{"id":8616,"date":"2024-11-13T18:17:25","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T18:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.woodbridgepublishers.co.uk\/blogs\/?p=8616"},"modified":"2024-11-13T18:17:25","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T18:17:25","slug":"what-makes-a-bad-book-cover-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woodbridgepublishers.co.uk\/blogs\/what-makes-a-bad-book-cover-design\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes a Bad Book Cover Design? \u2013 You Better Not Do This"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”” woodmart_inline=”no” text_larger=”no”]As you agree,\u00a0book cover design is an important marketing tool for your book.<\/p>\n

It was true before Amazon began doing less and less organic book marketing with its Also Bought and emails, and it’s even more valid\u00a0now in 2024, as book marketing becomes harder and harder, boosting the importance of your cover<\/a>!<\/p>\n

But how do you judge if a book cover is great, good, or bad?<\/p>\n

The most important skill that authors lack is the ability to distinguish outstanding design. Whether you want to hire a book cover designer<\/a>, buy a premade\u00a0book cover, or make your own cover (DIY), this is something you must improve\u00a0as an indie author, especially if you are concerned that your current book covers aren’t up to pace.<\/p>\n

After reading this, you’ll be able to\u00a0better identify and avoid these modern and vintage book cover design<\/strong> mistakes! So, without further ado, let’s get started.<\/p>\n

While some are minor issues that won’t affect your book sales, others can result in negative reviews from dissatisfied readers, prevent you from receiving a BookBub feature<\/a>, or cause book bloggers to ignore your book for reviews.<\/p>\n

These are pretty common\u00a0on DIY covers, as well as specific covers created by fresh designers who are still learning the art of modern and vintage book cover design<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Let’s look at them in more detail.<\/p>\n

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    Genre Miscommunication <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This can be a subtle\u00a0mistake, but it has serious consequences.<\/p>\n

    Your cover may convey\u00a0that your book is a psychological thriller, but in fact, it is a high-octane action thriller with lots of chases and shooting. The\u00a0reader’s\u00a0expectations for each are different, and when they buy the book, you may receive negative feedback from readers\u00a0who are dissatisfied that they were misled (unintentionally).<\/p>\n

    Not only will you miss out on reaching the ideal readers who will enjoy your book, but you may also lose sales due to negative reviews.<\/p>\n

    The risk of\u00a0this mistake is highest when DIYing or purchasing a premade\u00a0vintage book cover design<\/strong>, as it is easy to fall in love with an idea or design rather than staying impartial. We all have biases and blind spots, so having a person or writer mastermind in your genre who can provide an objective perspective is beneficial.<\/p>\n

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      DIY-Looking Cover<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      This is often the easiest mistake\u00a0to detect because some covers are absolutely a disaster.<\/p>\n

      However, some covers show subtler signs of DIY and are generally more difficult to identify (especially from newer, novice designers). This tends to be mistakes of misplaced text (too close to the edges of the cover), text that is too small, a bad hierarchy of design elements, or stretched images that look unnatural.<\/p>\n

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        Too Much Subjectivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        This happens whenever an author’s preferences powerfully influence the design. Instead of designing a cover that’s compatible with\u00a0genre requirements, an author may want a specific colour or visual element on the cover that does not fit the genre or is simply a poor design choice.<\/p>\n

        Cover designs should not be boring or overly cliche. Consider adding a unique element to your cover design, but\u00a0when suggesting ideas, don’t get too attached to anything.<\/p>\n

        A designer should never reject the author’s ideas without explaining them. A professional designer is hired to create and serves as the author’s guide to what works and what doesn’t. Thus, the designer must explain in detail why a specific colour or design element on a cover does not work.<\/p>\n

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          Weak Hierarchy or Structure <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Every design should have a simple and clear hierarchy of elements.<\/p>\n

          Whether it’s a vintage book cover design<\/strong>, website design, or poster, how a design is laid out influences how readers perceive it.<\/p>\n

          This is one of those design things that non-designers will not spot, which is why DIY covers may be so bad.<\/p>\n

          A good modern or vintage book cover design<\/strong> can direct the viewer’s eye from one element to another in the appropriate order. It also ensures that elements do not create a mess that is difficult to understand.<\/p>\n

          Design, as an art form, offers distinct structures and hierarchy\u00a0options.<\/p>\n

          Structure<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n