Last updated on February 2nd, 2023 at 11:01 am
There are a lot of factors that go into designing a book. You have to consider things such as the cover design, typography, page layout, and much more. All these things together create a beautiful final product, but getting there can be a challenge. Here is everything you need to know about designing a hardcover book.
Never judge a book by its cover
You know the saying. Everyone knows the saying. While it’s a common phrase, as visual creatures, people do in fact judge books by their covers. The book cover is one of the most exciting aspects of a hardcover book to design, and you will want to ensure you take great care in this process. Here are some things to consider while designing your cover.
Does it match the overall book?
The most important thing about your book cover is that it has to match the overall vibe and tone of the book. Regardless of the style, you don’t want someone to pick the book up thinking it is about one thing and it is not. There is no quicker way to lose someone’s attention than by being misleading. What might work well for a historical fiction book will certainly not work well for a romance novel and vice versa.
Try different design styles
Once you have nailed down the style of your cover, it’s time to start putting it all together. Whether you are going for serious, colorful, subdued, or what have you, it does not hurt to create multiple mock-ups. Experiment with the placement of your title and name or try out different images. You can find plenty of images on stock sites such as Unsplash or Shutterstock, just make sure you confirm usage rights before printing a run of books with an image you do not have the rights to use.
Consult a professional book cover designer
It’s no secret that designing a book cover is a complicated endeavor. If you don’t feel comfortable designing the cover yourself, you can always consult a professional. There is no shortage of freelance designers out there. Start browsing through portfolios to find a style that speaks to you and reach out to that designer. They can also help you with the back cover, which is equally as important as this is where your reader really finds out what the book is about. An experienced book cover designer will be able to help you include important details such as reviews raving about your book and a synopsis that will entice anyone that reads it to buy it.
Tips for designing the interior of your hardcover book
While the cover of a book is complex in its own right. You want to make sure you get it right so you attract your target audience, the inside is just as important. Now that you drew your audience in, you want to make sure they stick around. Here is where we get into the nitty gritty details of page size, font size, graphics, typesetting, and more. The most important thing to keep in mind when designing a book is readability. If your book cannot be read, it will not be bought.
To serif or not serif
There is the ongoing debate regarding serif and sans serif fonts and legibility, which of course matters especially when it comes to book design. A reader might not pay much attention unless the font is difficult to read. Many serif fonts are easy to read, but some are so intricate they may start to distract the reader from what they are reading. That is what you want to avoid. Now, we are not saying you cannot use serif fonts, you just want to be mindful of how fancy they are and stick with one that is not distracting. Most books actually do use serif fonts, such as Times New Roman or Baskerville.
Design with a proper trim size
When we say trim size, we are referring to your book’s size. Industry-standard sizes for fiction books include 4.24” x 6.87”, 5” x 8”, 5.25” x 8”, 5.5” x 8.5”, and 6” x 9”. Non-fiction books typically run at 5.5” x 8.5”, 6” x 9”, or 7” x 10”. Ultimately, you can choose to print your book at whatever size you want, but these are the standards for those types of books. Make sure that when you are creating your design, you are doing it in the proper size. You would not want to finish it all only to have to resize it after to fit the trim.
Pages to include
Aside from the actual contents of your book, you will want to make sure you include pages for information such as copyright, title page, table of contents, a dedication page, appendix, etc. While you do not have to include all of these pages, if you plan to you will want to include that in your design.
Printing with Printivity
Printivity makes it easy to get your project printed the way you envision it. Whether you have questions about the design process, printing process or are simply ready to get your order started, we are here every step of the way. Contact a Printivity expert today at 1-877-649-5463.
