Most of the writers have particular ideas for the front covers of their self-published books. However, if you want to create a distinctive statement that captures the reader’s eyes, there is a lot to design a great book cover. Writers are usually unaware of the audience’s expectation of a genre book cover and have no idea about the important design differences between fiction and non-fiction book fronts.
Fiction books refer to literature that is created from something imaginative. Like mysteries, romance, fantasy, chick lit, science fiction, and crime thrillers these all are fiction genres.
On the other hand, nonfiction refers to purely something literature-based. This is the broadest literature category. The nonfiction department has videos and books in many categories including cooking, health, fitness, pets, home decor, crafts, travel, music, art, etc.
Talking about the titles fiction book titles are short maximum of four words. But they are very compelling and they barely hint about the story. Also, they don’t have any subtitles and stand-alone. Above all, the book cover should reflect the genre of the book. For example, The front of a suspense and mystery novel should use bold formats, and strong colors, and develop hinting and exciting adventure. In this blog, we will blur the line between fiction and non-fiction book covers. Also, we will discuss how to design a book front that is similar to Canadian book covers. Let’s get started.
Crucial Difference Between Non-Fiction And Fiction Book Cover Design
Let’s see what the differences between fiction and non-fiction book design are. What are some important factors that you need to keep in mind while designing that are similar to Canadian book covers?
Furthermore, if you are looking for someone to help you in this matter. You can contact any of the agencies for Book Publishing Toronto. Numerous service-providing agencies in Canada are eager to assist their customers in designing exquisite book fronts.
- Photographs And Figures
Many fiction book covers use flat, line art, or faceless figures. Also, the character used in design can be ambiguous. This is a brilliant and stylish technique that motivates readers to incorporate their sight of the book’s characters while also maintaining the overall description. You will find hundreds of books with this effective and eye-catching art style on the bookstore shelves.
On the other hand, nonfiction book uses real-life pictures of the subjects. Also, it helps in adding a personal touch to the overall design. Nature candid photos are preferred in fiction book fronts. The natural photos in the book not only visually attract the readers but also keep them engaged in what and who they are reading about.
- Landscapes And Artwork
Talking about the fiction book cover it features numerous art styles, especially in scenery and backgrounds. The fictional locations are represented using printings, digital graphics, and illustrations. A professional artist has the skills to capture both the total essence and geographic of the novel so that writers do not limit themselves only to photographs of existing places.
While non-fiction books are specifically those that target a location or setting. It also features alluring landscape pictures to make haunting or gorgeous covers. The designers of the nonfiction book will make this design choice to focus on the connection between the book content and location.
- Vibrant And Neutral Colors
Fiction book covers can have an appealing spectrum of colors. Designers choose heavily saturated and bold colors to grab the eyes of potential buyers. This color strategy may not be good for all genres such as science fiction. Remember the famous horror book, Bad Cree? The book has a bold red color on the front showing it is pure fiction.
On the other hand, many nonfiction books specifically biographies and memoirs have a monochrome color strategy. The pair of black and white goes well when showing any event that happened in the past. These classic color themes fit best with nonfiction tones as well as withstand everyday style trends.
- Classic And Decorative Fonts
When it comes to typography, fiction books are more fun. You may have seen hand-drawn or decorative fonts for the taglines, titles, subtitles, and other author names. It is not rare to use different fonts, textures, colors, and placement on the cover. It incorporates traditional design elements.
Nonfiction book fronts have standard fonts like sans-serif and serif because they are easy to read, clean, and offer a classic style. While you may want your book front to stand out and capture readers’ eyes for this purpose you need to meet the expectations of your readers. Fiction book covers can include more colorful, imaginative design elements.
Talking about the phase that comes after writing and designing is publishing. Publishing a book is like an uphill task and you will need assistance with it. Look for book publishing services after designing steps to hit the massive sales.
Steps To Design Book Cover Design
After looking at the detailed difference between fiction and non-fiction book cover designs now let’s have a look at how to design it on your own. You need to apply these techniques according to your book type.
Designing a book cover is costly or requires time if you are doing it yourself. But, it is what turns the readers into valuable customers. In other words, it is not a waste of time but very effective if you do it right. Similarly, marketing is what creates a great impact on the audience for your book. If you desire your book to make a strong reach then you need to ask for a book marketing service. Look for professionals who are experts in marketing.
Now, let’s have a look at how you can design your book front.
- Look For Inspiration
You should first look at the book inspiration whether you are doing it on your own or hiring a designer. If you are doing it on your own you can look for design help on printers.
- Stick To The Genre Assumptions
When designing a book cover you need to stick to genre assumptions. These assumptions are for reason and because of them the book sells.
- Select Your Software
If you are not opting for a professional designer then it is important to know about some important tools. These tools are easy to use and will help you in producing great results.
Here are 8 tools that will assist you in designing your book cover.
- Book Brush
This template is ideal for book designs, featuring a unique layout and high-quality 3D graphics. It excels as a tool for graphic designers working with authors.
- Canva
This is a user-friendly graphic design tool with plenty of design options and book cover templates. It’s straightforward to use but has limitations in terms of what you can create. However, there is a more versatile premium version available.
- DIY Book Cover
This platform is the ideal place to create your book front. You can utilize templates and tutorials that are based on the principles used for bestselling books. The content is taught by the leading expert in book cover design. It’s a multifunctional tool, guide, and template system all rolled into one.
- Adobe
If you already have Photoshop or InDesign software, you can learn how to use it to craft book covers. Although the learning curve is steep, the advanced features allow for incredible designs.
Advantages Of Creating A Book Cover Yourself
- Freedom to be creative.
- You can experiment with new things.
- It is a cost-effective approach.
Dis-Advantages Of Creating A Book Cover Yourself
- You might have less sales.
- Not enough experience.
- Blunders in design that put off readers.
These cons do not apply to you if you are a professional designer. Don’t forget to get in touch with the book marketing agency for excessive sales of your book.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between nonfiction and fiction book covers?
There are subtle distinctions between fiction and nonfiction book covers. Nonfiction books display persuasive and useful information on the front, such as history and autobiographical books. On the other hand, fiction books can be more expressive with fonts, colors, imagery, and so on.
- Tips on making a book cover design?
- Give the audience a preview of what’s coming.
- Let the audience know about the genre of the book.
- Introduce your prime move.
- Use the right tone.
- Follow the rules according to the genre.
- Focus on the details.
- Have a unique style.
3. Elaborate fiction and non-fiction with the help of an example.
Fiction consists of imaginative books, like stories about talking animals. Nonfiction includes genres such as biographies, history, and travel guides, which depict real events and people.
The Ending Notes
So this is all about blurring the lines between Fiction and Nonfiction Book Covers.
It’s important to remember that a simple change to your book front design could significantly increase your sales. People do tend to judge a book by its cover, so it’s crucial to ensure that it meets certain guidelines. Does your cover effectively communicate the message of your book? Have you adhered to genre expectations? Choosing a font that is proven to be effective and ensuring that it makes an impact even in its small thumbnail size are also important considerations. Additionally, testing different covers to determine the most effective one is a valuable step in the design process.