{"id":25462,"date":"2017-12-18T00:20:13","date_gmt":"2017-12-18T06:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crowdspring.com\/blog\/?p=25462"},"modified":"2023-07-03T18:49:52","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T23:49:52","slug":"2018-book-cover-design-trends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crowdspring.com\/blog\/2018-book-cover-design-trends\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Compelling 2018 Book Cover Design Trends Every Author Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Contrary to the belief that ebooks are taking over the world, print and the written word are most decidedly not dead yet.<\/p>\n
In fact, in 2016 ebook sales fell for the second year in a row<\/a> as printed book sales increased. A Publishers Association report succinctly captured<\/a> the reason for this trend: \u201cReaders take a pleasure in a physical book that does not translate well on to digital.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s something special about reading a physical book that ebook readers and tablets haven\u2019t been able to capture, and this yen for a tangible experience has been a boon for authors and book cover designers.<\/p>\n >> If you’re interested in current book cover design trends, read 10 Top Book Cover Design Trends for 2022<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n As with anything related to books, however, the emergence of Amazon<\/a> – and indie booksellers, too – cannot be ignored. Print may be where many books are read, but the purchasing of books (both print and ebooks) is most often done online. This, along with the mega-retailer\u2019s huge influence on books as a whole, has had a major influence on book design trends.<\/p>\n As we wrote<\/a>\u00a0previously:<\/p>\n A typical reader will do a search on Amazon and will look at a handful of books. Sure,\u00a0content and reviews are important, but the book cover is the first thing a potential reader sees and the cover can either make or break that initial impression. This is not surprising. Great images create an emotional reaction in people. Because images are processed by our brains 60,000 faster than words<\/a>, a great cover is critical to making an amazing first impression. A poorly designed cover not only fails to create the emotional reaction you want to create in your readers but also implies that the contents of the book are also sub-par.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s very clear that having a wonderful story is important, but even the best story isn\u2019t likely to be read without an equally wonderful cover design.<\/p>\n We’ve previously offered actionable tips for effective book cover design –\u00a010 Smart Tips to Help Authors Create an Amazing Book Cover Design.<\/a><\/p>\n But with the continued dominance of Amazon and other web-based booksellers, authors and book cover designers have had to update their strategies to get noticed.<\/p>\n Book designers now optimize their cover designs for smaller screens. Knowing that books are sold with their title and author clearly visible on a bookstore\u2019s website has given designers more freedom to be creative. As a result, authors and designers are less concerned with displaying the title and author information as prominently in their designs.<\/p>\n Eye-catching, bold, and even surreal designs are becoming increasingly common among well-designed book covers.<\/p>\n The designers on crowdspring<\/a> (over 210,000 from nearly every country on earth) are at the forefront of these trends and have helped many authors use the latest designs to create beautiful book covers.<\/p>\n If you’re an author publishing your next book or an aspiring author writing your first book, here are six compelling\u00a0book cover design<\/a> trends you\u2019ll see in your local bookstore and online next year.<\/p>\n Most book covers have a title, an author\u2019s name, a subtitle or some other promotional text as primary elements. The book cover must, at a minimum, display some or all of this information in a clear, engaging way.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t mean authors and designers are left with few creative options.<\/p>\n For example, because most books today are sold online, authors and designers can be more adventurous and experiment with\u00a0typography<\/a>.<\/p>\n Creative typography can work great, but experiments with typography\u00a0can backfire. Some experiments push type to the extreme, to the point that the typography makes the title unreadable or confusing.<\/p>\n That said, book covers are often most effective when they complement or augment the story or subject material contained within. Consumers still judge books by the cover, and a cover that doesn\u2019t communicate what a book is about (or the book’s genre) may ultimately fail.<\/p>\n If you want to try artful type design<\/a> for your book, make sure it fits with your book\u2019s subject and gives the potential reader an inkling what to expect. Being edgy for the same of edginess could backfire<\/a> if it means readers are left with no idea what your book is about.<\/p>\n by espacioM<\/p><\/div>\n This is usually a visually pleasing way of presenting your book\u2019s title.\u00a0 Depending what font is used and how it is laid out, this can be a very effective approach.<\/p>\n Consider how the cover\u2019s text works with any imagery you\u2019ve chosen for your book cover.<\/p>\n The book\u2019s cover encapsulates the story or subject and should communicate a lot to the viewer. If you\u2019re going to choose a straightforward type of design, choose an image or imagery that helps the viewer connect with the book and what it\u2019s about.<\/p>\n by mbeabknights2013<\/p><\/div>\n A trend that continues to grow in popularity is incorporating text with a photo.<\/p>\n This gives the cover completeness and integrity that can be a compelling combination. It also can provide the viewer with a hint to the book\u2019s plot, an insight on a character, or some other crucial story element.<\/p>\n Book covers are often like the opening credits to a TV show, where visual clues and the overall aesthetic prepare the viewer for what\u2019s to come. Like opening credit sequences, the combination of type and image on a book\u2019s cover can effectively set the stage.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important that whatever expectation your cover creates be met and matched with the book\u2019s content.<\/p>\n A book cover that makes the viewer think they\u2019re in store for an exciting action-thriller or a sordid romance shouldn\u2019t turn around and be the opposite or something totally unexpected.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n1. Messy typography<\/h2>\n
Typography is an important element in effective book cover design.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n2. Everything centered<\/h2>\n

A counterpoint to messy text is the continuing trend for books to have large, bold type centered on their covers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n3. Text on photos<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n4. Minimalism<\/h2>\n