A bad book cover can kill a good book's sales before a single page is read. Readers absolutely judge books by their covers, and even self-published authors with strong manuscripts lose credibility through avoidable design errors. Here are the most common mistakes to dodge — and the book cover design tips that actually make a difference.
Using Stock Photos Without Customization
Grabbing a generic stock image and dropping your title on top is one of the fastest ways to signal "amateur." The problem isn't stock photography itself — it's using it straight out of the library without manipulation.
Professional designers composite multiple images, adjust color grading, add texture overlays, and relight elements to make the final cover feel original. If your cover shares the same base image with 40 other books on Amazon (which happens more than you'd think), readers will notice, even subconsciously.
What to do instead: License high-quality images from sources like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock, then invest in a designer who will transform them rather than just place them.
Choosing the Wrong Typography
Typography is where most DIY covers fall apart. Common errors include:
- Using decorative or script fonts that are completely unreadable at thumbnail size
- Mismatching font styles to genre (a whimsical serif on a gritty thriller, for example)
- Cramming too many different fonts onto one cover (stick to two, maximum three)
- Setting the author name at the same visual weight as the title
- Ignoring letter-spacing and kerning, leaving text that looks awkward and unpolished
Your title needs to be readable at roughly 100×150 pixels — the size it appears in most online retail listings. If you can't read it at that size, it needs to change.
Ignoring Genre Conventions
Every genre has visual codes readers use to identify books they'll enjoy. Romance covers feature certain color palettes and figure compositions. Thrillers lean toward high contrast and bold sans-serif type. Cozy mysteries have illustrated, softer aesthetics. Fantasy and sci-fi have their own distinct visual languages.
Trying to "stand out" by breaking every genre convention usually backfires. The goal is to signal the right genre instantly while differentiating within it — not to look completely unlike anything else in the category.
Before briefing a designer, spend an hour browsing the top 100 bestsellers in your specific genre on Amazon. Take notes on color, imagery, and type treatment. This research is non-negotiable.
Getting the Spine and Back Cover Wrong
Many authors obsess over the front cover and barely think about the spine and back — but in physical retail, the spine is often the only thing a browser sees on a shelf.
Spine text that's too small, poorly centered, or using a low-contrast color scheme makes your book invisible in a bookstore. For back covers, the mistakes are typically:
- Burying the blurb under too much decorative imagery
- Using font sizes below 9pt, which prints poorly
- Forgetting to leave adequate bleed and margin space (typically 0.125" bleed on all sides for offset printing)
- Inconsistent branding between front and back
Work with your printer's exact template — CreateSpace, IngramSpark, and other POD services all provide spine width calculators based on page count and paper type.
Supplying Low-Resolution Files
A cover that looks sharp on screen can print as a blurry, pixelated mess. Print requires a minimum of 300 DPI at full size. A file that's 72 DPI at screen resolution is not usable for offset or digital printing without rebuilding it from scratch.
Always request final files in:
- 300 DPI CMYK TIFF or PDF for print
- RGB PNG or JPEG at full resolution for digital/ebook use
- Native working files (AI, PSD, or INDD) if you need future edits
Not Getting Professional Feedback Before Going Live
Many authors skip the feedback step and go straight to publishing. A single round of critique from someone who understands both design and your genre can catch issues you've become blind to after staring at the cover for weeks.
Consider hiring a cover consultant for a one-time review (typically $50–$150), or posting to dedicated communities like the r/selfpublishing subreddit or Kboards for reader-perspective feedback. Test your cover thumbnail against real Amazon listings in your genre — not against a blank white background.
Finding the Right Designer
The difference between a mediocre and a standout cover often comes down to hiring a designer who has verifiable experience in book cover work specifically. Mercoly makes it straightforward to compare and find trusted Book Cover & Publication Design providers so you can evaluate portfolios, read reviews, and match your genre needs without wasting time on cold searches.
Avoid the shortcuts, invest in the craft, and your cover becomes the first reason a reader says yes.
Start comparing book cover designers on Mercoly today and give your manuscript the professional presentation it deserves.