Self-Publishing Wednesday Webinar:
Maximize Book Sales With These
Book Cover Improvements
Bill Van Orsdel (303) 974-7845 [email protected]
Checklist:
ü You have researched your target reader
ü You have researched your genre
ü You have or are creating a cover
ü You plan on working with a professional
ü Fiction or nonfiction book
Before we get started…
� WaveCloud is an Author Services platform and an ebookstore
� Helping writers become successful authors is our #1 priority
� Not a “How To Do”, but a “What To Do”
� Watch this webinar: Maximize Book Sales With These Book Cover Improvements
A word from our sponsor
Bill Van Orsdel WaveCloud CMO
A word about our guest
• Teddi Black: Professional Book Cover
Designer
• Has designed more than 300 book covers
• Fiction & Nonfiction
• Many repeat authors
• Her goal: Help clients create book covers
that sell books!
Key Points A. Your book cover is one part of the three-legged stool that generates
interest for book sales (along with descriptions and stars/reviews)
B. Cover goals: � Capture eye � Confirm genre � Convey professionalism � And for nonfiction: call out promise
C. Maximize “available” graphic space for book covers
D. Know how to work with a design professional � What do you need to know? � What questions should you ask?
E. Target the right audience: Adults vs. Teens vs. Kids
F. For print - use all of the elements on the back cover (Print-on-Demand)
Book covers generate interest that leads to sales
� Goal: Convince those who visit your sales page to read your book description and reviews
� Purchase Behavior: Awareness à Interest à Trial à Purchase
� Interest created by: Book covers and then description
� Trial created by: Sampling or social proof
� Better book cover = more description reads
Better description reads = more review reads (trial)
Book review reads (trial) = more book sales
Why does this matter?
� Create “A Cover that Sells Books”
� “Capture the Eye” with an outstanding image, story, color, theme, tone, composition, and typography
� Confirm your Genre(s) (Mash-Ups) or Subject Area
� Convey your Professionalism
� + For nonfiction à Convey Benefit Promise
Goals for your book cover:
Maximize “available” graphic space for book covers
� Images in 72 DPI or better (don’t scale up!)
� In color (mindful of black & white displays)
� RGB color mode
� .JPG format
� 1563 x 2500 pixels (rough “Golden Rectangle”)
� Beware of white background, use a frame
� Less than 5MB and another less than 2MB (B&N)
Collaboration Tips Working With A Professional Book Cover Designer
� Agree on procedure & price upfront including: how to handle
extras (i.e. time, images, re-works, multiple versions, 3-D version) &
file ownership!
� Provide: Synopsis, Logline+Hook, image examples, book
examples, genre, theme and tone direction, main
character(s) description(s), etc.
� Engage with meaningful, well-thought-out, final direction
and comments. Credit your designer!
Refining a book cover
Refining a book cover
Refining a book cover
Refining a book cover Final Cover
Refining a book cover
Refining a book cover
Refining a book cover Final Cover
Tell a story, elicit an emotion
Tell a story, elicit an emotion
Target the right audience
Typography: good vs. bad
Typography: good vs. bad
Typography: good vs. bad
Back cover examples
Back cover examples
Back cover examples
Back cover examples
Back cover examples
� Name the book’s genre, explicity
� ISBN & correct bar code
� About the author (optional)
� Price
� Blurb
� Strong book description (logline + hook)
Back cover, often neglected
� Fiction: Logline + Hook
When ____ happens to ____, he/she must ____ or face ____.
i.e. “Marked for death along with his companions, a toy rabbit
must learn to cry real tears in order to save himself from being
thrown into a burning pit by the boy he loves.”
� Nonfiction:
Authority + Benefit Promise + Unique Proposition (may include
author credentials)
Back cover description
Final Recommendations: A. Your book cover is one part of the three-legged stool that generates interest
for book sales (along with descriptions and stars/reviews)
B. Cover goals: � Capture eye � Confirm genre � Convey professionalism � And for nonfiction: call out promise
C. Maximize “available” graphic space for book covers
D. Know how to work with a design professional � What do you need to know? � What questions should you ask?
E. Target the right audience: Adults vs. Teens vs. Kids
F. For print - use all of the elements on the back cover (Print-on-Demand)
� Enjoyed this webinar? WaveCloud has more online! Addi<onal webinars can be viewed here: WaveCloud Webinars
� Ask ques<ons regarding self-‐publishing, request a topic you would like to learn more about, or tell us what you think at [email protected].
WaveCloud Self-Publishing Wednesday Webinar Series:
Questions?
Bill Van Orsdel (303) 974-7845 [email protected]