Mad respect to those talented people who have an artistic sensibility and a grasp of design concepts. It seems to be a complex amalgamation of concepts that leads to something visually appealing and effective.
I’ve recently thought about what I want the cover of my soon to be released books to look like. No matter who ultimately I ask to design them, I’m going to need to be able to tell them what I’m looking for.
Apparently, all genres have a specific set of expectations when it comes to covers. My books are all Urban Fantasies. Covers are expected to be dark and contain a representation of the protagonist.. The character should be somewhat front and center, and there should be mystical or magical elements. Many covers use the magical elements to frame the character’s image.
Some people argue that rules are meant to be broken. Operating outside of the status quo might get some attention. The other perspective, however, is that readers won’t even notice your book if they don’t recognize the genre.
What do you think?