I'm a Graphic Design major and enjoy making covers just for fun.
See my art: [princessstarshimmer.deviantart.com]

Alot of what covers are ment for is to attract the readers attention. Part of it is the title, another part is the photo, art or illustration. For the title text, tracking and kerning (letter spacing) is important, and type contrast plays a key role. For the art, the colors scemes are important. Lots of cover designer hire a photographer and model for a photo shoot, or use stock photography. Before a cover is created, they have to brain storm, come up with a number of concepts, and show their ideas to maketing/the publisher...and sometimes the author (but they don't always get a say). Covers are essentially packaging even though the readers like to keep the covers/book jackets.

Ever notice how many YA books have girls in dresses on the cover? Di For Me, Hereafter, Fallen..ect. Or faces? That's because it attracts the reader. And girls like pretty things, like dresses. Really, I love some of those dresses I see on book covers.

Lately, printing has become very important to. Theirs the cheap or enviromentally friendly way of printing, or the flashy exciting way.
Have you ever seen/felt any YA books like this?
Metallic
Holographic/rainbowy
Glittery
Textured
Velvety
Crumply
Shiney
Glossy
Matte

Some great example of special paper stock:

Nightshade series, and Hush, Hush series: Gittery/textured plastic-on-paper stock
Fallen series, Hourglass series, Beautiful Creatures series: Velvet textured coating
Starcrossed series: Rainbow holigraphic stock
Hereafter, Divergent, Eve, Angelfire: plastic semi-metallic coated
Unearthly: Metallic stock

Nextime you buy a book, appriciate the cover!

This is such an informative and interesting post!! Care to share some of your favorite and least favorite covers?

This is really cool! Do you know what kind of cover stock is used when you get that soft feel? For example, I own FALLEN by Lauren Kate and it just feels softer than my other books, same with Julianna Baggott.

I have not seen any glittery covers, but I did like the Across the Universe one how it was reversable. That was a nice, pleasant surprise!

I also have to say that I appreciate it when the type on a cover is raised. It gives the cover a more tactile, feel. I'm a spine stroker, so a little raised edges is something I can totally get behind!

EpicGirl: My fav covers? Unearthly, Hush, Hush, Divergent, Halo, Incarnate, Under The Sky. There's a long list of favorite covers for me. When I look at them, I feel like a kid in a candy story. I love bright covers and creative typeography and beautiful photography.

DarkRaven: The Fallen novels have a special plastic cover/coating that imitates a velvety feeling. It's also called "Velvet Coated Stock"

I just felt like showing off some of the covers I've designed. (for fun, not for real!)
gallery here: [princessstarshimmer.deviantart.com]
Some examples
For the stories I'm working on:





For contests (Unrequired Reading)



For a deviantART contest:

For Figment/Inkpop users:

I love that you're showing the design of these book covers. I'm a web designer and it may be different from designing in print, but essentially it's the same purpose. One of my ultimate favourite book covers has to be Entwined by Heather Dixon. SO feminine. I love it! It's gorgeous in person. They use a metallic coating for the flowers and leaves surrounding it.

Hello,
I love this design.And Thanks to share with us.