Make sure your cover design is on the right track with this book cover design review checklist.

1. COVERS THAT CONNECT
Cover Design Quick Review Checklist
COVER TITLE:_______________________________________________________________________________________________
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
1) At first glance does this book appear to be fiction or non-fiction? q Fiction q Non-fiction
2) Do you think the overall cover design and its message fits the genre? q Yes q No
3) Does the book have a clear selling point or impulse for purchase? q Yes q No
4) Is the overall impression attractive, do you want to learn more about the book? q Yes q No
DESIGN QUALITY AND APPEARANCE:
1) Does the type design and/or any images set the correct tone for the subject? q Yes q No
2) Is the type design and any image reproduced at professional publishing quality:
high resolution, with sharp edges and text that is not blurry or pixillated? q Yes q No
3) Are the colors used right for the subject matter and genre? q Yes q No
4) Does the design give you a sense of what the book is about? q Yes q No
TYPOGRAPHY AND LAYOUT:
1) Is title readable from a reasonable distance: reduces well for marketing/online? q Yes q No
2) Does the font and type treatment fit the book’s genre and target market? q Yes q No
3) Does the type treatment (font & color choice) complement the design? q Yes q No
SALES/PROMOTION:
1) Does this cover design convert well to online and ebook formats? q Yes q No
2) Is the design ready to adjust for award placement or new endorsements? q Yes q No

2. COVERS THAT CONNECT
Cover Design Review: Page 1
COVER TITLE:_______________________________________________________________________________________________
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
1) Who do you think the main target market is for this book?____________________________________
2) Do you think the overall cover design and its message fit the genre and target market well?
If not, why and how can that be improved?___________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
3) What is the overall selling point, or impulse to purchase? Is it effective? If not, why and how
can this be improved?________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
DESIGN QUALITY AND APPEARANCE:
1) Do type design, color choice, and any image(s) set the correct tone for the subject?
If not, why and how can this be improved?____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
2) Is the type design and any image reproduced at professional publishing quality? If not, how can
this be improved?____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
3) Does the design give you a sense of what the book is about? If not, how can this be improved?_
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Please turn over for page 2

3. TYPOGRAPHY AND LAYOUT:
1) Is the title readable from a reasonable distance: reduces well for marketing/online/ebook
conversion? If not, how can this be improved? ________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
2) Does the type treatment (font & color choice) complement the design and fit the book’s genre
and target market? If not, how can this be improved? _________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
SALES/PROMOTION:
1) Are there any aspects of this cover that do not reduce well? Is it ready for expansion, award
placement, or new endorsements? If not, how can this be improved?________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Please note any additional suggestions or ideas for cover design improvement:
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Please connect and share your cover design improvements and ask us any follow-up questions.
Thank you for attending our workshop. We hope you learned a great deal about book cover design
and had some fun along the way. Best wishes to you and to the success of your books!
Cover Design Review: Page 2
Jeniffer Thompson
Monkey C Media
619-955-8286
j@monkeycmedia.com
www.jenifferthompson.com
www.monkeycmedia.com
Shannon Bodie
BookWise Design
Owner and art director
503-542-3551 mobile
Shannon@BookWiseDesign.com
BookWiseDesign.com