Now that I think about it, this should have been on top of the list. But well... What's written now can't be changed, right?

Unappealing Covers might mean a lot of things so let me clear it all up one by one for you.

Covers are a big part of what your story is about. It is the first glimpse the reader will get of your book.

And as you have heard a lot; the first impression is always the last impression. 

Keep in mind that there are millions of stories on Wattpad and the cover is your chance to capture the reader's interest at first glance.

Have you noticed that when you type a few basic keywords, thousands of stories turn up that revolve around the same plot line. So what is it which makes you choose one story out of the list of Ks of stories?

The Cover.

Now we will start looking at the basics of cover making and the role a cover plays in the conveyance of your story, but first I will state the facts which make a cover a bad one.

Covers which are Overlooked:

1. The color scheme is too dull and the reader can't make out what your cover depicts.

2. Too many objects cluttered up in a small space.

3. Extra flashy title.

4. Giant font for the text.

5. Just a simple picture of a celebrity or face claim you are using without any heading or text on it.

Making a cover stand out:

1. First and foremost, pay attention to the Title. Labeling your story simply as Damon's Daughter or Klaus's Love Interest is not going to make it appealing.

[Tip: Include an important aspect from the story as the title. For example, consider a story on Damon's daughter. Suppose the daughter was conceived in Augustine with a fellow female prisoner as a result of some ghastly experiments performed by Dr Whitmore. Keep in mind that the female can NOT be a Vampire, Vampires don't procreate. 

So what's going to be the title? Make sure to include Augustine since that's basically the main point of the story.

The title can be...

The Augustine Experiment

The Unwanted Hybrid

The Rose That Bloomed In Augustine: This is actually a book written by Viola130831

Or you can trust your imagination and look up interesting words or adjectives that collaborate with the story].

2. Since we have already discussed the Title, let's pay some attention to its font. A font in which the title is written must collaborate with the story as well.

[Take the Harry Potter books for instance. The lightning bolt at the P of the Potter indicates the shape of Harry's scar. It is not necessary for you to take care of signifying fonts, but if you do, it does make the cover interesting].

3. The Layout. You have to be very careful in choosing the layout. Too many things in a 512 x 800 pixel picture will not produce the desired effect on readers. It will seem overcrowded and no one will be able to get a hang of what's going on.

4. Keep it simple. By simple I do not mean just one picture, no, you can use layers if you want but make sure all of it is not cramped. At the end of the chapter I will post a few covers which I have made and maybe taking a look at them will be able to clear things more for you.

[Tip: Consider the Twilight book covers. Personally I am not a big fan of Twilight but still the book covers are nice. You have one solid background and a vibrant foreground and a text which stands out].

5. If you are into editing and want a cover with layers I personally recommend using PicsArt and Adobe Photoshop. Both apps are easy to use and provide best results in an extremely short time and effort.

6. For giving your book a realistic cover, that is a cover which looks quite professional, you can try out www.canva.com. It is a designing site which offers multiple layouts and themes. You can create Wattpad book covers easily on it because it has the correct size as well as a lot of different simple yet artistic themes to choose from. I nearly always use Canva for book covers.

Examples you can consider:

This is a simple book cover and has the main elements which a captivating cover should have.

1. Simple Background

2. Contrasting yet cool colors. (By cool I mean light, that is colors which do not have a hard impact on the eyes).

3. A short subtitle or subtext whatever it is called.

4. Slight blending of colors.

Note that the bars on top and bottom holding a sentence and the authors are kept close to the most vibrant color in the photograph which is the girl's dress.

Consider another one.

Again, the cover is simple. 

1. Has a solid yet cool background (light pastels are sometimes the most preferred color combinations for backgrounds of a light-hearted story). 

2. Background blends a little white white giving the effect of luminescence. The text color is white and grey. White for it to stand out and grey for it to match the ribbon on Taylor's dress.

I do have a lot of cover examples though, so I guess for now this will be the last. If you want a cover from me, all you have to do is PM me.

As the above covers have generally been light and bright, I decided to include one that is of a darker concept. This cover is of a book based on the Evil Queen from Snow White and that is exactly why you can see the apple in the picture.

1. The background according to the theme of the book (Dark Fantasy) is kept black. There isn't any blending of color in the background to give a more sleek yet dark effect.

2. The foreground is bright and the most vibrant color in it is red of the apple and of the woman's nails. It gives a feeling of forbearance and horror or something along those lines.

3. The text is kept white to match the chalky pale skin and red to match the apple. (I believe you might have noticed by now that the color of the text mostly depends on the foreground).

***

And that is all for today. If this chapter helped you, then I'm glad to be of some help. If not or if you have any good ideas or tips to share, feel free to comment. 

And if you want to request a cover (I would be honored, mind you), then simply PM me on this account and include the title of the story, what genre is it from (it's a bonus if its published because then I will be able to get more insight on what the cover should be like), anything special you want to be done on it etc and simply hit send. I will try to make your cover as soon as I can and upload it on my Covers Express book which I will publish after I get requests to work onto.

Good luck and stay tuned for the next chapter.