Really, it’s nowhere near time to design a cover for my book. But, what can I say? I like designing things too, so one day I started messing around. And I ended up with a pretty good cover.

I’ll admit, one of the things that really drives book sales is the cover. According to Michael Hyatt, it’s one of the first considerations when a reader decides to buy. So, it’s kind of a big deal, if you hope to sell a book. Back in the days of Mark Twain, or Jane Austen, the cover wasn’t that much of an issue. But now, we’re such visual people, we won’t buy it unless the title and artwork jump off the page.

The first cover I put together (a couple of years ago) was just to give the book something on the outside. I printed some copies for the family to read, and didn’t put a whole bunch of thought into it. I’ve got a Roman aqueduct, some gears, and Big Ben, along with a rather monochromatic color scheme. Not exactly eye-popping.

What can I say? It got the job done, and that was about it. But not one of my better efforts.

Take two was for the expanded storyline, which I again printed through lulu.com for my family’s enjoyment. This one I put some more thought into, but also tried to keep the design within budget (which I think was zero). I’d say the results were better…but still no sale.

Okay, so this time we have an old-timey texture, better colors, but still very brown. I like the curlycue elements, but I’m still not 100% happy with the title and title block. Very blah.

So what makes a good cover? Is it the artwork? The fonts? Is it how big the authors name is? (Just kidding.)

I think it’s time to do some research, and see what the competition is putting out there to sell their books. Plus, I’ll be taking a look at what CreateSpace and other companies offer for their book cover services.

That will be next time. Meanwhile, I’ll leave you with a thought on how we should present ourselves: Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (NKJV)