Makey Your Book Look Better Then Best Sellers

Every author dreams of becoming a best seller. Seeing the words “A New York Times Best Selling Author” gracing the top of any writer’s next work is a grand achievement. While it’s acknowledged that it’s simply not possible for every author to gain “best seller” status,  even new authors can carry the same quality and professionalism as the best in the business.

Every author dreams of becoming a best seller. Seeing the words “A New York Times Best Selling Author” gracing the top of any writer’s next work is a grand achievement. While it’s acknowledged that it’s simply not possible for every author to gain “best seller” status, even new authors can carry the same quality and professionalism as the best in the business.

How to Compete with the Best Sellers
Best Selling Books (Usually) Have the Best Designs

Walking down the aisles of the local grocery store, you get bombarded by the wide variety of books that fill end caps and checkout lanes. Ranging from the bold type of John Grisham’s latest thriller, to the frilly embellishments of Beverly Lewis’s newest Amish Romance, each carries a level of quality (besides being available in your grocery store) that you immediately equate with professionalism in the content. It’s a combination of the author’s reputation, and the thought and craftsmanship used in the design to persuade the onlooker “this book is for you.”

Let’s face it, if we saw the average, self-designed book sitting next to Karen Kingsbury’s latest, it would stand out, though not for good reasons. Self-designed books rarely assure regular book buyers that they are anything other than self-designed.

Fiction Bookshelf

In an uncertain book market, compelling a potential reader to buy is harder than ever. Because the book cover is the first impression, it alone has the job of convincing the potential buyer that the message inside is credible and worth his time. If the cover portrays even a hint of “my nephew designed this for his school project,” nine times out of ten the book won’t receive a second thought. While it is true that a well-designed book cover alone isn’t enough—but rather the message—nevertheless, it helps.
How to Compete with the Best

Those points aside, it is possible to compete with the best sellers. What gives big name authors their edge (aside from their literally large-sized names,) is the fact that they did not decide how their book would look. Ask an author who has signed with a top publisher, input is considered, but in the end the publisher decides. It’s in the best interest of the author and publisher since the publisher has the know-how and understanding of what a book design requires to be successful. Again, this does not discredit the requirement for a good message, but the design (inside and out) must convince readers that their purchase was worth every penny.
Call the Professionals

So far we’ve focused on the need for professional design, however, that only covers a fraction of what’s required to compete with the best sellers. Professional editing, distribution, and marketing play an extensive role, but for this article, we’ll focus on the design.

“I understand that my book would be much more marketable in the hands of a publisher, but none so far have been interested in my work.”

It is a myth that traditional publishing is the only way to acquire professional work. A reputable self-publisher will include everything you need to gain a professionally designed book, in addition to the previously mentioned facets that work together for quality.

Finding the right team, however, is just as important. When you discover a candidate , always search for examples. If their portfolio is hidden or doesn’t appear comparable to what sits on the shelves at Walmart, keep looking. Professional work will not be the cheapest, but it’s worth the price for a book’s marketability.
Don’t Hijack Your Project
Self-Published Book Cover Design Example

An example of the average “self-designed” book cover.

Let’s say an author has found the perfect team for his book—step one accomplished. Despite what you might expect, this does not guarantee success. Many professional designers, editors, and marketers work with authors every day and end up with a finished product they are not proud to call their own. But how is this possible? They are professionals, why would they dislike the final product?

This happens when a book project or design is hijacked. It’s when a designer is told to change the font to “Comic Sans” rather than collaborating to understand the reasoning behind typographical choices. An editor is told to capitalize a word despite The Chicago Manual of Style suggesting otherwise. The book marketer is told to focus his efforts on Facebook branding before he first learns where his particular market is likely to buy.

Professional work isn’t easy to find and it costs. With this in mind, it’s in every author’s best interest to obtain their money’s worth and depend on their team’s judgment for what will make a book its best. After all, how often do customers tell their mechanics how they want their brakes fixed?
Additional Reading

The Top 10 Ways to Ruin a Book Cover Design

Focus On What’s Best for Your Market, Rather Than Personal Tastes

We understand the author who’s quick to bullet point how a book should look. But in the end, there is one question to ask before making any design or marketing decisions, “For whom is this book written, myself or readers?”

Answer this simple question and shed a new light on what every design and marketing decision should accomplish. If the author’s goal is to publish a book solely for himself, fair enough, mold every aspect of the book to personal tastes. If the goal is to reach an audience, then the author and publishing team must work together to determine the best approach.