Design is art that sends a targeted and specific message.
For book design, the message should be, “You want to pick up this book and know more about it because…”
What design stuff can we do
and how does it help?
Covers
Covers are the first things that readers see. People won’t just judge if a book is good by its cover, they will judge if the book is good for them.
I often tell people that a book cover is the “blurb before the blurb”. Readers will see a cover, and that cover—whether good or bad—tells them what kind of story is inside and whether they’ll like it. Send the wrong message and readers could feel betrayed that their experience wasn’t what they expected, while the best audience for your book might simply pass it by. The right cover should catch the eye of the right readers, which sells your author brand right along with your book.
Marketing
Marketing is a mish-mash of creativity, math, psychology, repetition, and freshness on an ever-changing artboard that millions of people are trying to use at once.
Marketing can be infuriating and exhausting, especially if you are new to the scene and have no idea what current trends are to help you get seen. On the other hand, it is an amazing tool that can help you stand out out in an incredibly oversaturated market. A professional graphic designer on your team will give you a serious boost into being seen and remaining so.
Branding
Branding builds a more solid “picture”of you and your work. One that builds familiarity and intimacy with your audience.
Creating a cohesive “look” for yourself as an author can be almost as much of a selling point as your book’s cover or blurb. Purposefully or subconsciously, people recognize patterns, and branding is all about “patterns”. Readers will gravitate toward visuals similar to what they have liked before because, according to patterns, they will like it again. Whether a reader is picking up something new or going back to something familiar, your brand creates a “pattern path” to both help your readers find your work and keep them coming back for more.