![]() ![]() Let’s look at the four Caldecott Medal Winners from 2014. What keeps your attention? What covers do you remember later? The fastest way to understand how a good cover works is to browse through the shelves at your local bookstore … or online. Non-fiction? Make sure the cover sings out about the subject matter.Ĭomposition and color are very important in the design of your cover. If your book features a very strong setting, that may be the way to go. You want the eye to be drawn straight to your book! Remember, picture books are often viewed from across a store. The cover, like your book, needs to be age appropriate.ĭo you have a very strong character? An arresting image of the main character can be one of the most enticing book covers, especially when used in a simple, stylish way. ![]() Small children are attracted to bold shapes and bright colors. ![]() What’s the age group of the reader? More intricate and detailed artwork may appeal to an older reader. Even better if they can’t wait to find out what the book is about! If you showed the cover of your book to a child, would they have some idea of the contents from just one image? If so, then you’ve done your job. That way the reader knows what to expect inside! It’s important to reflect the mood and theme of your book on the cover. What’s the essence of your book? Is it funny? Serious? Non-fiction? Cute? Great setting? If your book is filled with cartoon style art, it’s likely you’ll reflect that in the cover artwork. What size is your cover? How can you utilize that shape to greatest advantage, including enough space for the title and author and illustrator’s names? Start by working on thumbnail-size drawings. You are looking to sell the best parts of the story without giving away the entirety of the plot.įirst things first. It’s the first selling point of your book. Think of it as a movie trailer or a poster. Now the cover is usually a completely separate illustration. In days gone the cover image was often an illustration from an interior spread. So baby, that cover had better have vavavoom! And viewers come in so many different guises–marketing people, reviewers, book buyers, librarians, teachers, parents, readers–and your book has to compete with a gazillion other books for shelf space or on a website or in a catalog. No matter how wonderful the contents of the book if the cover doesn’t appeal to the viewer, it’s all over. How’s that saying go? ‘Never judge a book by it’s cover’? Wise words when applied to people, but as far as picture books go - the cover is certainly the first thing we judge. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |