Conventional wisdom tells us not to judge a book by its cover, but those in the publishing industry know better. An effective cover design doesn’t just look good on shelves — it should also clearly communicate the title, signal the genre, and capture an appropriate audience for that book. In other words, design is crucial to your book’s aesthetics and sales, and definitely not something to phone in as an author!
This is why almost every professional author should hire a book cover designer to do the job right. A professional cover designer knows what works on the market and will have cultivated their own unique style to make your book stand out. They’ll work with you to create a cover design that satisfies your vision and incorporates their knowledge of genre conventions and publishing trends, to give your book that much-coveted mass appeal.