{"id":"1195","date":"2019-01-02T07:00:13","date_gmt":"2019-01-02T15:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickfu.com\/blog\/?p=1195"},"modified":"2019-01-03T14:22:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-03T22:22:00","slug":"connecting-your-book-cover-with-emotions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.pickfu.com\/connecting-your-book-cover-with-emotions\/","title":{"rendered":"Which One Won? Connecting Your Book Cover With Emotions"},"content":{"rendered":"

When designing a book cover, it\u2019s important to consider the emotions that you want your audience to feel. This often determines whether the person buys the book.<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, people buy with their emotions.<\/span><\/p>\n

We saw this connection between emotion and book design in a recent PickFu poll<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two authors recently tested two different covers for a book targeted at cancer patients. The authors targeted a female audience and asked which cover they preferred.<\/span><\/p>\n

Option A shows a painting of a tree with its leaves falling and with a beige background.<\/span>\"Which<\/a><\/p>\n

Option B shows a photograph of a flower with its petals falling and with a white background.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Which<\/a><\/p>\n

As a best practice<\/a>, the text on both cover designs is exactly the same.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you guess which one won?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Out of 50 respondents, 24% preferred Option A and 76% preferred Option B.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brightness & Hope<\/b><\/h3>\n

Almost half of those who preferred Option B used the word <\/span>bright<\/span><\/i> to describe it. And many respondents connected that brightness with hope. Using PickFu’s text filter on the word hope<\/em><\/a>, we find responses like these:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe brighter, vibrant color gives a more hopeful feeling.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201c[The] brighter colors seem to fit better with the message of hope the book seems to want to convey.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cB is brighter, more \u2018hopeful.\u2019 I imagine someone battling cancer would be drawn to hopeful items.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Respondents also connected the bright color scheme with positivity. While 9 respondents who preferred Option B used the word positivity<\/em>, no one used that word when discussing Option A.<\/span><\/p>\n

Poll participants made a strong connection to what the book cover looked like to what they felt readers wanted to feel <\/span>after<\/span><\/i> reading the book. In other words, the book gave them the emotional answers they sought.<\/span><\/p>\n

Considering Emotions<\/b><\/h3>\n

These responses help show how viewers connect cover components with emotions. Respondents weren\u2019t drawn to the design that showed what the reader might be feeling in that moment. Instead, they preferred the cover that showed what the reader might <\/span>want<\/span><\/i> to be feeling. In this case, a cancer patient may want to feel a sense of hope, rather than sadness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Questions to Ask<\/h4>\n

When designing your own book cover, here are some helpful questions to ask to make sure your cover aligns with your readers’ emotions:<\/span><\/p>\n