How to analyze what book covers sell in your genre?
Do you want a cover that grabs potential readers' attention and makes them buy your book? You'll need to analyze successful cover designs in your genre first.
Before we begin, here's a tip:
As an indie author, blending into your genre is essential rather than standing out. Your book should be easily recognizable because readers have specific visual expectations. Once you're well-known, you can experiment with unique designs.
Now, let's learn how to analyze book covers properly.
1. Go to Amazon and check bestsellers in your genre
Amazon is the go-to platform for book sales, making it the ideal place to find successful cover designs. Start by navigating to the bestseller category of your specific genre. The more precise you are about your genre and subgenre, the better examples you'll find.
For instance, if you write mystery books, the bestseller list will look like this:
2. Be selective with the books you analyze
Not every book on the bestseller list will be relevant to your analysis. Some books blend multiple genres and may appear on several top lists. For example, if you’re analyzing thriller covers, you might see Haunting Adeline in the list. Although it boasts an intense and dangerous atmosphere, it’s not a thriller but a dark romance, a specific genre. So, it shouldn't be part of your analysis.
Also, consider the book’s price. Amazon rankings are based on copies sold, so a low-priced, newly released book might make the bestseller list but not be an excellent example for cover design.
3. Check the release date and number of reviews
While trends in book cover design remain relatively stable, new techniques and styles emerge each year. When reviewing examples, focus on recent publications. Prioritize newer covers, as bestsellers can range from recent releases to books from the early 2000s.
Books with many reviews often indicate a cover that sells well and appeals to readers. Look for examples with over 10,000 reviews.
4. Choose at least 40 covers from the Top 100 in your genre
The more covers you analyze, the better your research will be. While you might not have time to examine every design in your genre, try to review at least 40 of your favorites from the bestseller list.
5. Analyze your picks and look for trends
Now that you have enough covers for research, sort them into groups to identify what design elements work best for your genre. Separate covers based on imagery, colors, and fonts.
Let's use romantasy covers as an example. We've picked out a few designs from Amazon to illustrate the approach.
Imagery
Look at characters, objects, and other visual details. Note what appears in the foreground and background. For example, in romantasy covers, images of swords and daggers, striking characters, and flora and fauna are common trends.
Color Palette
Divide covers by their color palettes. Color is crucial in evoking emotions and setting moods. Romantasy often uses the hues below. Blue can symbolize mystery, magic, and depth of emotions. Green usually represents paranormal phenomena and enchantment. Gold conveys wealth, magic, power, and royalty.
Typography
Romantasy covers typically use elegant and sophisticated serifs and scripts, sometimes with added glowing or sparkling effects or decorative elements like swirls or stylized letters. Typography often contrasts against dark backgrounds, making the titles stand out and grab the reader’s attention.
Style
Consider the overall style of the covers. Are they character or object-based? Realistic or illustrated? Busy or minimalist? Romantasy covers often feature objects as focal points or powerful main characters in the center of their composition.
Final thoughts
This research will help you create a marketable cover design for your book. It will be helpful not only for filling out a design brief but also for giving feedback on the result. You can use your selection as a reference to better illustrate your vision.
Do you conduct an analysis before creating or ordering a book cover design? Share in the comments what you pay attention to.