We all know that a well designed cover sells more books. But do you know what the nuances are that go into a great design? The first step, just as in any business, to be truly successful at marketing your book via a great cover is to know your target audience.
Defining Your Book Cover’s Target Audience
What do I mean by target audience? There are two things you need to consider.
First, who did you write your book for? Are you writing financial tips for the twenty-something just getting started? Or is your book geared more toward the sixty-something looking to retire? Have you just put together the number one guide to Disc Golf Courses in America? Or is your book about finding affordable and trustworthy daycare?
Second, who is most likely to buy your book? You may have written a book on surviving highschool in the Facebook era geared toward a teenage audience. But most likely it will be a parent that buys the book for their child rather than the teen buying it themselves. Or maybe your book is on dressing with style for men. Sure some men will buy it, but 9 times out of 10 it will be bought for them by the women in their lives. It’s a documented fact that the bulk of book buyers in this country are women.
In both instances you need to consider the demographics of your audience, i.e. age, sex, ethnicity, geography, income level. But you may also need to consider the psychographics depending on the topic of your book. Psychographics would be things like political affiliation, religious affiliation, associations and clubs they belong to, stores they shop at, etc.
Designing the Cover
Only once you have a clear understanding of the audience(s) you are trying to “sell” with your cover should you begin its design. Think about what colors, images, and even fonts to use that will appeal to your target market. Get help from a professional if you don’t have this knowledge yourself. Remember, your front cover has about 8 seconds to impress the person who picked it up and determines whether they turn it over to read more or put it back down. The worst thing you can do is design a cover that offends, or bores, the very audience you are trying to reach.
