If you’re looking to publish a book of any genre or style, especially a debut novel as an unknown author, you likely already know the competition that is already out there so you will need every possible edge you can get. Beautiful cover art is one such edge that has a major success rate for authors. It’s essentially the very first thing that hooks the reader, before they open the book and read the actual hook.

As much as we hate to admit it, people really do judge books by their cover. 

If you are not a well-known author and don’t have good covers for your books, you’re only making it harder on yourself, banking on the synopsis on the back cover of the book to be enough to draw readers in. It isn’t just authors who struggle from this either. Musicians agonize over album covers. Film producers stress for days over title cards and movie posters.

Take Jaws for example. The cover art for Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel was a New York Times Bestseller and its film adaptation is an all-time classic.

The film’s poster art even beautifully captures the same effect as the novel’s, because it portrays exactly what the reader knows to expect.

The sheer depth of the ocean, the innocent pedestrian swimmer, and the frightening shark ready to pounce on its food.

It’s simple, and doesn’t over-complicate what it needs to say. It simply works.

Those of you who follow this blog are going to notice I use Dune as an example a lot, because it’s such a great series in general.

But Dune’s cover art is fantastic as well, and similar to Jaws, doesn’t overcomplicate what it needs to present – a sand-covered world, with a glimpse of space, a lone man walking.

Because ultimately, a cover for any medium of art is the first thing that will catch the eye of the audience.

And you depend on that first thing to appeal, attract, and show.

You appeal to the audience by making eye-grabbing cover art, something that perfectly captures the aesthetic of what your book is about.

You attract the audience by making it intriguing enough for them to explore further, now looking for the synopsis and perhaps skim through pages.

You show the audience by allowing the cover to instantly relay what type of book this will be. 

Without even seeing the synopsis, a reader should have an idea of 1) the mood, whether or not this is cozy, depressing, wholesome, relaxing, or grotesque, 2) the genre, if it’s sci-fi, fantasy, romance, or nonfiction, 3) the aesthetic, whether it’s steampunk, baroque, desertwave, noir, check the list ☑. The cover art needs to be the massive giveaway, whatever it is, no matter how mysterious you want the story to be, some readers won’t even pick the book up if the cover art isn’t telling.

While there are other factors to marketing a book, such as usually your digital presence to cater to wider audiences or using third party promoters so your book has more exposure.

You rely too heavily on those and put too much pressure on the marketing side of it subsequently if your book lacks an engaging cover art, a good title, and an intriguing 1-2 line synopsis. 

Alternate cover art also makes for great resale value too, with different interpretations on the “brand” of your novel.

Not to mention, the book’s cover will be included in all of the marketing campaigns you do for your book, whether as an indie author or traditionally published, and key visuals from your cover art can sometimes be used as subtle hints for fans as you begin to approach your publication date. 

The visuals on the cover can also be used for all kinds of tangible, physical mementos that readers and fans may want to buy if they’re hooked on the series. This Complex article perfectly explains how these visual campaigns apply to musicians with album cover art, and the same honestly goes for books as well. 

You’re only letting yourself down if you downplay the importance of the cover art. If you’re not an artist yourself, I would highly recommend hiring someone to make your cover art. Sure, it will cost something upfront, but it will ultimately earn you more money than it will cost. Don’t let your hard work down with bad cover art.