ALWAYS JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER A book cover is actually a package that showcases the author as a brand and lets the book stand out from the competition. Many graphic designers dream about creating book covers, even though it is tricky work where many different people will have strong opinions during the process. Art director and graphic designer, Sofia Scheutz, is one of Sweden’s most sought after book cover designers. We met with Sophia for a chat about the creative process behind a book cover. Hi Sophia! Tell us a bit about how the work on a book cover begins! “Usually it starts with a briefing from the publisher, or I will write my own brief based on the book’s synopsis or manuscript. The manuscript is not always ready when I get into the process, because the book covers are many times created almost a year before the release date so that the title can be published in the company’s sales catalog.” How do you go about, in concrete terms, determining the design of a cover? “If the manuscript is complete I always read it, otherwise I start from the synopsis. The first thing I take note of is the atmosphere of the book and the genre. I look for specific details, everything that feels special
or is recurring in the text. I try to find the essence of both the atmosphere and the action – the book’s soul. A good cover reflects the soul of a book in a commercial way.” Where do you find your inspiration? “In the beginning I basically do a lot of image googling, and I also do searches at image agencies and sites like Pinterest for inspiration. Sometimes I have a clear idea from the start, other times I will get ideas from what I see. This helps the brain to start working.” What do you think about in terms of the colors you use on the cover? “I have always been told to avoid green on covers and recently I was told by a publisher that the statistics show that green books are actually inferior sellers. Red sells well, probably because of the added visibility. It’s not so strange, a dark blue or brown book automatically looks dull, and those colors do not grab attention as much as more lurid colors. More important than the color is that the cover should have contrast.”
have something living featured on the cover. Without it, something that captures and strikes the imagination is missing.” What type of book cover do you yourself like? “American and some British covers are fun to look at. American covers are more daring. They visualize the designer’s concept of the plot in a more abstract way. If I dare to generalize, Swedish publishers prefer a more illustrative and practical approach than idea-based. A good cover should be unexpected while remaining within the framework of the genre.”
»It’s harder to stand out if you do not have something living featured on the cover.«
Are there any more classic tricks that sell besides color and contrast? “Human presence, or animals, something depicting life. That is often an ingredient on a selling cover. It’s harder to stand out if you do not
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