Another heart-spun story is complete. The manuscript that took two years to get right is almost finished. Arc and editorial reviewers stand by, waiting to be dazzled, followed soon by readers, who’ll love it so much they’ll become lifelong fans. All that’s left is a beautiful book cover. For writers, nothing evokes a childlike Christmas-morning-level excitement like seeing the first sample book cover designs created for our stories… and getting it right is absolutely imperative to the book’s success.
And in 14 days (or less), we’ll see ours for One Thing Better… It’s the final book cover countdown!
Book lovers LOVE judging books by their covers. It’s our eye candy. Here are some tasty book covers that have called to me lately from the cozy mystery department (and great reads, too).
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by various amazing writers
And my latest great reads from contemporary romance…
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay by Kelly Harms
Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Delivering the first impression, if the book cover doesn’t present the right vibe, potential readers won’t bother. Sure, books with mediocre covers sell—even books with bad covers manage to find buyers—but these days, you’ll rarely see these on the bestsellers lists.
Readers want the whole package—excellent writing, an awesome story, and just the right book cover showcasing it. And writers need to deliver. Or else.
All writers understand WHY the right book cover is so important, but here’s the math (or at least MY style of math)…
Great story + Bad Book Cover = No sales & a quick descent into a hell pit of unread books & depressed writers
Great story + Awesome Book Cover = Mega-sales, happy fans, & all your writerly dreams coming true
The cover for my feel-good, pandemic romance One Thing Better is my most important yet. Yes, I could say that for all my books, and at publication time, it certainly feels like the weight of each project rests on the strength of its cover.
But this book IS special. Here’s why… (and maybe your book falls into some of these categories, too).
It’s my first standalone (maybe).
I used to think that the way to win readers’ hearts was through a series, but that was short-sided. Standalones actually provide more opportunities to connect. If readers don’t love the first book in a series (or get tired of waiting for more), there’s no reader-to-fan turnover until the writer gives that reader something else. Committing to a series means a huge time investment from the writer with little space to write standalones, too. More variety means more chances to win fans.
So, there won’t be a series surrounding this first book or, at least, not a 5-book epic like my Delilah Duffy Mystery Series. (Though maybe a sequel—ever since my sweet mother-in-law/beta reader suggested it, I can’t stop thinking about a part two. I even have a working title and a dedicated notebook. The idea-fairies are seriously at work when an idea gets its own notebook).
But that’s a book to write later…
The point is, standalones give you the chance to explore niches as a writer without committing to a series, and I’m thrilled to be doing something new, especially since…
It’s a new genre.
If you’ve read my Delilah Duffy Mystery Series, you know I love romance just as much as I adore mysteries. So, it’s about time I went all-in on a romance. The market for them is STRONG. A look at the bestsellers lists reveals hits from Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, and Lucy Score—I’ve read and loved them all. And now… I’m ready to join their ranks with my own contemporary romance.
But with a new genre, along comes nerves. Contemporary romance covers are so artsy and creative that competing is intimidating. Take a museum-like tour of Barnes & Noble like we did, and you’ll see what I mean. Many are masterpieces. Thankfully, what ours will look like is for the artists to Imagine—not us. After giving them all the info I could, short of asking them to read the book, it’s a nail-biting mystery, wondering what their artists’ eyes will conjure up. We can’t wait to see them because…
Book covers matter more than ever.
It’s been eight-Ish years since deciding on Sea-Devil’s cover, which set the design for the whole series. Had I known then what I know now, I would’ve picked a cover that better fit the cozy mystery genre rather than what I liked best, and I would’ve considered social media. People on social media love showcasing books, and beautiful covers increase the chances of that happening.
Plus, when it comes to marketing, social media is THE place to do it. A book cover that fits the genre AND looks gorgeous to encourage fans and create amazing ads will go viral… or at least get clicks. And clicks = sales & more happy readers. One Thing Better is my first real opportunity to play to trends and capitalize on what readers really want.
It’s my most personal book yet.
Sure, they’re all personal. No matter the story, part of the author is reflected in it. But THIS book is A LOT OF ME. The snarky, foul-mouthed, anxious, and heart-in-everything character, Lena, is me (just younger, cuter, and, well, single).
And her story was inspired by two life events: my Mom’s death in 2018 and caring for my father after his heart bypass surgery the following year. Staying with him in my rundown family home & making do with the woodstove for heat, finicky toilets always breaking at the worst times, and the occasional mouse not only made my time there hella-difficult but terribly sad, remembering how lovely and cozy the house used to be and, of course, missing my mom who always made it that way. One Thing Better is a what-if born from love and sadness, and writing it felt truly like coming home.
Imagining a book cover that’ll capture all that, well… *cue tears*… I hope it’ll take my breath away. And do the same for readers, too.
So, with the book cover countdown on, all we can do is wait… But guess what my next post will be?
Meanwhile, let’s generate some BIG BOOK COVER ENERGY. Share your favorites below in any genre. And stay tuned for my reveal…
