How to Write a Design Brief for Your Book Cover

Image Source: (Med Badr Chemmaoui / Unsplash)

Hiring a designer to create your book cover is a great way to get a professional cover that appeals to readers. But how do you communicate your ideas to the designer? One way is to create a design brief, which helps you lay out all of your ideas in a way that is easy for a designer to start from. 

You want to include all of the basics about your book—the title, your name, trim size, the formats (paperback, ebook, etc.), genre, and a synopsis. The trim size is the size your book will be, and is often determined by genre and whether you want a paperback or hardback book. If you aren't sure what trim size to choose look at other books in your genre. Pick books that have been published less than two years ago to make sure you are looking at the current market as size preferences can change over time. For example, general fiction's standard trim size is 6"x9" but thrillers are usually 5.25"x8".

Your cover designer might read your book, but more likely they will read just enough to get a feel for your writing style. So make sure to tell the designer the main and secondary themes of the book. You should focus on the themes you want to influence the cover rather than listing every possible theme.

Include any visual elements you want on your cover—if your story is about a forest, then mention that. Be clear about what you want and don't want. 

List any colors or color palettes you like—if you want it to have an earthy vibe mention that. You can include multiple options if you aren't set on one. This is an amazing color library that can be super helpful. 

Include genre-specific details like type of font (serif, sans-serif, script), photographs or illustration, tone, and if it should be more focused on images or the typography. 

Include examples of covers that you like and that you don't like. Including what you don't want can be very helpful for the designer. Then make sure to include any other thoughts you have that don't fit into a category. I’ve made a template for you in google docs—click here to save your own copy!

Here is a quick checklist of what to include in your design brief:

• Book title

• Author name

• Trim size

• Formats

• Genre (and subgenre)

• Synopsis

• Main and secondary themes

• Visual elements

• Color palette ideas 

• Genre details

  • Type of font

  • Photograph or illustrated

  • Image or typography focused

  • tone

• Examples of covers

• And any other notes