Seeing your book come to life visually through the cover design can be an exhilarating moment in the publishing process. As we covered in part one of the series, your book cover can convey so much to readers.
Last year, we had the honor of working with author Evette Davis on the launch of 48 States, a sci-fi dystopian novel named one of the best indie books of 2022 by Kirkus Reviews. As we planned our PR and digital marketing strategy, the first step was working with Davis on a cover redesign. We recommended designer Rebecca Lown, and the two got to work on creating a stunning new cover.
In this Q&A, we asked Davis about her experience creating a new cover with Lown. Keep reading for her tips on collaborating with designers as well as how to get the best results.
P&C: What inspired you to want to redesign the cover?
Evette Davis: 48 States is a powerful story, and I wanted the cover to be very intriguing and grab the reader’s attention.
P&C: How do you know if you have a good book cover designer? What signs should you look for?
ED: The quality of the first drafts. They should convey the vision of what a writer described.
P&C: What are some tips to work with a book cover designer to get the best results?
ED: Be ready with the major themes of the book and any critical landmarks or aspects that might help a designer understand what they’re trying to create. 48 States is a dystopian novel set in the future against fracking territories and drones that conduct surveillance–some are designed to look like birds. Our cover art is a view of that landscape through the outline of a raven.
P&C: What was your experience working with a cover designer?
ED: Rebecca was a pleasure to work with. She asked some great questions at the start, which meant her first design proposals were pretty close to what we went with.
P&C: Would you do anything differently next time?
ED: No, I was very happy with the artwork.
P&C: What did you learn through this process?
ED: What I’ve learned about book publishing is that there is what you “like,” and there is what sells books. You have to divorce yourself from personal tastes sometimes and focus on best practices. At the end of the day, you want a reader to be drawn to your book, and the cover is the beginning of that process.
Want feedback on your cover design ahead of your launch? Reach out to our team for a free consultation!