Determine the genre and major themes of the book. If the book is a non-fiction work on the topic of butterflies, the cover image should include photographs, imagery and text that denotes an educational context. A fictional book in the science fiction genre about aliens and space travel offers a broad range of images that will represent the story. The images you choose should represent the core idea of your book, without giving away the conclusion.
Determine the prime audience. If your book will be marketed to teenagers, your design should be hip and include images that are trendy, but if your book is targeting the senior market, images should conform to ideas and imagery that will appeal to an older, more conservative age group.
Choose a color scheme. Colors and color combinations evoke emotional reactions. Learn about the effects of colors and choose a combination that will evoke a psychological message that is appropriate for your book and your audience.
Choose a font that represents your novel. A horror novel can have a font that looks like dripping blood, while a mystery novel might use an old typewriter font. The title of the book should be large and consume 10 to 15 percent of the cover. Font choice will enhance the title and lead the consumer's eyes to the cover design.
Use the graphic design software to create multiple variations for book cover layouts that incorporate the combination of each component that you have chosen.
Request feedback from a variety of trustworthy friends. Some authors post their cover designs on various web pages or social media sites to obtain feedback from the public. Because the appeal of imagery is subjective, widespread, anonymous feedback from online communities will provide helpful and unbiased advice for improvement.