How to design a book cover. When my designer sent me 5 options for my Berlin thriller “Blood Summit”, I asked my readers. Results were clear.
When I started developing the cover for my hard-hitting Berlin thriller Blood Summit, with the outstanding designers at Creative Covers, they sent me loads of ideas.
I honestly couldn’t decide which was best.
The contenders
After some to and fro, we were left with five mock-ups. To help me make up my mind, I invited readers of this blog – who include many of my most loyal readers – for their views. Here are the five options that went into the final round:
1: 
2: 
3: 
4: 
5: 
Which would make you want to buy the book, or find out more? I invited people either to leave a comment; to use the “contact me” panel; or, if they had my e-mail already, to write to me direct. I urged them to bear in mind that the chosen image would appear in tiny postage-stamp size on Amazon, so clarity at that scale was important.
I got a good range replies. One design got by far the largest number of votes. Was it because it was first in the list? I’ll never know. Option 1 became the cover of Blood Summit .
Next steps
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post on how to design a book cover. If you would like to have a look at my writing, my most recent books are: my blackly comic Seven Hotel Stories, Blood Summit and Corona Crime – a thriller for a world in the grip of coronavirus.
All the cover designs are by Creative Covers.
10 Responses
I think the first one has most impact. I prefer the blood splash to the ooze on other versions, as it has more immediacy. The darker Reichstag image on options 4 and 5 will look indistinct on Amazon, I think. Good luck!
You could be setting a trend here… first mover advantage.
It has to be Option 1.
I hadn’t seen Alison Somerset’s comment when I wrote mine. So that’s two out of two who like Option 1. Yes, I, too, liked the blood splash in the corner. Go for it1
Hm a particularly valuable comment from a top published author! Thanks Fenella 🙂
Bother! I was definitely going for option 2 or 5, i.e. without the blood, until I read those two. I suppose the reversing out of your name in option 1 does make it slightly more legible. However, given your well documented predilection for 007-style poses, is the idea of doing a Bond-effect bullet hole with the OO of Blood too obvious?
Hmm interestingly you are not the first person to suggest this. Option 1 edging it so far.
Wenn es bei Amazon nur in Briefmarkengröße erscheint, bin ich für die Version 1, weil es ein sehr naturalistischer Blutfleck ist – die anderen wirken eher aus Plastik – und das darunter liegende Gebäude sieht dadurch noch bedrohter aus.
Danke! Wohl gemerkt!
Good afternoon. What about just a plain cover, no design, so less busy and just the words in the colour of blood?