BOOK MARKETING: “Which Are The Best Book Covers? And Why?” by Lorilyn Roberts

Nothing like comparing book covers side by side to see how much difference a good book cover makes in the overall impression of a book. This video includes three cover makeovers for my books.




 

 One of the challenges of leading a network of Christian authors is convincing members to spend the money to hire a really good book cover designer. As you can see from the video, I hired some less expensive book cover designers, and while the covers were okay, they didn't “sell” my books. With book marketing becoming more competitive every day, the one thing you shouldn’t skimp on is book cover design. Hire a good designer. These improved covers were all created by Lisa Vento. 

You can check out her website at Lisavento.com

BOOK MARKETING: HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE IN SALES DOES A GREAT BOOK COVER MAKE? by Lorilyn Roberts

Original cover on the left.   Lisa Vento designed the cover on the right

How much difference does a great book cover make when it comes to selling books? The one on the left is my original book cover of Seventh Dimension - The Door. I found the photograph at http://shutterstock.com and bought the license to use it. I then hired a professional to design the book cover. There is nothing wrong with my original cover on the left, but compared to the one on the right - what do you think?

How about some numbers to compare how many copies I sold of Seventh Dimension - The Door with the two different covers?  From October 2012 through February 2013, I sold 118 books. From March 1 through March 17, with the new book cover, I sold 374 books. Seventh Dimension - The Door reached number one in Christian Fantasy, Christian Futuristic, and Religious Science Fiction & Fantasy on Amazon (Kindle version). 

As you can see in the screenshot below, Amazon is now labeling Seventh Dimension - The Door a "#1 best seller." The only significant factor I can attribute the increase in sales to is the book cover. The number of reviews didn't change dramatically. I had three more reviews added in March (If you would like to review my book, let me know in the comments). 

Who is the miracle worker that designed my new book cover? Her name is Lisa Vento.  She was recommended to me by Jerry Jenkins. 

Why settle for a mediocre book cover when you can hire someone to design a great book cover? I had no idea that an excellent book cover made that much difference in sales, but it does.  If you would like to contact Lisa Vento or look at other book covers she has designed, her website is LisaVento.com

BOOK MARKETING: New Book Cover for Seventh Dimension - The Door: “Meet Great Book Cover Designer Lisa Vento”

Meet professional book cover designer Lisa Vento. 

I was having difficulty uploading my book cover for Seventh Dimension - the Door to Create Space. I had recently "met" Lisa on another book project she did for me and so I asked her if she could help me. 

Lisa had originally been recommended to me by Jerry Jenkins for How to Launch a Best-Selling Christian Book, and I was extremely pleased. My cover had recently been finished on Seventh Dimension - The Door by someone else, but I had some technical issues. The lettering was too close to the edge and Create Space kept rejecting my book. I had spent several hours ineptly trying to make it work and realized I couldn't, so to speak, put a round screw in a square hole. So I asked her if she could help me with it. 

Lisa took my book and performed magic on the cover. I know I am partial, but I believe it's the best cover I have ever seen!  

Making a good book cover is not easy. It takes skill and talent. Anyone who has some PhotoShop knowledge can make a simple cover cheaply, but it takes more than that to make a great one--and great artists in any creative field don't come cheap. I guarantee, however, that at least when it comes to book covers, you get what you pay for. 

What did Lisa do with my original photograph?  

She put clothes on Shale Snyder, my protagonist (I didn't realize when I bought the licensing agreement that she wasn't wearing clothes. Someone pointed this out to me and that it might be problematic for observant Christian buyers. It really is a good thing I don't do my own book covers).  

She made Shale's hair shorter. 

She added the waterfall in the background. The original photograph had a white blurry background. 

Lisa added the golden nuggets to the water (which is important to the story). 

She added detail to the bird and made it more visible. 

She added the sparkle. 

She added plants. 

She darkened the front of the photograph so your eye is drawn to Shale. 

She made the color deeper in tone, more soothing. 

She centered the cover so everything in the photograph is balanced. 

And, of course, she chose the font for the title and my name, as well as the layout. She even added the little stars inside the word "door." 

She sized the cover perfectly. I uploaded the book seamlessly to Create Space. 

She also added extra touch-up work around Shale's face so if I ever wanted to blow up the cover for a banner, the girl wouldn't be blurry. 

I know Lisa did even more than this, but hopefully, I have helped you to see how someone can make a beautiful book cover that will stand out above the rest. 

In this case, I had already picked out the photo I wanted to use, but normally, Lisa will search the web and send samples to you and make suggestions. This is very helpful if you have no idea what you want or you haven't come up with any creative book cover ideas. 

With my other book, Lisa took several photos from a website and merged them into a composite cover. I can't imagine how complicated that might get.

Lisa also designed the back cover of Seventh Dimension - The Door using a photo I found on the web (you must buy the license fee for the photograph or reimburse her for it), added some additional layers, and then edited my picture to make me look better (which was really nice). 

I enjoyed working with Lisa on my book and now have a real appreciation for what's involved in making a great book cover. Lisa sent me sample covers for my second and third books in the Seventh Dimension Series. I immediately wanted to sit at my computer and start writing the second book. 

God works in amazing ways, connecting us with people we need and otherwise probably would never meet. I always appreciate it when people take the time to help me make my books better.

If you would like to visit Lisa Vento’s website and see more of her book covers, go to LisaVento.com. You will find lots of other products she sells for authors like bookmarks and banners 

I tell members of the John 3:16 Marketing Network: There are two things you shouldn't skimp on: Hire a professional editor and a good book cover designer. 

Buyers are attracted to beautiful covers, and once they grab your book and open it, you want to make an impression in those precious few seconds you have. Whether you need a book cover today or in the future, bookmark Lisa's page for future reference.