Creating cover art is a specialization in the book world. It is NOT my specialty. There are trends to track, colors to express emotion, and fonts that convey meaning.
Some authors start with a distinct idea of what they want on their cover. It’s their book, after all.
In the traditional publishing world, the author may or may not have input into the cover process. Hybrid publishers may give authors more input, but the best answer is to hire a professional who studies the nuance of cover art of books.
Font
Some things are basic. The title must be large enough on the cover so that it can be read on a website thumbnail. The cover should match the genre. You wouldn’t want a romance novel with a bloody ax on the cover. Fonts are a little trickier. While script is more romance than mystery, it isn’t always easy to read, so you have to be selective in the type of script you use.
Color
There is an entire psychology behind colors that you have probably read about before. Blue is calming and projects stability, harmony, peace, calm, and trust. The color red is associated with excitement, passion, danger, energy, and action. Orange represents creativity, adventure, enthusiasm, success, and balance. Yellow evokes feelings of happiness, positivity, optimism, and summer but also of deceit and warning. Check out this website for more details. https://www.oberlo.com/blog/color-psychology-color-meanings
Trends
Trying to read the current trends are confusing because they range from collage to simplistic. I’m not sure how we can trend both of those at the same time, but that’s why I’m not the expert.
Audience
The age of your audience will also affect your cover choice. Young adults like things edgy and exciting. Nonfiction covers need to get to the point and demonstrate their usefulness in a glance. For a parent to purchase a book for elementary or lower, the cover must be colorful, inviting, and safe.
Are you feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry; that’s why there are experts to guide the author with their choice. If you decide to self-publish, please take the time to hire an expert for cover design. Books are judged by their cover.