Your book cover is your biggest marketing asset. It can make or break your book. In this episode, we are going to talk about what your book cover must have to be a success.

Intro

• 
  
• Your book cover is the most important element of your book marketing.
  
• A bad book cover can ruin all your other marketing efforts.
  
• This is not where you want to be on a budget or make mistakes.
  
• This your first
  

What is the Purpose of a Book Cover?

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• Communicate the genre of the book
  
• Incite curiosity
  
• Sell the book.
  
• Cover Design is a combination of graphic design, art, and package design.
  

Components Every Book Cover Needs to Look Legit (Front and Back)

1. 
   
2. Title & Subtitle
   
3. Author
   
4. Back Cover Copy (Blurb)
   
5. Author Headshot
   
6. Author Bio
   
7. ISBN Number & Barcode
   
8. Publishing House
   
9. Price US & Canada
   
10. Trust Badge (Award, Best Seller Status, # of Copies in Print)
    
11. Shelving Instructions
    
12. Endorsements (?)
    

Pro Tips

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• Keep the potential for a series in mind. Ideally the design can span across multiple books and look good on a shelf.
  
• Keep the thumbnail in mind. If you are self published, 95% of your sales will be online.
  
• Good design is not adding until you can add no more. It is subtracting until you can subtract no more.
  
• Keep the focus of the design process on your reader. It doesn’t matter if you like your cover, it only matters if your target reader likes the cover.