You might think you remember what it’s like to be a kid, but when it comes to creating a book cover that appeals to children, you probably shouldn’t depend on your memory. Kids change, tastes change, and you want to stay on edge of what’s eye-catching in the book world.

That’s why one author used a PickFu poll to test book covers for a children’s book. The poll asked its respondents—parents of 1, 2, or 3 children—to decide which one they liked best.

Option A shows a blue background, two girls looking around them, and playful title font.

Option B adds a yellow border and palm fronds, and adjusts the font to something more serious—but still kid-friendly.

Can you guess which one won?

When looking for a new book to read, the first thing a potential reader will notice is the book title. That split second can make the difference between a reader looking further at the book or continuing to browse. So how to choose a book title that’s catchy and interesting? Test your title ideas on PickFu.

In this book title test, an author presented two different book titles and asked 50 respondents which they liked better.

Option A was The Unexpected Picasso, and Option B was Ndugu: The Portrait Painter Who Couldn’t Paint.

Can you guess which book title won?

When readers pick up a book about the end of the world, do they want the cover to hint at the ending? Or is that too much information, taking away the thrill of discovery? The best way to know: testing book covers.

One author used PickFu to create a book cover test for a post-apocalyptic thriller.

Option A shows a woman and man running away from a burning world, with two people in hazmat suits carrying a stretcher in the background.

Option B does away with the man and woman and brings the two people in hazmat suits to the foreground.

Can you guess which one won?

We hear the phrase “sex sells” tossed around quite often in advertising. But does this apply to selling thriller books as well?

A recent PickFu poll helped give us greater insight into how much sexuality to include on the cover of a thriller.

The author asked the test panel which cover for a thriller novel they liked best.

Option A shows a page with different images separated by paper rips. The most eye-catching image is one of a woman lying on a bed, looking at the camera.

Option B shows a semi-transparent silhouette of a woman, whose back is to the camera as she looks out at a beach.

Can you guess which one won?

Readers tend to have certain expectations of what a book cover should look like for a particular genre, whether it be a couple on a romance novel, blood on a murder mystery book, dragons on fantasy fiction, etc. People look for elemental clues on the cover to determine which type of book it is and whether they want to read it.

But what if a novel spans multiple genres? How can the cover capture the interest of readers of each genre?

One author created a PickFu poll to see how a target audience would react to two different covers for a fantasy fiction novel about time travel that also includes an element of romance.