Friday, 14 November 2014

How important are book titles, book covers, and blurbs?

Discerning readers will always be put off buying a book with a cover that doesn't do the job. They will also see errors in a poorly written blurb that hasn't been professionally proofread and edited.
In my opinion, a book cover is the most important feature of a book because hopefully it will immediately grab the reader’s attention. The cover picture should represent what the book is about but should not distract from the title. The title and the cover should tell the reader what the book is about.
When planning my book covers I always remember the old saying, every picture tells a story, and that's what the cover and title should tell the reader.
First off, an inspiring cover will always draw me in and make me curious as to what the rest of the book is about, the title that should be placed so as not to obscure the picture otherwise a reader will not be drawn to it.

One mistake a few publishers traditional and self-publishers make is to put their names in large print at the top of the page. This can work for well-known authors, but if you are a new unknown author readers will drift away. When a reader visits Amazon and clicks on the book pages, their eyes should instantly be drawn to the book cover and title not the author's name. They will move on to the next book where the title is showing. 
If you are in a bookshop and books are placed on a higher shelf, all you see is the author's name not the book title, this tells you nothing, especially if the author is unknown. I walk away, as I should imagine others do. After all there are millions of other books with the titles showing just waiting to be bought.
Now, for the all-important blurb, this is the final decider as to whether a potential buyer has been convinced. The publisher has to get it right so that the reader will want to read book more than any other book they have ever read. If the blurb overlong, a reader will lose interest, fast! The blurb needs to draw them in with the first line, and continue to make them keep on reading and most importantly want to know more. A poorly written blurb will turn readers away, fast.

To buy a copy of The Other Place visit http://tinyurl.com/ktwmwlu for a copy on Kindle, the book is also available in paperback.

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