Read the cookbook recipes and look at the pictures that accompany them. This will help you get a good feel for the theme and style of the cookbook. For example, if the cookbook deals with desserts, you should think about putting a dessert on the cover as opposed to a main course. By reading and inspecting the book, you can get a feel for what type of images would work for the cover.
Use the signature dish. Find the one dish that defines the chef or culture and have it shot by a professional food photographer (see Resources). For example, if the chef is famed for making a mushroom and Parmesan risotto, get the chef to cook it and present it for photography. If you telling the chef that the dish is being used for the cover, he will make it as presentable and beautiful as possible.
Photograph a variety of dishes. Instead of using just one signature dish, try a montage of several. For example, you might consider placing a starter dish, main course and dessert on the cover. Not only will this inform readers of what the cookbook offers, but it makes the variety of the recipes obvious to the buyer.
Visit a picture-sharing website or a freelance photographer's web page. This is ideal if you can't take or create your own cover photo. Flickr and PhotoBucket (see Resources) are great examples of websites that allow you to publish user-generated images if you have written permission. Contact the photographer and confirm whether she wants a photo credit or payment.
Use a word processing program to experiment with text fonts. Programs such as Microsoft Word allow you to write content and preview the words in various styles and sizes. Open the program and write a test paragraph; then click on "Format" on the toolbar and click the "Font" option. From here you can experiment with color, style and effects to use on your cookbook cover text.
Visit a cover design website (see Resources). Sites such Morris Press Cookbooks specialize in producing made-to-print covers for cookbooks. The company allows you to upload your images and then it produces the text, font and copy for your cookbook cover. Cookbook Publishers Inc. offers a similar service.
Invest in a designer to complete the text of your cover. You can find a designer by looking in local business listings. Designers can help you select a text font and style and then print the words onto your existing image.