The Importance Of Book Cover Design - Setting Out Your Ideas

I worked with my publisher to produce a design brief, so we could get quotes for the cover design of 'Gate of Tears' - I hadn't realised that it was such a detailed job.

In the end we found a great designer, but even so, he didn't read or absorb the brief thoroughly and it seems there was a bit of to-ing and fro-ing. I ended up with something completely different to what I expected, but my publisher thinks it's good. Pictures of planes and submarines (which figured in the designs in my mind) can cut down female 'pickups' in bookstores, and we didn't end up with any! We ran four sample designs past a panel of a dozen 'target' customers, and this one came out well ahead.

Anyway, for others who are about to commission a book cover design, here's the one we used for Gate of Tears (ISBN 978-09568426-0-2): Gate of Tears Design Cover Design Brief - you may find the template useful.

And, here's an article about Book Cover Design Briefs by the publisher. Remember to get your designer to throw in high definition versions for Kindle covers and promotional materials, as the actual book cover design itself may not scale neatly down to thumbnails or up to posters.