What Makes a Good Book Cover? Your Guide to Research and Trends

I do judge a book by its cover — and you should too! A high-quality book cover not only looks great, but also communicates its genre and attracts the “right” readers with relevant trends, color schemes, and more.

As a designer, it’s my job to know the hidden connotations of different design elements and stay on top of the latest genre trends. In this post, I’ll tell you what to look out for in your own research and offer my insights into prevalent trends heading into 2026.

But first, let’s talk about where to look for book cover trends and inspiration.

Where to find covers

Since cover design is so genre-specific, focus on analyzing books in your own genre. The more similar these books are to yours in terms of tropes, themes, and tone, the more they should inspire your own design.

Bookstores

Personally, I think mainstream bookstores are a great place to start. You'll have access to a vast range of recently published works, conveniently structured by genre.

If you can’t make it into a physical bookstore, browse online resources designed to serve the same purpose, such as Reedsy’s book cover gallery.

Online retailer pages

However, you also need to conduct more granular research into your specific subgenre(s) — ideally on the platform(s) where you expect to sell most of your copies. The books you find here will be your direct competition, so it’s worth evaluating what seems to work for them — as well as what could help you stand out.

Pro tip: To find bestselling titles in your genre on Amazon, head to the Amazon Best Seller pages for your book’s subcategories.

Books about cover design

Thirdly, I recommend that you check out books (or websites) on cover design. Some of my personal favorites are Chip Kidd’s Book One and Book Two and Book Cover Archive. Not only will you get samples of great covers, but you’ll also gain insights into the design process and the thinking behind a given concept.

Books about design can also be a good way to understand how the covers in certain genres have evolved over time — which can be useful if you want to employ old-school techniques to evoke a retro or nostalgic feeling.

Gather a portfolio of at least 20 comp titles from across these sources (the more, the better). Then, you can start to analyze them and spot patterns. I recommend paying particular attention to the following…

What to look for

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of specific design elements, let’s talk about the big picture.

Communicative intent

Book covers are first and foremost a method of communication with potential readers — telling them what to expect from the book. As such, the communicative intent of a cover is the foundation that sustains the design.

All good book covers should communicate the genre of the book, as well as some (but not all) of the following:

• Plot

• Main character(s)

• Setting

• Themes

• Tropes

• Atmosphere or tone

• Author’s personal brand

• Literary inspiration

Right off the bat, the cover of Alison Espach's The Wedding People tells the reader that the story is set by the sea. The champagne bottle promises partying, but the choppy waves hiding the character’s head hint that maybe they are struggling (metaphorically) to keep their head above water. At the same time, the visual style and typographic choice denote a fun, jovial tone. The reader knows this will be an engaging and entertaining read — but likely with some serious themes, too.

When researching book covers, put yourself in the reader’s shoes: try to figure out as much as you can about the book before reading the blurb or looking it up on Google.

Note: Some covers are practically devoid of intention, simply because they were designed without much thought. Don't feel bad if you're unable to “read” some of these covers — it might not be your fault. (Do take them as a cautionary tale, however!)

Composition

Another big-picture concern is composition. Composition refers to the arrangement and proportions of all elements in the design. Every element needs to have the right size and placement relative to every other one, so that the reader’s attention is drawn to the right areas.

This layout is the formal foundation of the cover. Poor composition can hardly be salvaged by a good image or typography. However, excellent composition will make everything else much easier.

A common mistake that amateur designers make is trying to fill every inch of their book cover. In reality, you’ll find plenty of space on professional covers. On the ones below, the white space helps the main design elements stand out and adds an air of sophistication.

When analyzing the composition of book covers in your research portfolio, jot down the relative sizes of the images and typography, as well as the amount of space.

Now, let’s go into the finer details of cover design.

Imagery

First, look at the imagery used by successful covers in your genre. Answer the following questions:

• Is each cover design led by a stock image, typography, an illustration, or a custom photograph? (I’ll talk more about these elements in the next part of this guide.)

• Are the images literal or abstract?

• What is depicted? (Characters, setting, action, symbols, etc.)

• Can you see characters’ features clearly, or are they obscured?

• What emotions do the images evoke?

Color palette

Speaking of emotions, color has a big impact here as well. Whether readers are conscious of it or not, the colors on a book’s cover send their brain secret messages about the book. That’s why your research into color should extend beyond finding what’s popular in your genre; you should also gain an awareness of color theory.

To start you off, here’s a table explaining what different colors signify in many Western cultures. However, be aware that the symbolism may be completely different in other cultures, so always research the connotations of color in your target market(s).

🎨 Color	✅ Positive connotations	❌ Negative connotations
🔴 Red	Love & passion	Danger & violence
🟠 Orange	Heath & vitality; changing seasons	Volatility; rudeness
🟡 Yellow	Happiness & hope	Deceit & cowardice
🟢 Green	Nature; new beginnings	Jealousy; sickness
🔵 Blue	Calmness; maturity	Sadness
🟣 Purple	Wealth & royalty	Pomposity & arrogance
⚫️ Black	Power; formality; intrigue	Death; darkness
⚪️ White	Purity & virtuosity; marriage	Blankness; emptiness
🟤 Brown	Earth; reliability	Dullness; dirtiness

One more thing: as in other creative fields, it's possible to break the rules when you know them well. Using color in counterintuitive and unexpected ways can be a great decision in the hands of experienced designers. Could the darkest story ever told have a luminous and ethereal cover? It's possible!

Typography

The final design element to scrutinize is typography.

Every typeface conveys something through its very design: elegance, solemnity, fragility… For example, a futuristic, mechanical finish might indicate a science fiction story, whereas a delicate, beautifully crafted sans-serif font suits a romance.

But choosing a typeface with the right connotations is only part of the process. It’s no use selecting the right font and then using it at the wrong size or weight — or failing to respect its line spacing, letter spacing, or relationship to other elements. Inspect the typography of other book covers carefully and try to notice what enhances the form vs. what weakens it.

Then consider how the typography has been used. Has it been placed in a conventional — even conservative — way, with all the information aligned and centered? Or has the designer pushed certain boundaries to offer a groundbreaking or unexpected experience?

All this research should give you a sense of the endless possibilities for your design — as well as any norms that are practically a must for your subgenre.

While it won’t replace your own findings, I thought it would be helpful to present some of my personal observations of book cover design trends going into 2026.

Current trends

Across all genres, I’ve noticed a rise in minimalist designs and large, bold type. Personally, I don’t think this trend will go away any time soon. As readers increasingly shop online, there is an urgent need for covers to remain attention-grabbing in smaller, thumbnail forms. This calls for larger text and simple images that are instantly recognizable at any size. 

But that may not be the only reason minimalist designs are so popular right now. I believe that authors desire to stand out in our world of constant visual overexposure.

In the last year, I’ve also observed some more genre-specific trends. Here are my main findings, illustrated with examples.

Romance

Since there are so many subgenres of romance, it’s common for a romance novel’s cover to portray the main trope used in the novel (think The Hating Game for enemies to lovers and Meet Cute for meet-cute). This deliberate communication ensures that the book finds the right romance readers.

I’ve noticed that a lot of bestselling romance books from the past year feature colorful, literal illustrations on their covers. The colors are bright and flat, meaning there is little use of gradient, and there are usually two figures — the main couple — shown on the cover.

Mystery and thriller

I’ve clocked two main trends in mystery and thriller book covers: cinematic imagery (like something from a movie) and abstract designs. Cover artists often use darker, “urban” color schemes, as well as neon blues and violets.

Horror

The dominant colors in horror books from 2025 are dark and desaturated (i.e., dull). The exception is the typography, which can be quite vivid.

Interestingly, some old design formulas inspired by classic horror covers have made a comeback.

Science fiction and fantasy

Although many science fiction and fantasy covers still portray the characters and story world literally, these genres are not immune to the sweeping trend of abstract and/or minimalist designs. I see a lot of intricate linework, and covers with just two or three shades of color.

Literary fiction

Literary fiction, the original minimalist genre, still largely boasts simple imagery. But don’t be fooled — it’s one of the hardest genres to design for, as successful covers must still strongly evoke what’s inside.

When it comes to color palettes, literary fiction tends to favor serene or muted colors.

Children’s

I’ve seen a lot of variation in children’s book covers in the past year. Most covers are illustrated, but some depict big, stylized, vibrant characters — while others feature muted, minimalist designs. It seems even toddlers cannot escape this trend!

Nonfiction and self-help

Elegant typography paired with minimal imagery lead the way in nonfiction today, as authors try to communicate sincerity and professionalism. I’ve also observed a partial return to a white (or near-white) background. These elements may have become especially popular after the success of Atomic Habits, which also has minimal imagery with an off-white background.

Of course, there are many more trends, and the existing ones are constantly in flux. But hopefully this post has equipped you with the skills to start recognizing trends for yourself.

Indeed, now that you're more aware of intention and purpose in cover design, try to look beyond the surface when you examine a book’s cover. Don’t ignore your first impression, but to learn as much as possible from the design, you'll need to be more analytical. 

If you start doing this, you'll find that your mental “library” of graphic resources grows rapidly, and you'll be able to make increasingly precise and relevant decisions — guided by my next post in this series, How to Design a Book Cover.