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The Evolution of A Book Cover

  • Writer: Diana Kathryn
    Diana Kathryn
  • Sep 22
  • 7 min read

September 2025

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We say it all the time, "Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover." But the problem is, it's human nature to make decisions about something in the first fifteen seconds we lay eyes on it. It's how our ancestors stayed safe, sizing up the horrible and dangrous while separating it from the lovely and safe. They had to act fast, or the missed opportunity could put their lives on the edge of a precipice from which they may not be able to climb back. I know books aren't nearly as dangerous as a sabre toothed tiger chasing after you... but that instinct is still there, and we need to be aware that it's a real thing, even with books.


The cover is your book's first introduction to readers. Just like a mysterious stranger standing at the other side of the room, that cover needs to flirt with readers as they stand at the punch bowl, trying to figure out who to pick up first. It needs to catch their eye and return that, 'Why haven't I noticed you before now?' stare, while creating an instant emotional connection that will linger long enough to get the reader to take that book home with them for the night. And all this needs to happen in fifteen seconds. That's a lot of pressure. It's also exactly why, if you can't or don't want to design book covers on your own, it's well-worth the money to hire a pro designer.


Here's the thing. There's a lot you need to consider when designing a cover. At the bare minimum, your book's cover needs to do three major things...

  • It needs to instantly identify the genre to the reader and booksellers.

  • It needs to draw enough curiosity to get readers to flip it over and read the synopsis on the back cover.

  • It needs to be memorable enough so that readers can easily describe it when they refer the story to their friends.


So, how do you create the best cover for your story? The same way you write the story itself; months of trial and error, beta opinions, market research, and a lot of patience. In this article, I'm going to walk you through the evolution of the cover of my romance novel, A Tryst of Fate. Keep in mind, however, I was extremely poor at the time I started this cover journey, and couldn't afford a pro. Also, I didn't have the experience and knowledge about our industry that I have now. I was on my own.


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My first attempt was more for me than for anyone else. I work best when I have some kind of visual representation of the story I want to tell. It keeps me on track, focused on the intention of my story, and it gives me reassurance that one day, that book will actually be published. Yes, there is a lot of psychological trickery we writers use to keep going - cocoa helps, too. 😊


Let me set the scene. It was early on in the writing process. I'd just finished the outline, passionatly plotting out all the strongest influences of the story. I thought I wanted to use some of the primary story elements on the cover. Okay, let me rephrase that; I felt like I was required to include some of the primary story elements on the cover. I took that directive to heart.


The story is about a writer, a sailboat figures promimently, and a child is also featured. Although the cover did, indeed, include those three elements, it didn't turn out quite the way I planned. There was no connection between the elements, and the design revealed nothing about the book's genre, and most importantly, it didn't invoke the emotional tennor I wanted to create. This is a clean romance with a hint of a mystery, with a focus on storytelling. This first cover design was a colossal fail. But, for the time I was writing the book, and going through the editorial process, it kept me focused. So, although that cover never met readers (this is actually it's debut), it did it's job. (I still LOVE that quill, and I WILL find another cover design where it fits more effectively, someday.)


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The second cover came a bit closer, but still missed the mark on several elements. I decided that the first cover was too haphazard with it's symbolism, so I figured if too much is wrong, perhaps focusing on a single element would work better. And it did, for a while.


You see, this story focuses on Thomas, who is a reporter for the Detroit Free Press newspaper, and the story is told from his perspective. A large part of the story also dives deep into a collection of short stories that he writes back to his ex-wife, Gillian, as a way to win back her love after a tragic divorce. I wanted the cover to appeal to men as well as women. I wanted it to be a book couples might read together. I thought a more masculine cover would repel men less, and perhaps intrique women at the same time. Color me surprised, I was actually selling books. It might have continued to work, but...


As it turns out, my book was released right around the same time a particular book and then film, which catered to the eccentricities of relationships, also appeared on the scene. While this worked well to create buzz, my cover's design backfired in the form of reader remorse. They were annoyed with me because they weren't getting the story they expected. Those readers would always be resentful. They would never get that type of story from me. Although it is a major genre, I purposfully omitted it from my list. There's nothing wrong with readers and writers who like that genre, it's just not my thing.


So after a few years of this cover sitting on bookshelves irritating and confusing readers and bookshop owners (because they didn't know where to shelve it), I decided it was time to try again. Third time's the charm, right? Don't you find it interesting how humans can take so much comfort from cliche's and adages? 😉


Before diving deep into graphic manipulation for cover design attempt number three, I spent a lot of time in the stacks at local bookshops and trolling countless listings on Amazon. I investigated the "traditional" elements of the romance genre, and considered how I might make those elements work for my story. I have a very large file on my computer weighing the pros and cons of various cover design elements, color schemes, and symbols that often speak to those in my target genre and reader audience. I narrowed down that list, and came away with a new approach to designing the cover for this book.


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Although my relationship with the color pink is volatile, at best, I also realized that a large majority of romance covers included hues from this color wheel. So, even though my gut roiled against it, I did it anyway.


Flowers and shirtless men are also reoccuring elements in the romance world. I knew I wasn't going to put half-naked people on my covers, of any gender, so flowers it was. But I still needed to connect the design with the story... I wasn't quite sure how I was going to do that... so I kept at it.


Finally, I settled on the less-literal components of the story to align with a simpler approach. I built the cover in layers (as most of my covers are) starting first with pink as my base coat, then the idea of pages of handwritten notes, then the roses to represent Thomas and Gillian, and finally, the text. I chose a font that fit a romantic style. Not too sappy, but utilizing flowing edges so that it was easy to read from a distance. I wanted the blue rose to really stand out, because, as I said, this story is told from Thomas' POV, so I pulled that element up front. This story also includes a love-triangle of sorts... two of them, actually, if you want to get technical... so I thought about how I could show that part of the story without giving too much away.


I wanted to make a cover that insinuated this part of the story without screaming it to the reader walking by the shelf. I imagined it a little like yelling at that person standing at the punch bowl, "Hey! Come talk to me, I'm involved in complex relationships!" You can imagine how that might not go over so well at your favorite uncle's 50th birthday party. So, I created a wrap-around design that included a third rose on the back cover. It's a little more subtle, but when people start reading the book, they usually connect the dots once they remember the third rose. Although, because there are other discoveries that are equally weighty, that rose holds more than just one kind of symbolism, and those parts of the story were important to me to at least hint at on the cover, too. And so, a bronze rose was born.


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I must have reworked the design elements dozens of times before I landed on full cover art that I feel properly meets the three criteria I listed above. This cover took a lot of thought, research, emotion, story connection, and making choices that would not only bring readers closer to my book, but also not shy away from proudly proclaiming it's genre. Readers don't like to work too hard to figure out where your book fits on their TBR, so the more obvious you can be with genre, the better. But I'll admit, pink was a difficult choice for me. 😁


Now, the detail you are all eager to know... how have my sales changed from cover number two to cover number three? After all, if we're going to go through all the trouble of a dramatic cover redesign, it should pay off for us, right?


I'm here to tell you that it did. My sales increased by 70% online and at in-person events, and I received positive feedback in the form of reviews that, quite honestly, I don't think would have happened if I'd stayed with the old cover.


So, what's my best advice regarding cover designs? Take your time, really consider your book's story, genre, and audience when you think about design elements. Don't shy away from your trope's symbols, especially if they can connect to the story, and you belive they might bring readers closer. Play with a lot of different design options BEFORE you publish (remember, each new book design requires a new ISBN... save yourself that headache.)


If you can afford a professional designer, it might be worth it. And lastly, if you really think men without shirts on your cover properly showcases your story and will sell more books, you do you! 😉

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