Cover of the book “Creer es crear” by René Ávila

The project

The cover is the first impression a reader receives: it is the visual reflection of the universe inside the book. For “Creer es crear”, by René Ávila, we looked for an image that would connect immediately with the idea of the book and with its audience.

The jacket combines a photo montage of a hand holding a basketball with the texture of planet Earth, over a smoky background with the silhouette of a hoop, and a large capital-letter title, “Creer es crear”, with the subtitle “Tu lanzamiento ganador es creer” (“Your winning shot is believing”). The author's name appears at the bottom, with a small symbol. We also designed the back cover, for the hardback format.

The challenge

To sum up a message of self-improvement —believing in yourself as the starting point— in a single image without resorting to clichés, and to make the title read strongly even as a thumbnail, as in online stores.

What we did

• Cover concept. A clear visual metaphor —the world as a ball in the hand— that joins sport with the idea of creating your own reality.
• Professional typographic composition. A capital-letter title in a forceful weight, a light subtitle and a discreet author name, with a hierarchy that reads at first glance.
• Back cover design. Space for the synopsis, reviews and book details, in the same visual line as the front cover.
• Jacket for a hardback. Jacket, spine and flap dimensions adapted to the hardback format and to the printing specifications.
• Files for the printer and for online stores. A print version and a thumbnail version optimised for sales websites.

What a good book cover needs

An effective cover does three things: it communicates genre and tone in a second, it reads well at small size and it stands out from the books around it. Covers with a single central element and powerful typography usually work better in online stores, where the book is seen at the size of a stamp.

In addition, the cover has to be thought out together with the back cover and the spine, and adapted to the format: a hardback is not the same as a paperback, nor a printed book as an e-book. If you need to design a jacket, see our graphic design and branding service. If you also want to print it, see Impresión Iverso, a printing service with no minimum run.

How we approach a project like this

1. Reading and message of the book

   We talk with the author about the genre, tone, audience and ideas the jacket must convey.

2. Concept and sketches

   We propose one or several visual concepts and validate them with you.

3. Jacket layout

   We design front cover, spine and back cover with the dimensions of the chosen format.

4. Final files

   We deliver files for the printer and for online stores.

What we delivered

A complete jacket ready for the printer, with front cover, spine and back cover.

Who is this type of project for?

• Authors who self-publish and need a professional jacket.
• Small publishers that outsource jacket design.
• Writers who want an image consistent with their personal brand.