You executed this fine balance perfectly. You did not shame the self-published, self-designed books; instead you provided actionable information and support, while also not diminishing the value of good design and professional designers. 👏
Aw thanks Jen! I’m heartened to hear that. I genuinely love finding these books in the wild and I want to respect the effort and sheer willpower it takes to write and publish a book even if it’s poorly designed.
The longer I do this, the less interested I am in crapping on bad design—the context of something and its “why” are always more interesting to me.
We get a lot of self published authors trying to sell us their book and it's hard to say that just the writing alone isn't going to sell a book, it also depends on design and there's not enough thought around that. Great read!
One consistency that I've noticed with self-published covers is the lack of cohesion between the front and back covers and spine (way too many people neglect the spine- to your point).
(Having created my own self-published cover, I had my back up a little bit to read the analysis after seeing the other day that you were going to tackle this topic- but, damn- you did such a great job). Even if someone can't or won't hire a designer, there are so many tips in here that you've listed that are achievable and can be executed by most people. Loved this!
I’m a spine snob (because that stuff is HARD) so that is the first thing I look at to indicate craftsmanship. Yeah for the colophon on the spine… first thing I look at. Also, how books from the same publisher line up their colophon.. like Belt Publishing… genius the way they pay attention to that detail… or two dollar radio … another one… PHR is all over the map. 😀😀😀😀
Oooh! Nailed it! All the nails on the coffin actually.
(Wondering if the saying is from that?)
Anyhow, it’s the details we pick up on. Details count.
I hired a book cover artist to do my cover for my soon to be published ((or self published)) poetry chapbook.
I’m an illustrator and do comics but I can’t stare at a screen laden with color. I’m mildly autistic and neurodivergent here and colors make me dizzy. I get tension headaches near my temples too.
The artist: She’s great with color and she’s got a clean bold line that I try to emulate in my own work. And she’s brave with color!
I would love to share her mock ups with you! We are in our third iteration and it’s coming together. We’ve been working together since February. We have a meeting at 3 today!
THANK YOU. I do a lot of cover art, and it steams me when people print their fiction books in matte finish. I rage that matte is only for nonfiction and they blow me off. So there's my gorgeous art with the darks all gone gray under the stinkin' matte finish ...
I actually don’t know if I agree for general fiction—I think it’s a matter of taste—but I do think you’re right about fantasy fiction and stuff with a high level of illustration! But POD is never gonna get the colors completely right no matter what.
My preference overall is an uncoated stock but you can’t get that with POD (yet)
I’m not a book designer, I just read a lot of (physical) books in my life. The shiny cover, stark white paper, narrow interior margin, missing logo on the book spine, funky back cover design, they all scream at me every time I hold a self-published book in my hands. It’s crazy how our subconscious can spot this stuff immediately even if we have no clue about book design.
This sure gave me flashbacks to when I led the design of the graduation book of my class 😅
We probably made every mistake you listed including a cover picture with waaay too low resolution 🤣🤣🤣 good thing we made all the students and teachers pre-purchase so it didn’t impact sales hahaha
Also, I’m wondering if you have any recommendations for print-on-demand services with better paper quality?
Hehe! No worries. I hope I don’t vilify bad design here—god knows I’ve done my fair share of it.
No matter what, POD is always going to be a series of trade offs. IngramSpark and KDP are comparable, but Ingram lets you do a hardcover with a jacket whereas KDP doesn’t but has cheaper print costs.
Lulu and Blurb appear to have better quality, or at least more production choices, but the per unit cost is higher. For Blurb, MUCH higher (they specialize in photo books).
And then again there are some POD-adjacent, short-run digital presses that have better quality, but don’t give you anywhere close to the same distribution tools as Ingram or Amazon.
Not at all, I loved every second of reading your piece! I think it’s awesome that you’re giving access to this information and sharing all the small details that make book covers look so professional.
Often, I can tell that my designs are bad or at least a bit off but I don’t know what to change so this is so helpful!
Thanks so much for these insights about self publishing!! If you were to publish a book, which route would you go—try to get traditionally published?
It’s taken years to figure out how to articulate why something doesn’t look quite “right.”
That’s a terrific question! I dunno. Lol. The credibiiity of traditional publishing is appealing. But the control and potential profit of self-publishing is also appealing. I’d save on book design costs, obviously, but I have a tendency to kick the can down the road when the deadlines are set by my boss (aka me) haha.
Yeah that part of traditional publishing sure is appealing. I've heard many people say to go with a traditional publisher for your first book to get credibility and then switch to self-publishing for future books for the profits. Might try that although it's tough to get a book deal.
In any case, a book about book cover design would be soo cool! (hint)
As a media alumnus (post grad) I cannot but agree. And there is resitance to good design out there. When I ran a community magazine, the funders withdrew because I wouldn't compromise on quality. I compare it to recording your own music - not to mention designing your own sleeve spiel & art. Oh dear. Even the charity shops can't shift that:) The hard truth is that virtually any aspect of what you cover is a killed job in itself. Don't imagine you can do them all (within a reasonable timescale). They say something about books and covers, but I do, titles and even author's names; if anything looks contrived, it's a no. Regardless of who published it.
This was such a helpful read, even for design in general. Aside from these guidelines, I'm curious why some of these are the case? For instance, who determines the fonts that should or shouldn't be used? Is it because it's overused or cliche? Kind of like, "Dark and stormy night." even if it is a legitimate line for the first book to use it.
It kind of depends on the instance, but yeah, overuse and cliche are definitely big reasons in addition to poor design or going against the grain of an industry standard. That’s a perfect comparison!
I agree with this, for the majority of things. I don’t think authors who self-publish should take the easy way when it comes to creating a book. A book is only as good as it is appealing. Books that look like you put zero effort or has AI bleeding from the pages give self-published authors who do put the time, money and effort into creating their books.
Loving this. Being a former photographer of trade it is very relatable reading about other trades being hi jacked by amateurs of all sorts as [also amongst professionals] in the good, the bad, and the plain ugly.. 🙌🏻
Thank you for an honest and expert take. I'm redesigning my cover for edition 2 and your article is a helpful reminder to do the narrative justice. What are your thoughts on colour choices? Pick a current trend or go with a colour representing a theme in the book?
For color: I would almost always try to find something that is representative of the book’s contents or otherwise makes sense with the other design elements before looking at trends
Lots of good points here. I think I've avoided most of these pitfalls most of the time.
Production can be a little tricky, though. I have a few matte covers from IngramSpark, and while I really dislike the tactile feel of them, I don't have the funds to use an offset printer at the moment. I did my last few books with glossy covers, though, and those look (and feel) so much nicer. It's a good option if you're wanting to get away from that telltale POD feel.
POD production is definitely tricky. That matte isn't necessarily a bad thing because using POD or self-publishing isn't inherently bad, it can just be a tip-off and can compound the other indicators.
You executed this fine balance perfectly. You did not shame the self-published, self-designed books; instead you provided actionable information and support, while also not diminishing the value of good design and professional designers. 👏
Aw thanks Jen! I’m heartened to hear that. I genuinely love finding these books in the wild and I want to respect the effort and sheer willpower it takes to write and publish a book even if it’s poorly designed.
The longer I do this, the less interested I am in crapping on bad design—the context of something and its “why” are always more interesting to me.
We get a lot of self published authors trying to sell us their book and it's hard to say that just the writing alone isn't going to sell a book, it also depends on design and there's not enough thought around that. Great read!
Thanks Samantha!
You’re so right—it has to look like it BELONGS on the shelf at a bookstore.
You hit every single nail on the head.
One consistency that I've noticed with self-published covers is the lack of cohesion between the front and back covers and spine (way too many people neglect the spine- to your point).
(Having created my own self-published cover, I had my back up a little bit to read the analysis after seeing the other day that you were going to tackle this topic- but, damn- you did such a great job). Even if someone can't or won't hire a designer, there are so many tips in here that you've listed that are achievable and can be executed by most people. Loved this!
I’m a spine snob (because that stuff is HARD) so that is the first thing I look at to indicate craftsmanship. Yeah for the colophon on the spine… first thing I look at. Also, how books from the same publisher line up their colophon.. like Belt Publishing… genius the way they pay attention to that detail… or two dollar radio … another one… PHR is all over the map. 😀😀😀😀
I love Belt and Two Dollar Radio! I think there’s a direct correlation in your examples between size of publisher and consistency.
It doesn’t bother me so much unless the books are meant to go together somehow.
We may be two of a TINY population that even thinks to look at that, though 😁
Thank you Steve! You’re so right—the spine is so often neglected.
My hope is that this will be helpful and not make anybody feel TOO bad 😉
Haha there shouldn't be any hard feelings - you approached it with support and a lot of tact👍
Oooh! Nailed it! All the nails on the coffin actually.
(Wondering if the saying is from that?)
Anyhow, it’s the details we pick up on. Details count.
I hired a book cover artist to do my cover for my soon to be published ((or self published)) poetry chapbook.
I’m an illustrator and do comics but I can’t stare at a screen laden with color. I’m mildly autistic and neurodivergent here and colors make me dizzy. I get tension headaches near my temples too.
The artist: She’s great with color and she’s got a clean bold line that I try to emulate in my own work. And she’s brave with color!
I would love to share her mock ups with you! We are in our third iteration and it’s coming together. We’ve been working together since February. We have a meeting at 3 today!
THANK YOU. I do a lot of cover art, and it steams me when people print their fiction books in matte finish. I rage that matte is only for nonfiction and they blow me off. So there's my gorgeous art with the darks all gone gray under the stinkin' matte finish ...
I actually don’t know if I agree for general fiction—I think it’s a matter of taste—but I do think you’re right about fantasy fiction and stuff with a high level of illustration! But POD is never gonna get the colors completely right no matter what.
My preference overall is an uncoated stock but you can’t get that with POD (yet)
I’m not a book designer, I just read a lot of (physical) books in my life. The shiny cover, stark white paper, narrow interior margin, missing logo on the book spine, funky back cover design, they all scream at me every time I hold a self-published book in my hands. It’s crazy how our subconscious can spot this stuff immediately even if we have no clue about book design.
Yes! So often I could just tell. I wanted to better understand WHY I could tell so I wrote this 🙂
I know, it’s great to see my instinctive response translated into professional book design terminology.
This sure gave me flashbacks to when I led the design of the graduation book of my class 😅
We probably made every mistake you listed including a cover picture with waaay too low resolution 🤣🤣🤣 good thing we made all the students and teachers pre-purchase so it didn’t impact sales hahaha
Also, I’m wondering if you have any recommendations for print-on-demand services with better paper quality?
Hehe! No worries. I hope I don’t vilify bad design here—god knows I’ve done my fair share of it.
No matter what, POD is always going to be a series of trade offs. IngramSpark and KDP are comparable, but Ingram lets you do a hardcover with a jacket whereas KDP doesn’t but has cheaper print costs.
Lulu and Blurb appear to have better quality, or at least more production choices, but the per unit cost is higher. For Blurb, MUCH higher (they specialize in photo books).
And then again there are some POD-adjacent, short-run digital presses that have better quality, but don’t give you anywhere close to the same distribution tools as Ingram or Amazon.
Not at all, I loved every second of reading your piece! I think it’s awesome that you’re giving access to this information and sharing all the small details that make book covers look so professional.
Often, I can tell that my designs are bad or at least a bit off but I don’t know what to change so this is so helpful!
Thanks so much for these insights about self publishing!! If you were to publish a book, which route would you go—try to get traditionally published?
It’s taken years to figure out how to articulate why something doesn’t look quite “right.”
That’s a terrific question! I dunno. Lol. The credibiiity of traditional publishing is appealing. But the control and potential profit of self-publishing is also appealing. I’d save on book design costs, obviously, but I have a tendency to kick the can down the road when the deadlines are set by my boss (aka me) haha.
Yeah that part of traditional publishing sure is appealing. I've heard many people say to go with a traditional publisher for your first book to get credibility and then switch to self-publishing for future books for the profits. Might try that although it's tough to get a book deal.
In any case, a book about book cover design would be soo cool! (hint)
Well there are already some out there but don’t worry, I’m scheming and daydreaming 😉
Love to hear it!
As a media alumnus (post grad) I cannot but agree. And there is resitance to good design out there. When I ran a community magazine, the funders withdrew because I wouldn't compromise on quality. I compare it to recording your own music - not to mention designing your own sleeve spiel & art. Oh dear. Even the charity shops can't shift that:) The hard truth is that virtually any aspect of what you cover is a killed job in itself. Don't imagine you can do them all (within a reasonable timescale). They say something about books and covers, but I do, titles and even author's names; if anything looks contrived, it's a no. Regardless of who published it.
This was such a helpful read, even for design in general. Aside from these guidelines, I'm curious why some of these are the case? For instance, who determines the fonts that should or shouldn't be used? Is it because it's overused or cliche? Kind of like, "Dark and stormy night." even if it is a legitimate line for the first book to use it.
I’m glad! Thanks for reading.
It kind of depends on the instance, but yeah, overuse and cliche are definitely big reasons in addition to poor design or going against the grain of an industry standard. That’s a perfect comparison!
Thank you. I like to hear the reasons why. That's always the interesting point of view.
I agree with this, for the majority of things. I don’t think authors who self-publish should take the easy way when it comes to creating a book. A book is only as good as it is appealing. Books that look like you put zero effort or has AI bleeding from the pages give self-published authors who do put the time, money and effort into creating their books.
Loving this. Being a former photographer of trade it is very relatable reading about other trades being hi jacked by amateurs of all sorts as [also amongst professionals] in the good, the bad, and the plain ugly.. 🙌🏻
Thank you so much for this
You're welcome. Thanks for reading!
Thank you for an honest and expert take. I'm redesigning my cover for edition 2 and your article is a helpful reminder to do the narrative justice. What are your thoughts on colour choices? Pick a current trend or go with a colour representing a theme in the book?
Glad you found it helpful!
For color: I would almost always try to find something that is representative of the book’s contents or otherwise makes sense with the other design elements before looking at trends
Thank you!
Lots of good points here. I think I've avoided most of these pitfalls most of the time.
Production can be a little tricky, though. I have a few matte covers from IngramSpark, and while I really dislike the tactile feel of them, I don't have the funds to use an offset printer at the moment. I did my last few books with glossy covers, though, and those look (and feel) so much nicer. It's a good option if you're wanting to get away from that telltale POD feel.
POD production is definitely tricky. That matte isn't necessarily a bad thing because using POD or self-publishing isn't inherently bad, it can just be a tip-off and can compound the other indicators.
I think mine looks pretty fucking good, actually! You tell me, though: The Trailer Park Rules.
Pretty fucking good indeed!
Thank you. I am just waiting to be discovered by the publishing gods. :)
Interesting read. I will keep these pointers in mind when I'll be designing the cover of my first novel. But I'll have to finish writing it first 😉
First thing's first!