Book Cover Brief Generator
A clear brief to hand a cover designer
A designer can only be as good as the brief you give them. A vague brief means rounds of revision; a clear one gets you a genre-right cover the first time. Describe your book and get a brief that covers mood, genre conventions, colour direction and the things to steer clear of.
What should a cover brief include?
The genre it must signal at a glance, the mood you want a reader to feel, a colour and typography direction, any key imagery, and, crucially, what to avoid. Naming a few covers you admire in your genre communicates more than paragraphs of description, because it shows the designer the shelf you want to sit on.
Why does a cover need to signal genre?
Because a browsing reader decides in under a second whether a book is for them, and they judge by whether it looks like the genre they love. A beautiful cover that signals the wrong genre sells worse than an average one that signals the right one. Fitting in is the point, then standing out within the convention.
How do I know what my genre's covers look like?
Study the current bestseller lists in your exact sub-category, not covers from a decade ago. Note the recurring colours, fonts, imagery and layout. Your cover should feel like a confident member of that group, with one distinctive touch that makes it memorable.
Frequently asked questions
What goes in a book cover brief?
Genre signals, mood, colour and type direction, key imagery, and what to avoid. Naming covers you admire helps most.
Why must a cover signal genre?
Readers judge in under a second by whether a book looks like the genre they love. Fitting the convention sells.
How do I research my genre's covers?
Study current bestsellers in your exact sub-category and note the recurring colours, fonts, imagery and layout.
Is this free?
Yes, with a daily limit for guests.