What would you say is the most important thing to consider when painting book covers?
Answer:
Think beyond the point-of-sale function of the image.
Sure, it's important to get the potential reader to pick up a copy in the bookstore or to click on the image online. That's the main concern of the publisher, the art director, and the sales force when they think about your cover. Of course it should stand out from the competition and it should accurately convey the spirit, style, and type of the book.
But that's just the start of how the reader will relate to the image. The cover image also has to offer something to the reader while they're reading the book and after they've finished it.
In other words, it has to be a poster that invites them into the adventure, and it must sum up the experience of the book after they've read it.
Plus, it's important to keep in mind that the image will live entirely independently of the book, as you share it without the type on social media and in your portfolio.
For example, I wanted the painting for Glory Lane to present the odd situation of some American kids encountering a whole planet full of aliens far weirder than they are. The image is loaded with details that go beyond that moment in the book, making it fun for the reader to explore later.
You obviously don't want to give away the story, but it's essential to communicate the genre, the main characters, and at least one provocative situation.
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