There is a lot to be said about not judging a book by its cover. However, it is the very cover of the book that leads to its selection in a bookstore or library. For instance, if your book cover has nothing to show for the contents of your book, it is most likely that no one will select the book to read in the first place.

The book cover design decides the general feel of the book. It tells the readers about what they might come across within its pages and builds up the momentum within a potential buyer to actually purchase the book and begin reading.

Each of the design elements on the cover should convey crucial information to the reader so that it piques their interest and influences their decision to pick up the books to read.

To identify a quality book cover that actually sells, you would have to keep the TRAIL formula in mind. TRAIL stands for the Tone, Relevance, Attraction, Interest and Legibility.

Tone

The most essential element of a good book cover is its tone. The tone is the vibe a reader gets from a book just by glancing at the cover. The tone of the book must be good enough to grab the attention of the reader and leave an impact. The words or imagery on the cover design are irrelevant. The tone is determined through the harmony of shades, hues and the balance of fonts with space on the cover.

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