Self Publishing: Designing The Book Cover

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover.  All the more reason when marketing a book it should present the best possible first impression.  The cover should summarily tell a potential reader what the book is all about both figuratively and literally.  A picture is worth a thousand words, and your cover should charm and seduce a reader into wanting to spend time under its spell for some 90,000 plus words.  Romance authors have relied on this art form with bare chested hunks with glistening abs and bulging pecs embracing the ripped bodice of a voluptuous female.  Cheesy maybe, but sex sells, and though you may not be selling sex the idea is to entice a potential reader to pick up your book, thumb through it, and to read the back and front material.  Intrigue them and make the book impossible to walk away from purchasing.  This can be accomplished with an image coupled with blurbs.

Novel covers are generally influenced by the overall tone of the book.  In planning a cover decide whether to use a graphic or photographic representation.  I write in the noir mystery thriller genre which relies on heavy realism therefore I decided to go with the photographic while a fantasy genre author would prefer an animated still image.  The next step is finding a graphic artist and/or photographer who can translate your ideas into a captivating image.  I found my graphic artist when I noticed a Facebook friend’s book cover.  Immediately after a brief introduction we were in simpatico.  I now rely on that artist for all covers and promotional art work.  It’s important to find a graphic artist who’s work you admire and with whom you can connect.

It can’t be emphasized enough the importance of working with a professional.  BookSlut blogger Jessa Crispin in her feature How to Judge A Book by its Cover tells what she looks for when browsing for a book to purchase and its all in the cover.  Her subjective assessment tells what she seeks and avoids in evaluating a cover’s components including the artwork, the spine, descriptions, back and front panels, fonts, blurbs. the author photo and the ISBN block.  A good exercise is to browse bookstore shelves to get ideas.  Unless you’re an accomplished writer and artist I would not attempt to design my own cover, but if you have supreme confidence in your artistic ability then by all means go with it.  Read the link to Anthony P. Palmieri’s Designing a Cover for your Book:  A Guide for Self Publishers, in addition , the internet offers a number of how to articles and videos.  See How To Design Book Covers.

If your book is a work of art then so should be your cover.  It may be the rule you can’t judge a book by its cover, but it’s the exception that proves the rule: a great book cover is usually an indication of a great book.  Both require time and careful attention.

A Review of Ebony the Beloved by Hannah Spivey

This is a story of the worst kind of childhood. Ebony while growing up in a dysfunctional household suffers physical and verbal abuse by her parents. Reduced to a pathetic creature she suffers similar abuse in school. A school official discovers her plight and rescues Ebony taking her into a caring home. One would think Ebony would be humbled and grateful finally being showered with love and attentive care. But poor Ebony can’t seem to handle her new life. Having been deprived of a healthy family relationship with low self esteem her carnal desires leads her back into trouble. It seems being deprived of the normal joys of growing up the teenager develops a fast feisty and frisky attitude. She’s wears stylish clothes, gets a perm, and discovers lipstick and jewelry. Suddenly inexperienced in life she thinks she grown.

Ebony rejects the warming advice of her care taker and becomes involved with an older man. A wealthy pop star, Desmond is handsome and charming with a South Beach mansion. He sweeps the young girl off her feet and into his inescapable clutches. Desmond proves not to be the man she thought. Oblivious to reasons why an older man would be interested in an under age girl she believes it’s only natural because of her desirable beauty. After a series of clandestine meetings Ebony finds herself snagged in another dysfunctional relationship. Held against her will she’s reduced to a sex slave.

The story has an interesting twist at first you feel sympathy for poor Ebony, but that sympathy is quickly lost as the story advances. Initially Ebony is a victim of her circumstances of which she had no control, but when her physical appearance improves that downtrodden beaten lack of self esteem takes an about face. When Ebony is left to her own devices she becomes a victim of her own making. But there is growth, the beaten down trodden girl finally finds the wherewithal to fight back. Suddenly she reaches the tipping point transformed with a new found strength no longer willing to take the abuse she had long suffered from her parents and others.

Ebony the Beloved is an interesting read which at times forces the reader to suspend belief although stories of sex slaves and abuse are by there very nature despicable and unbelievable. At times preachy it took me awhile to grow into the story I believe because the author failed to adhere to the cardinal rule of fiction i.e. show don’t tell, nevertheless, overall the novel comes to a satisfying conclusion. 4 stars

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