Necessity & Invention: 5 Reasons to Get That Custom Book Cover Design

Appearances matter, and so do first impressions! They matter in day-to-day life, they matter in terms of putting together a marketing strategy and, most importantly for us, they matter when book lovers run their hands along the bookstore shelves–or their thumbs along the page listings assembled by their favorite e-book distributor. A colorful, eye-catching book cover is the key to prompting that oh-so-vital moment of hesitation, when a potential reader’s attention is caught and transformed into movement towards the checkout counter or button.

No matter what a book contains in respect to content, a well-crafted custom cover always plays an integral role in the successful sale of a book. There are, however, five specific benefits to opting for custom over a basic template:

1. Credibility: A professionally designed cover serves as a hint that the same care that was put into crafting the cover was also taken in the crafting of the book’s content. Your book’s cover speaks for your professionalism as an author and the quality of your work–not to mention your dedication to pleasing your readers.
2. Visibility: Just writing your book isn’t enough; you have to sell it, too. But if no one picks up or views your book, it won’t matter how much time or effort you’ve put into the writing process–a cover which prompts even the slightest pause will increase the odds that a reader will investigate further, and ultimately make a purchase.
3. Information: Readers like to know what they’re getting when they buy a book, and your book’s cover gives clues as to its content and tone. If your book cover resonates with readers by hinting at its content accurately, they’re more likely to buy.
4. Targeting: An arrow is all well and good, but if it doesn’t hit the target it’s no use to anyone. It’s not enough to have a pretty cover; your cover must reach the right people. A professional book cover designer is trained to craft artwork that appeals specifically to the people your content is meant to entertain or inform, whether they’re war veterans who enjoy biopics or women in their 40s who enjoy spiritual devotionals.
5. Marketability: The sum total of the first four points, above, add up to a package which is infinitely more marketable than any one point alone might do. And in a competitive market like the one you’re bound to enter, that boost to your marketability isn’t something you can afford to pass by.

Of course, the outcomes of book sales are about as easy to predict as working out Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, which is to say: the evidence adds up, but there’s no such thing as a guarantee that any one cover will immediately lead to a spike in book sales, while another will leave a book moldering in the forgotten far-reaches of the internet. However! Your attractive, custom cover will increase your odds of reaching the right readers–and more of them.

Are you ready to self-publish your book with a beautiful, professional cover?  Call us at 1-888-675-6657 to talk to a Publishing Consultant or visit us online at www.outskirtspress.com to chat via our live chat option.