The plot of every book starts with its cover. Before a reader picks your book, they are first enticed by the cover. It gives them a hint of what to expect between the pages. There are tons of books released daily and that means that you need to go the extra mile to stand out. If the cover is poorly done, it makes the book appear cheap. This notion ultimately makes readers assume that the contents follow a similar fashion to the cover.

It is easier to sell a book with a great cover. Consciously or unconsciously, everyone picks the book that appeals visually. With so many books to choose from, the reader is spoilt for choice.

Without even reading the title, the appearance of the cover should already tell the reader the genre of the book. Depending also on the images and colors used by the cover designer, a reader can tell what is contained in the book. For example, dark scary images can be used on a horror book’s cover while funny colorful characters are used to present a picture book to potential readers.

Some images are, however, too common even though they appear great. Some level of originality will make your book stand out from the rest. It is now not enough to have a lovely couple staring into each other’s eyes for a romantic novel. Consider the background, the feelings portrayed in the characters' expressions, their clothes and more. Images are very powerful. They can communicate the time in which the story is set, the tone of the book, the setting used for the plot and even the potential readers targeted by the author.

A great cover should also be evocative. If real characters are used, their emotions should be easily picked up by the reader. Colors can also be used to set the mood. I recently read a book titled Love Poems, written by Dr. Tony Beizaee. The images in this book including the cover are simply mesmerizing. The collection highlights many forms of love that are encapsulated by the beautiful image on the surface. The designer played around with a number of colors that are bright and which reflect the fiery nature of love.

A bit of suspense can also be achieved using images. When the account features a storyline with a lot of action, this should also appear on the cover to create suspense while communicating what the book is about.

Another book’s cover I found quite interesting was Jesus & Co written by Bruce L. Hartman. The image is quite simple yet very telling. It features a person wearing a business suit and holding a business card that is been slotted into the man’s coat. Already, the image gives the impression that what is contained in the book has something to do with business or the corporate culture.

There is little point in writing a great book and having a poor cover crown your hard work. Going the extra mile of ensuring you have an alluring cover will ensure that all your hard work does not go down the drain.