5 Gorgeous Book Covers To Learn From
How to catch your readers’ eye and put your book’s best page forward!
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I’ve been designing book covers since I discovered Canva back in 2016. After a year or two of document and graphic design classes, I was able to better understand what makes a book cover a singular work of art.
There are many different design elements that go into book cover design. From font and color to subject and style, book covers can evoke many different feelings and impressions depending on how those elements are used.
So, I’ve picked out 5(ish) gorgeous or simple book covers to try and show you how to take lessons from — and implement into your own designs — professional cover design elements!
Bold and Striking — Priory of the Orange Tree & A Day of Fallen Night
Probably one of the most striking and beautiful covers to grace the shelves in the last five years was The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. I adore this cover, and — although I didn’t love the book like many people did — I proudly display it on my shelf for its beauty alone.
Now, its new prequel, A Day of Fallen Night, has been revealed. Fans of Priory have been pleasantly surprised by the new cover, and it has been the talk of many a Bookstagram and BookTok account.
But with such an amazing first design, it is only natural that a book in the same universe will be equally beautiful.
What Can We Learn From These Covers?
Priory and its prequel are perfect examples of how an illustration and vivid color can steal the entire show from the title, the author's name, and even the book's contents.
Notice how the title’s font changes in size to shrink those filler words (of, the, a, etc.) and emphasize the buzzwords (Priory, Orange Tree, Day, Fallen Night).
Notice also how they contrast color, clashing orange/gold, and blue/teal. Accent colors like a purple mauve or vivid pink on the edges of each cover only emphasize the rest, pulling it all together into a single work of art.
