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Book Cover Design
A few years ago, my friend Randy Crane asked me to help him with the cover of his latest book: “Faith and the Magic Kingdom“. He had hired another designer to create it, but they disappeared on him and he wasn’t happy with what they left behind.
Needs more cowbell!
The two things in the previous design that Randy did like, were the cross and the iconic castle in the background of the cover. I built upon those elements, but I felt the initial design lacked a certain pizzaz needed for a book that used the word “magic” in the title. To remedy this, I added sparkle and glow and made the colors more vibrant. Not only does it suggest magic, but it also reinforces the spiritual nature of the book.
The typography also lacked power. So I replaced the fonts with stronger, more classic typefaces and added effects to make them stand out. I then enlarged and rearranged the title so it was more prominent on the cover.
Finally, I laid out the copy on the back and spine, as that work was not started by the previous designer.
The result?
“Faith and the Magic Kingdom” pops out at would-be readers on store shelves. I remember Randy’s Facebook posts mentioning this. He also talked about the feeling he had when he first saw his book alongside those written by more famous authors. It looked like it belonged among them…it always had.
SKILLS NEEDED
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
CATEGORIES
Graphic Design
Typography
COPYRIGHT
Randy Crane
“They say, ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover.’ Well, people do that all the time, and I have had dozens of people tell me they knew it was going to be great book because of the amazing cover. It fits in on store shelves, yet stands out in a great way to get readers’ attention and make them want to pick it up and read. That’s exactly what a book cover’s job is, and mine does that job thanks to Jen!”
– Author, Randy Crane
