How many times in the supermarket or the mall have you found yourself reaching out impulsively for a colorful package, drawn to a pretty font or staring at some bauble you caught in the corner of your eye? These head-turning moments don’t happen by accident; for every eye-catching package or display, there was most likely an entire team of marketing pros tweaking every color scheme, every letter and every other nuance to create the perfect consumer magnet.
The truth is looks matter. It matters on a retail shelf, and it matters in the virtual world of online bookstores and ebook sellers. While you may not need an entire team to package your book, you can always realize several benefits you’ll reap from hiring the talents of a skilled cover artist.
- Visibility. You may very well have written the next great American novel. But if no one sees your book, your content won’t matter. A beautifully done cover that gets a potential book buyer to slow down for a second or two greatly increases the odds that buyer will investigate further. That’s the first important step to securing a sale.
- Credibility. A thoughtfully created cover immediately sends the message to the reader — whether they’re aware of it or not — that the same care that was put into the cover art was also taken in the writing of the book. The cover can either elevate a book to a new level or do it a tremendous disservice — give it careful consideration.
- Information. Your cover art imparts important clues to the reader about the content of your book. These are clues that will instantly help potential book buyers decide if the book holds potential interest for them. If the cover resonates with them on some deep level, they’ll want to investigate further.
- Targeting. Your cover design functions in part by appealing to the very people your content is meant to entertain or inform. It’s not enough to have pretty art; that art must reel in the right people.
- Marketability. The previous four advantages of a professional book cover all add up to a total package that is, in the end, more marketable and infinitely more likely to sell than either a beautiful cover or compelling content can do on its own.
A compelling book cover completes the eye-catching display that will make readers want to put your book into their shopping cart, and the cost-to-benefit ratio is highly favorable. Of course, no one can guarantee your stunning new artwork will immediately lead to an explosion in book sales — anyone who promises that is probably blowing smoke — but a dull, inappropriate cover is all but guaranteed to get passed over time and time again. A thoughtful, attractive and audience-appropriate cover will increase your odds of reaching the right readers, and more of them.
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| AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT & SUCCESS STORY |
“The total process was a true pleasure. Information provided answered most of my questions up front and anything that was unique was quickly and professionally answered. I had ordered the custom cover and I can say that when I first opened the proofs, it took my breath away. I had posted the two options on Facebook to get feedback and the responses were overwhelmingly positive. Now that the book is in print, I can honestly say that I have a product I can be proud to show off!”
Life’s most difficult lessons are often painful. They require sacrifice and cannot be learned alone. This testimony offers a unique insight into one man’s journey with his Creator. From the mission fields of Islamic Africa to the corporate structures of America, Jay Fernandez has seen God at work in many contexts. And his role within the church has taken many forms. He has served as a lay pastor, worship leader, youth leader and elder. For a time, Jay was happily married and earned in excess of $100,000 annually. Suddenly, and with little warning, his world came crashing down around him. Through his vices and circumstances out of his control, he was brought to his knees, and by the grace of God alone he was lifted up once more. Clearly God’s plan for Jay’s life was more radical than he could have dreamed, and he found his purpose in the rebuilding of battle-torn South Sudan. This stunning testimony seeks to share God’s message of love and forgiveness with all who are willing to seek Him out. It is about the greatest gift anyone could receive, a gift that is available to us all at any time or place, and yet a gift which so many of us fail to see.
– Jay Fernandez, author of Grace Walk
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