A self-help book cover should hint at the message tucked within its pages.

A book about relationships might show a couple on the cover, for example. But what about a motivational book about cleaning up life’s messes? How messy should the cover look?

One author took to PickFu to answer this question by testing two covers for a book titled, From Mess to Master: 9 Steps to Overcome Failure, Crush Fear and Defy Your Limits With Inspiring Stories of Successful People.

Some of the most memorable book titles are one word long. Holes. Americanah. Atonement. Beloved. It. But how do you know if your idea for a one-word book title is enough? Test titles of varying lengths on an audience of PickFu respondents, as this author recently did.

The author presented these three titles along with the question, “Which book title is better?”:

• Insignificance (Option A)
• One of Us is Buried (Option B)
• The Factory Above the Jail (Option C)

Can you guess which one won?

If you’ve written a book on a highly specific subject, how do you choose the best cover? Narrowly define your target audience in a PickFu poll.

That’s what one author did for his book about collecting and selling art titled, Own a Fraction, Earn a Fortune: The Complete Guide to Co-Investing in Art and Collectibles.

He selected a target audience of 100 respondents who likely have the means to buy and sell collectible art. These were people between the ages of 25-64 who have a bachelor’s or graduate degree and earn between $61,000-$101,000+.

He posted nearly identical versions of the covers and asked, “Which book cover is better?”

Have you ever wondered if pop culture trends can help you create fantasy book covers that sell? This week’s featured poll might help you decide.

An author recently split-tested two fantasy book covers on PickFu, asking a group of fiction readers, “Based on the cover, which epic fantasy novel would you buy?”

In Option A, a skeleton engulfed in birds towers over a person. In Option B, a giant squid-octopus monster rises out of the sea, facing down what appear to be a man and a woman.

Can you guess which one won?

There are thousands and thousands of murder mystery book titles in the world. If you’re a mystery writer, this can be disheartening. How can your book find a home in that crowd?

The good thing is that people who love reading mysteries will always want more. You just have to make sure your murder mystery book title stands out.

That’s why one author brought two titles to PickFu for a round of split-testing with the simple question, “Which book would you buy?”

Here are the two options:

• A Map for Murder, Option A
• Murder at Packsaddle Mountain, Option B

Can you guess which one won?

It’s tough to pick a book cover that isn’t too similar to its counterparts, too bland, or too busy. That’s why PickFu is an excellent place to take your self-help book covers when your brain can’t handle the back-and-forth about which one is best anymore.

One author recently took to PickFu to decide between two book covers for nonfiction titled, The Way of the Intelligent Rebel: Succeed Outside the System, Teach Yourself Anything and Achieve Ultimate Freedom.

bell hooks. Mark Twain. Pablo Neruda. Maya Angelou. What do these four famous author and poet names have in common?

They’re all names of authors who decided to choose a pen name. Their “real” or original names: Gloria Jean Watkins, Samuel Clemens, Ricardo Eliecer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto, and Marguerite Annie Johnson, respectively.

Authors use pseudonyms for a variety of reasons. Neruda used a pen name to avoid bringing his family shame — they didn’t approve of his poetry.

bell hooks chose a name that honored her great grandmother, Bell Blair Hooks, but styled it in lowercase to shift attention toward her ideas more than her persona.

Whatever the reason, choosing a pen name can be hard.

PickFu can help.

If you’re an author, especially a self-published author in charge of your own suspense book covers, you know the stress of getting the cover just right. Even when you’ve narrowed down your choices, you’re left wondering which one readers will be drawn to. How can you know?

One author recently took two book covers to an audience of 50 e-book readers on PickFu to test this very question.

The covers are nearly identical, except for the color schemes. Option A features a fiery red color next to the woman’s face, while Option B puts the woman’s face and the clouds next to her in black and white.

Can you guess which one won?

No pun intended, but mindfulness books should really make you think. Let’s see what happened when this author took two cover designs for a book about mindfulness to PickFu. Which one piqued the most curiosity?

The author kindly asked 50 people, “Please take a look at the cover art for my book, Mindfulness Evolved: Optimizing the Human Software. It’s about how to transform your brain and life with Mindfulness. Offering personal stories, tools & practices. Pick the cover most appeals to you, why?”

Options A and B feature a similar theme: a black cover with a minimalist neon illustration and neon font.

Option A’s font is purple-blue, whereas Option B’s is orange. The illustrations differ; one features a heart-shaped lightbulb over a cloud, while the other uses a heart and a cloud in the shape of a brain.

Chandrima Das, the author of deliciously frightening stories, recently asked a group of literary fiction readers on PickFu to vote between two horror book covers for her book The Talking Dead: Four Terrifying Tales. Based on True Events.

Option A features a headless man holding a balloon with a hat on it. This creepy image is made spookier by the weirdly fun title font. In Option B, the headless man is gone. In his stead, there’s a blood-red cover with a centered title in a classic font, with deeply creepy skeleton moths hovering around it.

Can you guess which one won?