Ever heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” In reality, that’s actually what readers do. If the cover art is not eye-catching enough on a shelf full of books, it’s likely they’ll pick up something that is. Unsure where to start? Check out the bestselling covers in the genre you’re pursuing. What are the similarities between them? Ex. are they text-based? Only have one object as a focal point? Is the author name small or massive? All of these seem like small details, but it unconsciously helps the reader determine a lot about the book based on first glance.

How? All of the bestselling books have a simple cover with one or two things based on the story as the focal point. The author’s name is large, sometimes larger than the title, but that only works if you have a massive fanbase that literally buys the book simply because your name is on it.

Things to keep in mind while shopping or considering custom art for your book:

• what covers are currently trending in my genre?
• what objects or scene can be used to portray the story?
• what colors and textures are being used on popular covers?

Another excellent thing to keep in mind is doing a bit of checking into the artist you’ll be commissioning. They’ll likely promote the cover to their followers, which does lead to more exposure and sales.

With a bit of research into current trends, you’ll be able to acquire the appropriate cover for your book whether it’s text-based or features the main character.