Think about the last time you were browsing a bookstore. The front covers of the books are likely the thing that drew your attention enough to pick up a particular book. But I would wager the first thing you did after making a selection was to turn it over and look at...
When I was growing up in the ‘90s, one of my favorite things to do was ride my bike to the local library to peruse the shelves. Book covers, from what I remember at least, were predictable back then: westerns had cowboys on the covers, romance covers had steamy...
As an avid reader, there are few things worse than picking up a book that you’re excited to read and finding that the interior formatting is done so poorly that it actually inhibits your ability to enjoy the book. While the choices you make as a designer make a huge...
Creating a fantasy world map is an important step for many authors writing fantasy or other speculative fiction. A map does more than just show the places in your story; it gives you, the author, a way to further develop the world of your story and characters. And if...
You’ve spent the last however-many months (or years) writing and editing your book and you’re finally ready to self-publish it. Congratulations! That in itself is a huge accomplishment! Now that you’re ready to self-publish, you’re probably wondering about all the...
Despite the adage to not judge a book by its cover, the truth is that readers do judge book cover images when determining what they might want to read next. Without book cover art that stands out from the rest of the books on a shelf (virtual or otherwise), your book...
If you’re an author who wants to do something a little different with your book cover, I’ve got you covered (pun fully intended). Too often, authors can have rigid ideas about what a book cover should look like. What it should and shouldn’t include. The truth, though,...
As an entrepreneur, authoring a business book is a strategic move to cement your authority in your niche. It's not just about compiling your insights; it's about sharing your vision and lessons learned—invaluable both for your personal growth and your business's...
Welcome back to the third new edition of the book cover design awards. In the early days of The Book Designer, Joel Friedlander used to present monthly book cover design awards and we’re resurrecting the series (on a quarterly basis for now) to bring attention to some...
There’s no denying that Taylor Swift has become a force of nature with her Eras Tour this year. There are even reports that her tour, along with Beyoncé’s, have been large contributors to keeping the US economy out of a recession. So what does this have to do...
Indie publishing offers an exciting and empowering pathway for authors to bring their stories to life and into the hands of readers. In a world where traditional publishing barriers often seem daunting, self-publishing emerges as a beacon of opportunity, providing...
I still remember the first To Kill a Mockingbird book cover I saw. It was in eighth-grade English class and it was the mass-market paperback edition with the lavender border on the cover. As a 13-year-old kid I don’t think I entirely appreciated or even understood the...