Every reader has had a book cover catch their eye from the shelves of a bookstore, or even from a long list of Amazon search results. Sometimes all it takes is one glance. But how do you go from twinkle in your eye idea to reader grabbing cover design? Tim McConnehey, founder of Izzard Ink explains how the cover information sheet is central to taking your concept to completed commission.

What is a Cover Information Sheet?

There’s something magical about seeing your cover design for the first time. But I’m sure some of you are left wondering how it happened? What goes on behind the scenes to create those covers at major publishing houses? And how can independent authors align their design process with the major publishers?

Would you be surprised to learn that most of it comes down to research?

A book cover is the foundation of a successful marketing campaign. It is also a key opportunity for an author to showcase that they’ve given the same level of care to every detail in the publishing process, produced a quality book, earned praise from trusted reviewers, and at a glance, to stand out from the millions of books already on the market.

So how should authors and publishers accomplish those goals? What separates a top-notch design process from the do-it-yourself approach? What separates a general designer from a cover designer with bestseller experience, who could cost thousands? It is the research. A winning cover should be designed in the context of not only the author’s ideas, but the rest of the book’s marketing plan. That’s where a cover information sheet comes in.

The Cover Information Sheet