Make your front cover stand out. Use a clean background with little details but with one unifying theme. And make it reflect the book. For example: "A Thousand Splendid Suns" uses a yellow background for the sun and a woman walking in an orange wrap.
Avoid clutter. Do not superimpose three or four images on top of each other. Instead, look for harmony and use a powerful image that will reflect the theme of your book. Creating a book cover design is very much like designing a home interior. Ask yourself: Is your book cover professional enough to fit in your home decor? For example: "The Interrogative Mood" shows a man struggling with a question mark.
Use contrasts. Colors and elements that contrast are important because they will look clean and will grab the eye. Black over white is always in contrast, as are other color combinations. For example: "Twilight" shows the picture of a person's hands holding a bright red apple upon a black background.
Do a search on Google to find which words are commonly searched on your topic. Type the topic of your book as accurately as you can and see what pops up. Use these words in your title and subtitle. Marketing-wise, this is an important step because it will make your book available to more people.
Use a font that adds an emotional impact to the cover and reflects the mood of the book. Imagine this book cover on your business cards, your advertisement postcards, and on a website. Can you live with this design? Are you proud of it? Is the font aggressive, a strain on the eyes or does it strike you as a reflection of the book? For example: The "Harry Potter" font looks like lightning and crooked wands. This font invites the reader into the magic world of the book. At the same time, it warns the reader about the coming adventures.
Make your front cover easy to read. Your book title should use only a few words. The more succinct you are, the easier it is to remember the title of your book. Chose two to five words that clash with each other, set a mood, surprise or make your reader smile.
For example: "The Complete IDIOT'S Guide to ..."
Use a subhead to give more information about the content of your book. Subheads should narrow down a topic or give specific information about the subject, enough to inform the reader and intrigue him. For example: "What To Do When You Become The BOSS -- How new managers become successful managers"
Mention any forward on the front cover. Give credibility to your work by letting your reader know your book has been approved by a famous person. Not only write "Forward by Reiki Master Mister X," but also highlight it in a different color or with a golden design underneath. Mention it if your book has been the object of a special interest such "Featured on Oprah," "Award Winner of ..." or "As seen on TV."
For example: "The DEVIL Wears PRADA -- NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE starring MERYL STREEP and ANNE HATHAWAY." Note how the important words have been rendered in upper case and how the actors are put into a blue bubble as big as the title.
Use a spine that has your name on it and the title of the book because books are shelved with just their spines showing. If you cannot read the spine from a few feet away, forget about it. Get a cover with an inside flap instead of the regular flat cover. Your reader will read the inside flap after inspecting the spine, the front cover and the back cover. Put your credentials on the flap cover as well as a significant excerpt from your book.
Make sure the back of the book is legible from a distance and use strong words in order to grab your reader. Some readers pay attention only to the back of the book or choose a book by scanning a shelf, so your book needs to be attention grabbing. Make sure the front cover is eye-catching even when reduced to thumbnail size. If your book does not show well on an Amazon thumbnail, then it will probably sell less easily.
Keep your blurbs short and relevant. Advertisement spots are between five to 11 words for a reason. Imagine your book displayed on a highway advertisement panel. What would you like to see? Use cute blurbs. Cute blurbs enchant and leave the reader wanting more. For example: In "The Game We Play," the blurb says: The prize: His two kidnapped children. The rules: Trust no one, betray anyone, win at whatever the cost. His pawns: His lover and his best friend. His opponent: The most dangerous cat burglar in history. The game: A game of betrayal, THE GAME WE PLAY.
After you have designed your cover, play with dimensions. Shrink the cover and see if you can still read the title. Does the image still standout? Amazon has little thumbnails that would blur the cover of a book that has too many details on it.
For example:"Immortal Image" shows the image of a vampire appearing in flames. When shrunk the book cover looks all orange, and the title disappears into the background.
Print out the cover on a laser printer because the image on the computer might look different from the printed image and you will be able to see more details. Show your cover to as many people as possible to see their reactions and get some critical feedback.
Look at your book cover when done, and ask yourself: Does your book cover tell the reader about the genre of the book, the theme and the atmosphere of the book? Your book cover should inspire the reader and offer as much information as possible in the minimum amount of space. And don't forget to check spelling.