Book Cover Critique: Advice From a Professional Designer [Oct 2023] | Reedsy Live

Getting ready to publish, but you're not sure about your cover? Jake Clark is a long-time Reedsy designer with a reputation for creating unique cover designs that bring an author's stories to life in vivid detail.

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[faithfaraday]

Jake is such an expert, fantastic insightful feedback and advice delivered in such a diplomatic way as to not crush our delicate spirits. :)

[karenradunz]

As a graphic designer myself, I really liked Jake's advices! I thought these were very helpful, objective and well-founded suggestions. Congratulations!

[LisaBrookhouse]

Thank you for reviewing my historical romance book cover today!—“Sheep Are Simply Less Trouble Than Scotsmen” at 50:36. I really love the feedback! It was extremely helpful, constructive, and very much appreciated! Thank you very much to Jake and Reedsy!

I just wanted to let you know that—only 12 hours later!—your advice has already made a difference to us. “Sheep Are Simply Less Trouble Than Scotsmen” goes on sale in one week, 4th November, and we have just paused our print run (which starts in literally 2 days!) to make the title larger! There is still no sign of any half-clad Highlanders on the cover though 😂

I have already completed the next four books in the series, and the first entitled “Beyond the Rough Bounds” goes on sale in May 2024. I am very excited! Thankfully, we will be able to take what we have learned through this wild self-publishing journey of ours and apply it to future projects going forwards. Thank you, once more, for sharing your knowledge!

[kit]

09:02 Cover #1 - Paradise Calls
12:04 Cover #2 - Elementals: The Resurrected
14:24 Cover #3 - The Looney Bin
19:22 Cover #4 - Mostly True Stories I Told in Bars
23:07 Cover #5 - Sicarionauts
28:19 Cover #6 - The Mermaid Pool
34:09 Cover #7 - The Wizard and the Welshman
38:58 Cover #8 - Nola's Empire
44:45 Cover #9 - All the Secrets We Hide
48:46 Cover #10 - Marlon and the Wide World
50:40 Cover #11 - Sheep Are Simply Less Trouble Than Scotsmen
53:48 Cover #12 - American Bedroom
55:12 Cover #13 - Hetiria
57:58 Cover #14 - Not Your Lucky Day
59:12 Cover #15 - Blinded Trust
1:00:08 Cover #16 Crossroads of the Heart
1:01:21 Cover #17 - Sandstone Rhythm

[Reality__st]

Great stream! As a writer currently working on his first book I am constantly thinking of book cover ideas. Thanks!

[glenn_r_frank_author]

Seems like the hardest thing to understand from this is the advice to look at books in your genre and use that to choose the look and elements of a cover... but on the other hand... be different and stand out. :-p

[shellygoodtimes]

Thanks for sharing! Very helpful and useable information from Jake. By the way, that Seraph Rising cover is amazing!

[machandelverlagcharlotteer]

Actually, some studies show Comic Sans to be an excellent font for children with dyslexia. It's easier to read for them.

[A-rogous-]

I plan to have the cover art reflect the opening scene. And the back cover art to depict the last scene in the book. How wrong am I?