We’ve all heard the saying, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ But when it comes to actual book sales, nothing could be further from the truth.

The cover is a book’s best shot at getting picked up. Not only is it the book’s first sales pitch, but it also provides the prospective customer their first glimpse into what the book contains. The ideas it conveys, and the emotions it may invoke in the reader.

Here are the top 3 factors that make or break a book cover…

1. Visual Appeal: It needs to grab the reader’s attention. How is your book going to stand out on a shelf full of titles that all look alike? Consider using bolder colors, larger text, and less complex design. If the cover starts to get to intricate, it tends to blur together. Though, as always, there are exceptions.

2. Relevance: Your book cover needs to accurately portray its contents. Sure you need to catch the customer’s attention, but they won’t buy a book they aren’t interested in. Ensure that your cover engages the target audience and that the title and imagery are relevant to the content.

3. Message: No matter how simple your cover is, it will inevitably convey some sort of message. What is that message? It doesn’t need to be complicated. For instance, if your book is about a girl and her dog, don’t put a boy with a snake on the cover!

Now, I’m sure most readers would say that they’d rather have a good book with a bad cover, over a bad book with a good cover. But, the fact remains that to get people to discover your book in the first place, you need a cover that will truly catch their eye.