{"id":"1271","date":"2019-01-16T07:00:19","date_gmt":"2019-01-16T15:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickfu.com\/blog\/?p=1271"},"modified":"2019-01-03T14:21:42","modified_gmt":"2019-01-03T22:21:42","slug":"which-one-won-the-right-level-of-mystery-for-a-book-cover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.pickfu.com\/which-one-won-the-right-level-of-mystery-for-a-book-cover\/","title":{"rendered":"Which One Won? The Right Level of Mystery for a Book Cover"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Designing a mystery cover can be tricky. You want to capture the mystery of your book without giving the reader too much<\/em> information.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, you want a mystery book to appear… mysterious.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is, if you make a cover too <\/em>mysterious, you can stump readers. With few clues on what a book is about, an individual can have little enthusiasm to buy the book.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We observed this phenomenon in a recent PickFu poll<\/a>. A novelist asked the panel which book cover they preferred and provided two different options.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Option A shows an island surrounded by water, backdropped by an eerie grey fog. The author’s name and book title are in grey, black, and white fonts.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Which<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Option B shows the back of a man who is looking out at a lake as it is raining. The author’s name and book title are in blue, white, and red fonts, along with an accolade, \u201cWall Street Journal<\/em> Best Selling Author.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Which<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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

Option B dominated the polls, earning a score of 80, whereas Option A only earned a score of 20. These scores were consistent regardless of age range or gender.
<\/p>\n\n\n

Give a Personal Touch<\/h3>\n\n\n

Many test panel participants stated that they felt drawn to Option B because it had a person on the cover. One person noted that it gave the cover \u201ca human connection.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another stated, \u201cI prefer B since it has a person on the cover. I\u2019d imagine that\u2019s Jack Stratton and draws me more into wanting to read the book.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poll respondents also noted that the man looked mysterious, mostly because his back is to the camera. We\u2019ve seen this before<\/a> with poll results for book covers. People feel that book covers that don\u2019t show the entire face are more mysterious and draw them into wanting to read the book.<\/p>\n\n\n

Show (A Little) of the Story<\/h3>\n\n\n

The inclusion of the man also provided panel participants with enough information to know that this must be a mystery novel. One respondent writes:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe cover with the person on it immediately gives the reader clues about the book. You know there is a male character and you know there is a mystery or suspense involved–not simply because it\u2019s a detective novel, but because of the use of rain and light. The cover I did not choose, Cover A, is undistinguished, visually \u2018blah,\u2019 and offers no clues about the content of the book.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This respondent took in visual clues from the cover in order to conclude what the novel could be about. Other respondents made similar observations, making comments such as:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChoice B gives the best impression of the story and the genre overall. I like the image of the man overlooking the water. This type of cover fits very well with the style of book.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And another writes,  \u201cIt gives me more of a hint as to what the book is about.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word hint<\/em> is key here. The author included just enough detail on the cover to give readers a sense of what the book is about, while still maintaining a level of mystery and intrigue.
<\/p>\n\n\n

Your Takeaway<\/h3>\n\n\n

As you create a book cover for a mystery novel, considering adding elements that tell a part of your story. When including individuals, try not to reveal their faces so that you can maintain a level of mystery.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have a few designs prepared, conduct a split test <\/a>by creating a PickFu poll<\/a> to see which option your target audience prefers.
<\/p>\n","protected":""},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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