If you’ve ever been strolling down the lanes of a bookstore and picked up a book just because ‘the cover looked cool!’ then you’re not alone. Despite hearing the age-old ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ at home, school, and work alike, that’s exactly what most of us end up doing any time we’re faced with a book purchase.
And while authors everywhere would love for their words to be the selling point, they’ve got to cross that book cover hurdle first – even sci-fi authors! So, what makes a good sci-fi book cover and how should you design one? Whether you’re an author or a professional book cover designer, I’m sure that’s a burning question in your mind, and I’ve got the answer!
All you need to do is follow my top tips for designing your perfect book cover for your next sci-fi read:
Have Clarity
The first tip isn’t actually a practical design tip – it’s more of a mindset tip! If you’re the author, then your book would be on your mind from cover to cover, the ins and outs included – the long, sleepless nights spent typing away will testify to that – but if you’re a book cover designer, then knowing the content of the book you’re working with is crucial.
Either case, it’s best to start off your book cover design process with a degree of clarity. Decide whether you want your cover to be an insight into the book or if you want it to be a puzzler, leaving the potential reader unsure of what they will encounter on the leaves of your book. It’s also good to think about possible color schemes and design styles, for example, a maximalist approach versus a minimalist approach, and what’s one that draws your interest.
If you’re someone who has trouble collecting their thoughts and organizing them to work through as a process, then a mood board might be your savior. Give it a go as you start visualizing what your sci-fi book cover design will look like.
Be a Template Girl – or Guy!
A great way to design a sci-fi book cover that stands out is to make use of templates, either using them as the base for your designs or simply drawing inspiration from them. Head onto PosterMyWall and browse through their book cover templates, filtering through the dozens of options available and picking one that sits well with your publication.
With plenty of choice and editing that is oh-so-simple to carry out, you can easily customize your sci-fi book cover until you have the perfect one for your book. And the best part? You don’t have to spend a single dime making it!
Tell a Story
Sci-Fi is about telling a story full of thrill and adventure, and your readers should get a sense of the story you must tell from your book cover. Locate the crux of your story – be it space adventure, time travel, or dystopian worlds – and include elements from it on your cover.
Of course, the crucial thing here is to give only a teaser into your book without giving the whole story away – there’s nothing worse than spoiled content. And, of course, if you’re not the author, then a discussion with the author is a must – you never know what all-important element is key to the story and whether it should be on the cover or not. Just as long as your cover piques interest, you’re good to go.
Colors and Contrasts
The way that our brain is exposed to colors and color combinations has a major effect on how we perceive things. Make sure to adorn your book cover with colors that complement one another – there’s nothing worse than two colors that clash and create a visual nuisance for the reader – all while representing the mood of your story. If you’re not big on visual aesthetics, read up on color theory and use color wheels and mood boards to help you figure your colors out.
Popular ideas for sci-fi book covers can range from zaps of metallic green, blue, and red, to scenes shrouded in grays and blacks with pops of bright color. Of course, though, there’s no color rulebook to follow and maybe your best sci-fi cover consists of pinks and blues. In the end, it’s all about doing the design work! And of course, your go-to for insights on the best color visuals can all be found on PosterMyWall under their book cover templates section.
So, if you’re writing the next sci-fi bestseller then it’s time to start thinking about its cover because that’s what’s going to make it sell.
Featured image: Source: (https://unsplash.com/photos/BSx5n20J-qg)
