My first children’s book, Benny’s Angel, made it through copy editing, conceptual editing and illustration. During the month of June it moved to the cover design phase. Last week I chose from several potential cover layouts. I evaluated each design based on its appeal to potential buyers, both children and parents. Which design will make them want to pick Benny’s Angel in preference to another children’s book sitting next to it on the bookstore shelf?
In addition to the appeal of the cover illustration, factors that could influence their choice are color combinations, font design, font size, and the balance of all the elements together. Primarily, I put myself in a child’s mindset and tried to figure out which cover would most engage his imagination so that he would want to open up Benny’s Angel and read it.
After a lot of evaluation, I chose a design that needs just a little tweaking to match my vision. The same department that did the cover design also did a great layout of the text and illustrations and sent it for my approval. I assessed it for text breaks, flow of the story with the illustrations, and readability of the font. Once the cover design is complete, a galley proof of Benny’s Angel will be sent to me for a final edit. If there are no corrections, the book will go to print. Stay tuned for the next chapter in the journey to publication of Benny’s Angel.
~ Laura Allen Nonemaker
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