The Power of a Book Cover

18th July 2025

The power of a book cover. How many times have you heard “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? But, as a reader, that is really all one has to go on when selecting a book. Then, of course, there is the blurb but I am choosing to read that less and less (a quick skim, perhaps) because increasingly the paragraphs on the back of the book GIVE AWAY TOO MUCH. I recently read a thriller set in Las Vegas and London and the main thrust was the suspense about what happened several years ago to a lead singer in a band. But in the exuberant Amazon highlights, it proclaims that it is a “glamorous murder mystery suspense”. So already I had my answer before I even opened the book and it really detracted from the reading experience.

Back to the front cover. An enormous number of books pass through our offices and so we are beginning to understand what works and what really doesn’t.

Recently I happened upon a copy of Drink Wine and Be Beautiful and it took me a shake of the head to draw in the beautiful Tuscan scene, and then a moment to understand the title. Clearly it was not going to be “Do-ink”. But in that single microsecond, I mentally shelved the book “for later”. You may also think that in this collection of short stories the reader is in for an Italian adventure, but that is not so – Bali and Brussels, for example, beckon, too.

I think the font may have broader appeal in the States, where there are innumerable titles available in this style.

Light, cursive script, though, in general is having a moment in publishing right now in the UK. The following examples – across different genres – are all hitting the shelves and to be honest it is the enticing colour that pulls me in, and only secondarily do I register the title (and author).

I noticed that Mark Edwards has a new thriller out: The Wasp Trap. The two covers demonstrate the UK/USA markets’ different tastes and it seems the more cursive script is indeed deemed more appropriate for the American market. The UK cover (on the left) has a wonderful clarity to which I am used but there are hundreds of books out there that are of a similar format and colour. It seems it is a proven formula for the UK market.

I recently saw a novel, which ‘judging’ by the title would emphatically be set in a sunny southern location: Murder Under the Sun by Faith Martin. Then I espied the cover and felt confused because it was clearly a twee setting somewhere in England. Cotswolds, perhaps? No, Oxfordshire and immediately I felt perplexed because I do not associate Oxfordshire necessarily (ever?) with sun and certainly not enough to make it the focal point of a book title. At which point I felt a very slightly confused about what kind of storyline this was going to be and I put it to one side purely on the basis of the slight confusion around the anticipated storyline.

One of the most eye-catching covers I have seen over the past few months is The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner. The cover feels bespoke and clearly alludes to the watery setting of the novel, the roiling waters perfectly capture the slightly other-worldly nature of the narrative. A strong cover with rich colours. At the other end of the design spectrum is Espionage, Epcot, and Escargots by Michael Spenard (note the Oxford comma!), which has an equally strong backdrop but the title and author’s name are swallowed by the overpowering blue (the contents are described as “stories that sound like made-up yarns from a favorite drunk uncle” so maybe that explains the riotous nature of the cover).

So, what makes a GOOD book cover? Something eye catching, that does the job within a second. Cast your mind back to 2013: A hit that year, which ramped up the creative flair and design of the typical book cover, was Tigers in Red Weather by Lisa Klaussman, set in Martha’s Vineyard. In fact, we talked to the publishers about how the cover came into being – as Lee Dibble, the Marketing and Communications Director responsible for the cover said when he had proofs on his desk: I knew it was special when every woman who walked past my desk would pick up a copy and stroke it. It has set the benchmark for great book cover design. 2013 was the year for covers that used bright colours to indicate there was heat, both in the storyline and in the weather.

Someone has done an excellent job on the cover of The Women by Kristin Hannah, It is a strong modern day cover, rich in colour and clear on script, there is nothing messy.

Choosing an eye catching image is essential. Stock photos are available to every author and there again it’s essential to trawl through the possibilities with care, to get the perfect feel. Research and research and keep an eye out for what other authors may be doing. Exercising care and ensuring a cover is unique (see image below) is essential to avoid confusion. Both covers below are strong, but it’s unfortunate the authors have the same stock image (and haven’t up-dated them in the years since publication)

Font is hugely important, some types are fashionable but will age with time. Some are classic. Some are too curly. And some are illegible. Choosing clarity – as already demonstrated – is of utmost importance. And above all it is essential to ensure every detail is legible – there are SO many books out there where you have to squint at either the title or the author’s name (or both) and already the reader has have moved on. (And maybe avoid the humorous word play, and NEVER underline – it can be very off-putting as In Swiss You Were Here by Michael Spenard). Why the author Lidije Hill is underlined on the cover of Slanting Towards the Sea, I do not know, at a glance it looks like the name has been crossed out or someone is still in the process of editing the text – it would have been perfectly lovely without the red underlining.

Hand drawn covers used as an image, although cute, are rarely strong enough.

And a final thought – and we were alerted to this rather odd e-book cover of Chocolat by Joanne Harris – by Annie Thomas over on Facebook. It is so 2-dimensional and a real discredit to the fabulous fiction penned within its covers. One can only pose the question: Who on earth thought it was a good idea to create a cover inspired by a SWISS chocolatier (remember, the novel is set in Gers, France) that produces COOKING chocolate (which you wouldn’t use for making the fine chocolate at the heart of the novel)? It has lost all subtlety and the shades of green and brown make it look like an incredibly dull read. Will it attract new and younger readers? I certainly wouldn’t pick this novel up with this cover.

Oops, and as for the copycat cover issue below, that is a travesty for both authors.

This has been a subjective trawl through some of the book covers we have seen more recently and there is no right or wrong. I am trying to explain why certain books appeal to me, and why others don’t. There is the often elusive element of ‘visibility’ and that is what a book cover aims for.

Please share any covers you have found to be eye catching in the comments below.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

Join team TripFiction on Social Media:

Twitter (@TripFiction), Facebook (@TripFiction.Literarywanderlust), YouTube (TripFiction #Literarywanderlust), Instagram (@TripFiction) and Pinterest (@TripFiction) and BlueSky(tripfiction.bsky.social) and Threads (@tripfiction)

Subscribe to future blog posts