Quick Guide: Cover Design – First Edition

First Edition

For your first edition, your Cognella graphic designer will develop a complete cover concept, drawing from the ideas, feedback, and preferences you shared with them in response to your preliminary edition design, through the completion of the Cognella Marketing Questionnaire, or from other communication touchpoints.

Your fully designed first edition cover may include image composition and editing, illustrations, multiple image layouts, a mix of text and images, and complex typography. Your designer will share two cover concept designs, which may vary in color, image, layout, and typography and be very distinct from one another. You will have the opportunity to participate in three rounds of revision with your cover designer to incorporate additional suggestions and feedback at this stage.

If your book description and author biography have been finalized before your graphic designer creates your first edition cover proofs, the proofs will include these elements on the back cover. If the book description and author biography has not been finalized, the designer will share the cover design concepts that use placeholder text, and your promotional copy and author biography will be added when finalized. Once your designer has added those elements to the back cover, they’ll share the updated proof with you as a reference.

It will be very important that you work with your marketing specialist to ensure that your book’s title, promotional copy, biographical statement, and the display of your name on the cover are as complete and final as possible, as it may not be possible to accommodate additional requests for changes once the text has been placed on the cover.

Below are examples of first edition cover proofs.

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