What do you look for in a good book cover?

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dennisbragra
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Re: What do you look for in a good book cover?

Post by dennisbragra »

The cover needs to tell the story before actually reading it. A good cover should not contradict the story in the book
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Marsha JJ
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Post by Marsha JJ »

While I initially like covers that are eye-catching, once it catches my eye I want to be able to know what the book is about "at a glance". It should be super clear and enticing, and capture the main point of the book.
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Post by human reader »

Hmm, I think for me I prefer the cover to be one or more characters. What I mean is that it depicts a person, animal, deity, whatever relates to the story.

Twilight is a series that did not go this route. The books have objects on the covers. The first book has a person (not shown enough for me to count it) holding an apple. It apparently is linking the narrative to the apples of immortality tradition in Greek and Norse myths. While I respect them using symbolism that fits the story, I think the cover is just okay. It is not a personal favorite. It feels a bit generic, though for symbolism points I might give it a 7/10.

Now for an example of a great one I would point to R.L. Stine's Fear Street novel called The Betrayal. The woman's face is beautifully drawn. The fire, the gate, the way she is holding her cloak, these things evoke plenty of atmosphere. You even have a detailed and relatively unique object with her necklace. This is an easy 9/10, if not a straight up 10/10.
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Post by kipper_ »

Ideally, I would pick something that is eye-catching to attract initial attention. Certain kinds of colors, fonts, etc., are great for this. What you consider to be attractive will probably vary from someone else's perspective. I appreciate when a book cover reflects the overall feeling of a novel. The cover has the ability to set the tone and first impression of a reader's experience with the book, so sensitivity to this can determine whether the author/publisher is self-aware regarding the message/narrative of the book. It will also help craft your readers to have a particular mindset/approach to your story without them even being aware of it.
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Post by 04092B »

For a visual learner like me, what really caught my eye and attention most of time is the harmonious balance of beautiful art and font usage. I don't know how to explain it in detail, but I think it is such an eye catching technique because it always works or am I just a simpleton.
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