If you want to write, and make money from your writing, then you need a cover that reflects your professionalism. It needs to be catchy, to be seen among thousands. I do most of my own covers and will keep checking it to see what it looks like as s thumbnail. If you think about the way Amazon works, you’re scrolling through pages of thumbnail sized images. It’s only the text placement, colours and composition of the cover that catch your eye.
As a friend of mine once said, “Presentation is 99.9% of the sale.” I’ve never forgotten that, because your book lives or dies thanks to its cover. Even if a customer doesn’t eventually end up buying your book, it’s usually your cover that leads them there. That makes them feel compelled to click on your book title and follow it through to the product page.
There are a lot of bad covers out there. A lot of hackneyed attempts made on MS Paint. Or assembled on a tablet.
NO. No no no no no no.
Please don’t do it. If you can’t do your own cover, get someone to do it for you. Have a certain look in mind and try to attain that with whatever is at hand. Be bold. Get creative. And if you’re writing a series, it’s VERY important you have branding in place. A logo (or font design) for your series title. A particular font for your author name. Keep this the same throughout. Your readers will respect the stability of seeing familiar covers.
What’s better than having a reader finish Book 1 of your series and instantly identify Book 2?
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On Monday the 20th of October my YA Scifi novel Age of Destiny is OUT! But wait, there’s more. Operation Chimera, the novel I wrote with Matt Cox, published by Curiosity Quills Press, is also out! Both titles are available to pre-order for 99c each, so what are you waiting for?
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Order Age of Destiny (The Broken Stars, Book 1)
Order Operation Chimera (Far From Home)
Tony Healey 