Let’s Judge Books by Their Covers: The Secret to Great Book Design
Hello. My name is Eva, and I am a bookaholic.
When you have been a bookaholic for over three decades and your kitchen cabinets have been converted into bookshelves, you begin to study your own patterns around not just why you buy so many books (I’ll leave that to my therapist), but also which books you buy.
What made me swipe right on all these books, in particular?
As I look around my apartment, I recognize that the decision to buy 80% of these books was made in a split second, impulsively, and even instinctively. Something about them intuitively made me take a chance on each. That something is: a damn good title and damn good design.
We’ll discuss titling another time. For now, let’s talk about something we all do but often deny: judging books—and everything we buy, for that matter—by their packaging and design.
(For the record, we worked on all these books, and we love every cover pictured here.)
We choose or reject books, TV shows, frozen dinners, clothing, shampoo, and countless other products we use every day based on their tone, look, feel, and perceived value. Forget about the ingredients list—if the product has vibrant packaging and healthy messaging, I will eat four Skinny Cows.
I am an editor who should know better, but the truth is that I have long judged books by their covers, and well… I’ve gotten pretty good at it. So, with the help of some of the best book designers in the business, I’m going to show you how to judge those covers faster and better.
I’ve enlisted the help of design experts Adrian Morgan, the former HarperCollins Art Director that developed the cover for the mega-bestseller The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, and Pamela Geismar, former Design Director for Chronicle Books, one of the leading publishers in the industry for award-winning design and illustrated books.
So let’s get to the heart of what makes a cover design outstanding.
Great Design Knows Its Audience
Morgan says great cover design needs to “Tell the story. Know your audience. Great book covers can range from all-type to primarily image-focused. If it's a celebrity book, use that person front and center. Know what the audience wants.”
I couldn’t agree more. Matthew McConaughey is on the cover of his memoir Greenlights, because that is what I and the rest of his audience want. He is also ridiculously famous, so his face entices people to click on the buy button. (I mean, just look at him.)
Did I buy The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up for its calming cover and amazing promise? Sure did! (I also intentionally skipped the chapter on books.) In the same way, Marie Kondo’s cover tells a story of finding peace in the midst of the literary clutter hidden away in my closets. The books that have sold me on design alone are those that spoke to an intuitive need.
It is a design that calls to you, that gives you the end of the story you’ve been seeking and desiring.
Great design is in dialogue with you, whether by saying ”feel this” and evoking emotion or “look at me” by being irresistibly eye-catching. A memorable cover reminds you of something you didn’t know you wanted or needed. And there is an art to keeping that dialogue engaging.
The Irish author, John O'Donoghue says, “We respond with joy to the call of beauty because in an instant it can awaken under the layers of the heart a forgotten brightness.”
Cover design is not always this poetic, nor is it all a beauty pageant. Adrian cuts to the core of it when he says that a book cover is a sales tool: “Use it to sell the content in a timely and timeless manner.”
A sales tool doesn’t have to mean soulless or without art. In fact, a great sales tool needs to be artful to be timeless and timely. It needs to feel important and urgent, but not so trendy that it won’t have appeal over time.
Great Design Is Clear, Bold, and Readable
This might sound super basic, but it’s a big deal that many cover designs miss.
Geismer and Morgan agree the title and subtitle of a book needs to be readable, like I-forgot-my-glasses-at-home readable. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard sales teams ask to bump up the size of title and subtitles on covers. And we aren’t just talking about being easily readable on a bookstore shelf. Most shoppers are not buying in person these days. It also has to be readable for phone-shoppers who are only half-scrolling through Amazon while watching the latest episode of House of the Dragon. Yeah, it’s got to be that skimmable.
This is done with big, often bold types and a clear hierarchy in the design so the reader knows what to focus on first, second, and third.
Geismer argues that on top of this, a great cover needs to communicate the tone of the book immediately, “from proud elegance to ironic despair and everything in between. It needs to convey the authentic promise of the book while positioning it for marketing purposes and maximum sales, and it needs to be intriguing enough to draw someone to pick it up or click on the thumbnail.”
Geismer has always had a talent for capturing tone with light, visuals, subtle color cues, and careful choice in typography. She is also an expert in translating the hidden dynamics of design.
She gives international bestseller Becoming the One by Sheleana Aiyana as an example of successfully setting a tone with a cover for a narrative non-fiction book. “The prismatic light reflections are hopeful and positive without being specific, and speak to the audience for this book—the self-development, healing community. The cover draws existing fans of the author and her organization by including that name and logo, while also speaking to the general public with its message of potential transformation. The large title and hierarchy of type reads well in an online thumbnail, and those who see the book in person see the added touch of metallic copper type that makes it feel special. I think this cover succeeds at making the book one you trust to guide you on a journey and that you would be proud to be seen with. I guess it has self-esteem—the very thing its readers are seeking!”
She says that a great cover design accomplishes all of the above OR “throws all those constraints out the window and just makes a really cool piece of design that catches the eye and feels new!”
The Most Eye-Catching Design of the Decade
Did you know that before the cover for The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck became one of the most memorable covers of the decade, it was almost rejected?
Morgan said the cover for Mark Mason’s book was developed “very organically, which is a polite way of saying it meandered with multiple contributors and design rounds.”
The original concept was created by a freelance designer. From there, almost everything changed under Morgan’s art direction, including the font, color, and the added ink graphic. The focal point is the ink blotch, which as he explains, “takes the cover out of the typical self-help structure.”
This critical, generation-defining title was almost lost in a team cover design meeting. Two of the editors thought the title was a tad too crass, and some didn't like the bright orange. Morgan explains, “Ironically some stated that ‘Orange doesn't sell.’ The Manson book has sold 10 million copies, I think. This was the only time I've fought for a title in a meeting. I knew it'd be a winner. I typically don't say anything with regard to copy, unless it's too long.”
Having worked with Adrian Morgan for many years, I can wholeheartedly say he is one of the most humble and knowledgeable designers I know. I’ve watched him countless times as he listened carefully to feedback, asked a few curious questions, and came back with a dozen equally outstanding designs.
I am glad he fought for this cover. While the book has many reasons for its success, I believe its cover was a major factor.
Soon after we published Manson’s book, we saw photos popping up left and right of celebrities and influencers cooly reading the book at airports and poolsides. For years, the success of this design and titling caused a maddening flurry of book proposals with expletives to land on our desks. Even now, this bright cover makes a statement and grabs headlines, as we saw with Congresswoman Katie Porter, who was photographed reading the book while dressed to match the cover. Her not-so-subtle statement captured the Democrats' frustration during the House Republican Conference in 2023.
This is how powerful color, typography, readability, understanding the reader, and all the many elements that make up design can be.
So, when I finally talk to my therapist about why I buy so many books, I will blame the amazing designers who made them irresistible. Designers are truly the hidden masterminds of sales.
Adrian Morgan and Pamela Geismar are our go-to freelance designers for our Copilot Assisted Self-Publishing Program and whom we recommend hands-down to all of our clients looking for design support. Email us if you’d like to learn more about our assisted-self publishing program, or email them directly for design inquiries. You can find their contact information here on our partners page.
