30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 14 – lots of authors hate their covers
September 6 2023 marks 5 years since my first novel was released 😲
I’ve now published 6, and have 2 more under contract.
To celebrate, I’m sharing a new post about what I’ve learnt from being published EVERY DAY throughout the month. This post is part of that series!
Click here for the rest →
Can I start this post with a little disclaimer, in case my publishers are reading?! I just want to state here that I have only ever hated one of my covers, and that was the original cover for my second book.
I’m not going to show it here (sorry!) because it’s not fair on the designer who undoubtedly did a really good job with the brief they were given.
But even so, it wasn’t what I had pictured at all for that book and I remember when I opened the email from my editor to show me the design, my heart sank somewhat.
Thankfully, that cover was very short-lived as before too long, everyone realised it wasn’t quite right for the book and I got a redesign.
That’s one positive I want you to takeaway from today’s post - if you hate your cover, it IS possible for it to be changed!
And I’m happy to say that since then I have really liked all of my covers. But from my work as a web designer and also from speaking to tons of other authors, I’ve come to realise that this is definitely NOT the norm.
I love working with other authors on their websites and one of the best things about the job is getting to see people’s covers.
I find it endlessly fascinating how these talented designers manage to distill a WHOLE ENTIRE NOVEL into just one image, getting the mood, story, plot, tension, everything… into one design.
As a designer myself I find it really inspiring.
But even so, as an author, I can totally understand how shocking and sometimes upsetting it can be to be sent an image that looks NOTHING like the way you imagined your book in your head.
I’ve found that the most common complaint from authors is that their covers look more downmarket than they expected. And that makes sense, because publishers want a book to be as commercial as possible so that it sells as many copies as possible, which might often mean packaging it in a slightly more accessible way (note the polite euphemisms I’m using - years of publishing-speak have sunk into my bones!)
I’m not sure if it’s reassuring to know that you are not alone if you hate your cover. But either way, your first step should be to speak to your agent (if you have one) or your editor (if you don’t).
Do allow a bit of time though. You might find after your initial reaction that you change your mind about it. It’s worth sharing it with trusted writer friends and family to see their reaction too.
What you might find is that your publisher has chosen the design so that it stands out on the shelf, so even though, for example, a bold colour or huge font might seem inappropriate, actually, their reasoning makes sense.
Your cover is your number one marketing asset and has to be appealing to readers both on and offline and it also has to stand out in a sea of other books that are fighting for readers’ attention.
If you still have concerns, then absolutely feed them back to your editor (in a professional manner - remember your editor wants the best for your book and is doing what they think will help sell the most copies!) and wait for their response.
You might not be able to get the cover changed in its entirety, but you will probably find that tweaks can be made so that you are all happy.
A good example of this is with my initial UK cover for The One That Got Away. While I loved the cover straight away, the fact it was pink worried me.
I thought it looked too romantic, when my book is actually pretty tragic and not really a love story, but instead a story about the consequences of a traumatic first love experience.
We went back and forth a bit but eventually my publisher agreed to change the cover to orange.
I really love my cover, but after it came out we got lots of reviews from people saying it was misleading.
And this is where the challenge lies I think. Readers hate being misled!
Like, it’s the number one thing that gets a Netgalley reviewer riled up - when a BOOK IS NOT EXACTLY WHAT THEY EXPECTED IT TO BE.
Ahem.
It’s a fine line between creating a cover that looks enticing and commercial so that the highest number of people pick it up, and creating a cover that still accurately reflects the story.
It’s a really tricky science, and no one has a magic wand or the perfect solution. There’s a lot of trial and error in publishing.
In fact, we’re currently in discussions to redesign my cover again, for the paperback edition.
So don’t despair - there’s always hope and a good publisher will be open and willing to discuss your cover design with you, especially if the book isn’t performing as you’d all hoped.
Keep the lines of communication open, try to stay professional and put your case forward. But always remember your editor is on your side, and they want you to sell as many books as possible, so do listen to their point of view and try to find somewhere to meet them in the middle.
