What to do when you hate your book's cover
I can’t remember who told me that most authors hate their covers. Perhaps hate is too strong (I have a tendency towards hyperbole - hey I’m a storyteller! 😆).
But let’s just say, the chances of authors dancing with joy when they first see their book’s cover are slim.
And I totally understand why.
In some ways, seeing your cover for the first time is the most exhilarating, terrifying and momentous moment of the whole ‘having a book published’ journey.
There is something so wonderfully surreal about seeing an entire book, that you created from nothing, summed up in a single image, with a few words on it.
I find visual design absolutely fascinating as a topic.
And before we get deeper into this topic, I’d like to reiterate what I’ve said many times before - cover designers are geniuses.
How do they do it? How do they condense an entire book down into a single image? How do they capture the mood, essence and intrigue in a book just through a picture?
Geniuses, I tell you!
30 things I've learnt from 5 years being published: no 14 – lots of authors hate their covers →
But let’s just imagine that when you nervously click on that email from your editor (who will have probably also said something like ‘hope you love it as much as we do!’), you don’t dance with joy at the sight of your book’s cover.
If this happens to you, then I promise you - you are not alone.
Here are some of the VERY common feelings that writers experience when they see their book’s cover for the first time:
Awkward & uncomfortable: it looks exactly the same as someone else’s cover, and that book was mega successful. Have they just ripped off another author’s cover design? Do they think of you as a second-rate version?
Unhelpful & nebulous: something about it just doesn’t feel right but you can’t put your finger on what it is exactly. Is this really what other people think of your book? How come it’s so different from the way you feel about it?
Disappointed & sad: the cover feels more downmarket than your book. You thought your words had gravitas, dammit, and this looks like the sort of thing people read on the beach!
Cross & embarrassed: the design looks so basic and unoriginal you can’t believe anyone’s spent any time on it at all. Is this how little of a priority you are to them?
There might be other reactions too, of course, like a visceral dislike of a certain colour they’ve used, or a similar feeling about a font.
Your immediate reaction might be to cry and email your agent (if you have one) and emote loudly to her about how disappointed you are.
Understandable. By all means, go ahead and write that email. But don’t send it.
Here’s what to do instead:
1) Don’t panic
My dad always told me not to make decisions or take rash action when you are feeling emotional. This is one such time to step away from the laptop!
I get it, I really do. I have opened 8 terrifying emails with covers inside (more actually, as I’ve had more than one cover for some books) and had immediate reactions to all of them.
But more often than not, my feelings about those covers changed over the coming hours/days.
Your first reaction is not always the one to be guided by.
So if you can, sleep on it. Take a few hours before you say or do anything.
I know, I know, if you’re like me, you’ll feel that you have to reply INSTANTLY to any email from your publisher because they are the most important person in your Inbox but here’s a little, kind reminder: you are probably not the most important person in theirs, and they won’t mind if you don’t get back to them straight away, because they are busy and distracted with a hundred and one other things that they need to do.
So you can wait to reply. You really can.
It’s not a power-play, it’s time to let your initial emotions dissipate and to come back to the cover with a more dispassionate and objective pair of glasses on.
When it comes to not panicking, it’s also good to remind yourself that even though your editor has probably worded it as though this cover is IT, END OF STORY, no chance for any changes, that’s not always the case.
I promise you there’s always a bit of room for manoeuvre on cover designs, and it’s definitely not unheard of for publishers to go completely back to the drawing board and design something new (even if they seem reluctant to do so at first - trust me, it has happened to me!).
So my first piece of advice is: sleep on it. Wait and see how you feel in the morning.
2) Make a list
After you’re sure you’ve calmed down from your initial reaction, try to look at your cover again and this time, make a clear, non-emotional list of the reasons you don’t feel it’s working.
Keep this list professional and constructive, so instead of ‘I hate the colour orange’ write down something like ‘I don’t think orange works for the tone of my book - it feels too zingy and upbeat’.
(Sorry that’s a terrible example but hopefully you understand what I’m getting at)
When you’re making this list, make sure you also write down anything you do like about the cover.
You’re an author and you know how painful it can be to receive criticism on something you’ve created - remember the importance of the ‘shit sandwich’ and try to find something positive to say too.
Here are some specifics to focus on in your list:
The colour scheme: are the colours too bold, too muted, or simply not what you envisioned?
The typography: Does the font feel out of place? Is it difficult to read? Does it match the tone of your book?
The imagery: is the imagery misleading, cliché, or not reflective of your book’s content? Perhaps the imagery doesn’t convey the right emotion or genre - try to explain exactly what it is that isn’t working for you.
The layout and composition: Is the design too cluttered or too sparse? Does it draw the eye in the wrong direction?
3) Take this list and talk to your agent
OK, so once you have your entirely dispassionate and objective list, if you have an agent, now is the time to make use of them.
Schedule a call and have an honest and open discussion with them. You may be surprised by their perspective or thoughts.
What I’ve found over the years is that my agent’s feelings about my book covers are often very different from my own. Surprisingly so.
She also often solicits the opinion of other people in the agency, and they all have their own different feelings about covers.
What agents are great at doing is considering the commercial, rather than the emotional, perspective.
Does the cover align with current market trends? Sometimes, what you might dislike could actually be what sells in your genre.
For example, big, bold and unsubtle designs may not appeal to you personally, but they could be exactly what your target audience expects.
Your agent will also be thinking, as will your publisher, about ensuring that the book’s cover stands out on the shelves, against so much competition.
Perhaps that zingy orange you hate was deliberately chosen so that your book would ‘pop’ next to other more muted covers on the shelves.
Perhaps that zingy orange is what retailers have told your publishers that they are noticing sells well.
After you’ve spoken to your agent, you might find that you feel better. You might also find that some of the parts of the cover you don’t like you at least now understand.
You’ll probably still have issues with at least some of the design. But that’s OK.
The next step is to…
4) Solicit opinions of trusted friends
Share the cover with some friends you trust.
Ideally friends who read!
Ask them what they think - would they be tempted to pick the book up? What does the cover design ‘say’ to them? Does anything about the cover put them off reading the book?
Keep a note of this feedback and add it to your master list.
Some of my covers!
5) Consider your audience
It’s really important to remember that your book cover isn't just for you; it’s for your readers.
While it is somewhat important that you like the cover as you’re going to have to share it on social media about a million times in the coming months, it’s actually much more important that your target audience is drawn to it.
Take some time to research similar titles, and see which have been successful.
What do their covers look like? Is there a common theme or style? If your cover aligns with the expectations of your genre, then you might just have to put your personal feelings aside.
6) Talk to your designer or publisher
OK, if you’re still sure after all that consideration that the cover just doesn’t work, it’s time to communicate your concerns to your publisher.
Obviously, how you approach this conversation can make all the difference! So be nice.
(I know you will be, I just feel I have to say it anyway).
Again, remember that design is a creative process, just like writing. The designer will have put lots of thought and effort into the cover design and they will have been using a brief put together by experts in their field, who HONESTLY want the book to succeed as much as you do.
So frame your feedback in a constructive way, focusing on what can be improved rather than just saying: ‘I hate this make it go away’.
When you give your feedback, refer to your master list and be specific about what you feel isn’t working and why.
If you hate the font, suggest a style you think might work better. If the imagery feels wrong, provide examples of images that you think would be more effective.
Trust me, as a website designer I know that the more detailed and clear your feedback, the easier it will be for the designer to understand and implement changes!
7) Remember your publisher wants your book to succeed
It’s not to say that your publisher’s opinions are always right - I have actually found that an author’s instincts are often just as prescient - but generally speaking your publisher wants your book to do well.
For authors working with traditional publishers, it’s also wise to remember that you might not have the final say over the cover’s design.
I know that sounds horrible and scary, but the truth is when you sign a contract with a trad publisher, you are handing over the book to them to market and sell.
That is literally the point of signing a trad deal!
And the cover is probably the most important marketing asset that the book has. So it really does fall into the publishers’ remit, and their decision is final.
If in doubt about this, check your contract and see what it says about how much influence you have on the cover design.
Some contracts offer the author more input, but many will say that the publisher has the final legal right to choose the cover.
So do be prepared to compromise.
When I’ve had issues with cover designs in the past, I’ve most often found I’ve ended up with a cover that retains some of the essence of the original design but that has been tweaked to an extent that I feel happier with it.
However, it’s important to also recognise that sometimes, you just might not get the cover you want, especially if the publisher’s sales team strongly believes in a particular design.
I’m sorry, I know it sucks.
In these cases, you will have to just accept the cover and focus on other aspects of your book’s promotion (and also focus on writing your next book!).
8) Think of the bigger picture and move on
At the end of the day, the cover is just one part of your book's journey to publication.
While it’s an important part, I promise you it’s not the only thing that will determine your book's success!
Once your cover has been signed off, try to get behind it. Fake it till you feel it people!
Shift your focus to marketing your book.
A strong marketing strategy can honestly help overcome a cover that you’re less than thrilled with. Make the most of your social media platforms, connect with influencers, and engage with your readers to create buzz around your book.
Marketing for authors – top tips from expert Katie Sadler →
But also, it’s important to remember that your career as an author doesn’t hinge on a single book or a single cover.
So keep writing and creating. As I’ve said before so many times, the writing is literally the only thing you have control over.
You are not your book, and you are certainly not your book’s cover. And you are not just a one-book pony!
Keep writing, and you never know, you might just love the cover for your next book.
Conclusion
First of all I want you to know that if you hate your book’s cover, you are certainly NOT alone.
I know it can be a really upsetting and distressing experience, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world, and there are certainly ways to work with your publisher on finding a compromise that you both like.
Just make sure that you are always professional and respectful in feeding back your thoughts - and do take a moment to make sure that you aren’t standing in the way of your book’s success with your own personal thoughts and feelings about the cover.
And I know it’s probably a bit twee to say this out loud but how else could I end this post than by reminding you that the most important thing in your book is actually between the covers, and that’s all down to you!? 😊
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