All book covers have text and visual layout patterns that are repetitive once you understand them and recognise those that don’t have them. Not using these layout patterns creates a weak design.
Breaking the rules only for the sake of breaking them is not always a good idea. Breaking such patterns can be effective if done by people who are already familiar with the rules. A clever new pattern can result in a worse design than keeping it simple. Sometimes, a small, simple change to an existing design structure will give a better result than completely recreating the design structure.
Hierarchy
The hierarchy is often different on each cover, which means that all design elements, title, main visual, author name, and supporting visuals are arranged in a way that matches their importance.
On the cover of Ruta Sepetys’ book, the author’s name is the first thing that stands out before the eye is brought down to the visual, and only then do you notice the title. Even in a small thumbnail, it isn’t easy to read, but since the author’s name is the key selling point, this is done intentionally. As a result, the name is the most prominent element, followed by the visual, and the title is the last.
As you can see, the size of the title and author name is the same. The other text is difficult to understand due to its various sizes and colours, and it is too much for a simple tagline that piques the reader’s interest. It’s like a blurb; thus, it’s too long.
- Too Many Fonts on The Cover
Never use more than three fonts. That can lead to a huge problem.
The primary guideline for good typography is to use two contrasting fonts. Sometimes, a third font is acceptable and can be utilised. However, if you use a third font, it should serve as a tagline or supporting text, not the main message.
You can often change the weight or thickness of a single font, such as bold and regular, regular and italic, and so on.
If your designer sends you a cover with more than three fonts, ask why! They should have a good explanation.
- Boring and Bland Design
A cover may have the right visual for the genre, well-made typography, and everything else, but if it lacks contrast and brightness, it will not capture the attention of the reader. Bland designs are drowned in the sea of great covers, which tend to be quite vibrant in many genres these days.
Vibrancy is vital in genres such as fantasy, YA, urban fantasy, and science fiction, where most covers are vibrant and colourful. Contrast is essential for covers. It’s joined the thriller/mystery scene, too.
NOTE: Excessive vibrancy is unnecessary if the goal is to create a more abstract or melancholy cover. This is not a must for all covers, but you should be aware of the trends in your genre and understand the decisions made.
- The Title Is Unreadable in A Small Thumbnail Size
The book title should be readable in the small thumbnail size on Amazon.
While a good cover image may be enough to pique the reader’s interest, an intriguing title increases the chances that the reader will click through your Amazon book page.
The author’s name can be legible (not simple to see at first sight but readable) to nearly as large as the title, making it easy to read all at once.
- Too Much Text or Visual Elements
When the cover has too many elements, it can be difficult to interpret, and structure and hierarchy can be lost.
Never use too many symbols in the story. Don’t add every significant person, gun, cityscape, religious symbol, etc. The cover does not need to include all the story elements or depict a scene in detail.
It is more important to convey the right genre or subgenre and the overall tone of the story than to show the exact details of one scene. The cover’s purpose is to entice the reader to buy the book’s story, not to reveal or ruin it.
Covers that need to be abstract or simple(think Non-Fiction) typically have a minimalistic design with only one visual and matching text. Often, just one cool visual is enough.
- Low-quality Images
Modern or vintage book cover designs that catch readers’ attention must include images of high quality. No tiny images captured with an old phone or small images found on Google. That will show amateurism and give the impression that the author did not put in enough effort (even if this is not true).
If you require a print book cover as well, images that are too old and poorly scanned will not work because they can become pixelated and ruin the design. Nothing screams DIY more than pixelated images.
NOTE: Sending low-quality images as references to designers is fine. It’s good for them to see and understand what you desire. However, they will not use them in the final product.
- Using Copyright-Protected Images
Do not Google photos; stick them on your cover!
Some things cannot be used on book covers because they are copyright-protected, and you might get sued for this. For example, if you need a sports car, do not use a Ford Mustang image; the Mustang logo is copyrighted and cannot be used without clear written permission from Ford Motor Company’s attorneys (good luck with that).
Some places, such as the Eiffel Tower, are forbidden to be used as covers. Editorial images are also prohibited. They are only permitted for editorial purposes, such as blog articles, and not for commercial projects, such as book covers.