special stands where new/popular books are featured. These spots are typically paid, as they are situated in prominent locations in a bookstore or library. But you can’t pay for your book to be featured on these stands for a long time.

   Having the title and author’s name on the spine of the cover makes it easier for the reader to find the book. And, it also helps the owners of the books organize them according to their preferences. An attractive spine will attract people even when they can’t see the front cover.

6. Well-thought out cover design and layout

   The overall design of the book cover has to be in sync with the theme or genre of the book. If it’s a thriller, the design should evoke those sentiments from the person when they see it. The colors should be dark and moody and elements in the design can hint to the plot or themes in the story (like a shadow, knife, or cryptograph). A romance novel, on the other hand, would require softer colors and imagery that evokes a sense of romantic connections.

   The layout of the design must be a good combination of typography and imagery so that appropriate focus is given to each of the elements. For example, the name of the author or the subtitle should not overshadow the title of the book. A good understanding of your target audience will help you prepare the design accordingly.

7. Endorsements and reviews (if any)

   It would be best to include well-known critics or newspapers who have reviewed your book on the book's cover. It’s one of the best ways to market your books, as many people look for reviews and recommendations before they buy a copy.

   Preferably, you should feature the review in an area that the reader won’t miss. While most cover designs make room for reviews and endorsements on the back of the book cover, you can put them on the front page too. The best way to do it would be to put the shorter version of the review up front and the full review on the back (see below).

8. Well-placed author bio or synopsis

   The author bio is an important section on the cover, normally found on the back. It’s the section where you tell potential readers who you are as a writer. If you have had a long career as an author, your bio may be about a paragraph long. If you’re relatively new, about three sentences will suffice. Here is where you can also let readers know where to find you (by email, blog, or website address). Below is a good example of an About Author section:

   The content of your bio will also depend on the genre of the book. If it’s a fiction novel, you’ll do well to establish your author’s persona. In the case of a non-fiction book, it’s better to present yourself as an expert on the subject by referencing your qualifications and work history. Remember that you’re not just selling your book but also yourself as a writer, so you need a well-established author brand.

   A synopsis, on the other hand, always appears on the back cover. This section gives the potential reader a gist or introduction to the book. In the case of a fiction book, it gives the reader the basic plot of the story, maybe introducing a main character(s). If it’s a non-fiction book, it could introduce the topic. It gives the potential reader just enough information to get them interested in purchasing/reading the book.

9. Consistency in branding (for a series)

   If your book is part of a series, or you are about to start a series of novels, it would do you well to maintain consistency in typography, colors, illustration style, or certain design elements. Take the Harry Potter book series, for example, as seen below.

   You can see how the names “Harry Potter” and “J.K. Rowling” are in the same style across all seven books, even though the colors and fonts of the rest of the title are different.

   Maintaining consistency across a series makes each book recognizable as part of the series. If a reader has read a book from the series before, they’ll be able to identify a new addition to the series just from the cover.

   We’ve now covered all the essentials of a good book cover design. Let’s check out some dos and don’ts for designing back book covers.

Dos and don’ts of designing a book back cover

The front cover of a book is often what most authors focus on, and rightly so. But just because the front is what most people pay attention to, that doesn't mean the back cover should be neglected. Simply slapping on some reviews, a synopsis, and an author bio isn’t enough. As a self-author, this is a very important bit of real estate you can be using to promote your books and yourself.

So then, let’s look at some of the dos and don’ts of designing the back cover of a printed book.

Do:

• Use a limited amount of text on the back cover. You only have space for about 200 to 250 words on the back. Too much content will force you to use uncomfortably small font sizes to fit all the text. The large amount of content will also overwhelm potential buyers. They may get put off by this and place the book back on the shelf without even giving it a chance.

• Check out other books in your genre and see what their authors have done with the space on the back cover. Pick out the best elements, combine them, and tailor them to your style.

• Keep the synopsis short. If possible, keep the summary of your book to one paragraph; two at the most. If it's a fiction novel, include points from the plot that are the most intriguing. If it's non-fiction, make a bullet point list (three to five points) of the main features. Explain to the reader what your book can do for them or what they can learn from reading the book.

• Use a picture of yourself in the About Author section. Get professional headshots of yourself to use in this section. Most authors present themselves in an elegant and sophisticated way. But you’re free to express yourself in any way you see fit. It can align with who you are as a person or fit in with the theme of the cover design. As much as possible, make sure that only you are in the photo.

• Tailor the author's bio to the book’s genre. For a non-fiction book, add a few points to show your expertise on the topic. For fiction books, you can talk about any previous books that did well, or about your persona as a writer. You can also add your blog/website/email address so readers can find you.

• Get someone well-known to write an endorsement. For fiction books, try to get a renowned author from the same genre to write you a brief endorsement to put on the back cover. For non-fiction, get an endorsement from an expert in the same field.

Don’t:

• Make the back cover of the book all about you. You are trying to sell the book, not just your talent as a writer. Focus on showing the potential buyer why they should read your book. The back cover is all about convincing your target audience.

• Use clichés like “a must-read” that “will change your life.” The back cover is not a review column. Clichés like this only make potential buyers think that you are being salesy and arrogant. Pull in the potential reader with the interesting plot. Don’t tell them what they should think about your book. Be confident, humble, and state facts about your book. Leave it up to the reader to figure out how good your book is.

• Get endorsements from random/unrelated individuals. The endorsement should come from someone recognizable, like a well-known expert (for non-fiction) or a celebrated author (for fiction). If you can’t get an endorsement from a notable figure in your field or genre, it’s better to not include one at all. Not adding any endorsements is better than getting one from just anyone. Endorsements are supposed to give your book credibility. How trustworthy is your book if just any Tom, Dick, or Harry recommends it?

• Forget to proofread the text. Mistakes on the back cover, even in the content, are unforgivable. Once the books are printed and put on the stand for sale, it is too late. Spelling and grammatical errors can be off-putting, especially when they are staring at you right from the book cover. Language errors aren’t as common on the front cover as they are on the back. So, you need to check and re-check the back cover. Get someone else to help you proofread your text. We all know that it can be difficult for one to proofread one’s own content.

Unlock the hidden sales potential of a well-designed book cover

The front and back covers of a book are prime spots for book promotions. For those of you who are self-publishers, you don’t have the backing of a team of marketers, so your book’s cover design is the only available tool for you to market your book. The front cover is what the potential buyer sees first, but that doesn’t mean the book’s back can be ignored.

Serious readers look at books as an investment. Not just an investment of money but of their time as well. So, they always check out the back cover for more information. Use the essentials and dos and don’ts we have mentioned to turn the back cover into your personal sales representative. Watch your book sales increase.