Table of Contents
Explore Blogs
Trending on Ebook
Depth and Dimension: How 3D Book Covers Make Your Book Stand Out
Michael Adams
There is something that Ingrid Weir said, and well, honestly, I support it. She said, “Why would they have book covers if we weren’t supposed to judge the book by them? It makes no sense.” That’s precisely my point! Since many people dislike reading and often skim through content, they often miss out on comprehension. So, what’s left to grab their attention? The book cover.
Always remember that a book cover is basically a snapshot that conveys the genre, tone, and sometimes even the author’s style. This allows readers to quickly assess whether a book might appeal to them.
Since 57% of Americans choose to buy or read a book just because of its cover, don’t you think writers should pay attention to book covers? If everyone is trying hard to create a good cover, what different can you do to attract attention?
The answer is 3D book covers!
Yes, leave behind boring and flat covers. Try new 3D covers that are catchy and add depth and dimension to your book. If it’s something new for you – don’t worry!
I am here to clear up your confusion and provide you with information about how stunning 3D covers designed by premium custom book design services can positively impact your book and its marketability.
Key Takeaways
- 3D book covers are more likely to attract potential readers in this competitive market.
- You can use these book covers across various marketing platforms. For example, social media, websites, and promotional materials.
- Thematic elements, layering, and realistic textures are some of the aspects that must be taken care of when designing a 3D book cover.
- Overwhelming elements, too much cluttered, and poor branding are some of the common mistakes that people make when designing book covers. Read about these mistakes so you can avoid them.
- Is a 3D book cover a perfect solution? Well, No! I have listed down some of its drawbacks to give you all a clear picture
- Designing a 3D cover is easy. You can either hire the best book design services or simply use online tools and software.
- Canva, Box Shot, and Adobe Express are some of the tools you can use to make DIY covers.
- I’ve also provided a step-by-step guide that will help you make a 3D cover online without any hassle.
- While online tools are great, you can also hire experts because they have experience and high-quality tools and always deliver exceptional results.
Visuals of 3D Book Covers and Its Power in Book Marketing
With people with lower attention spans, it has become important to connect people and readers through visual content. Today, readers have access to mass communication devices —smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops- and they can read books on them as well.
This widespread access means that visual content can reach audiences almost anywhere, making it a critical component of marketing strategies. An interactive 3D book cover can express the main idea of a book better than just words. Readers are usually attracted to covers that spark their curiosity or give a hint about the story inside.
Why 3D Book Covers Stands Out?
Visual Impact
3D book ideas create a visual effect that makes the cover look like it has depth. This can grab the attention of readers and make them want to pick up the book.
For instance, a cover with a character that looks like it’s jumping off the page can spark curiosity and interest.
It Impacts Storytelling
A well-designed 3D book cover can encapsulate the book’s essence. For example, if you are designing a cover for a thriller story, then you can use shadowy, jagged designs. Why? Because it lets people see and feel suspense.
By visually representing the themes and mood of the book through 3D visuals, authors can communicate more effectively with their audience.
Interactivity and Engagement
Now, let’s talk about eBooks. While yes, having a 3D hardcover is absolutely amazing when it comes to eBooks – things that are even more interesting. As an author, you can experiment with animated 3D covers that can respond to user interactions.
These interesting covers can make reading more enjoyable by giving hints about the story or adding extra information. For instance, a hover effect that shows quotes or pictures connected to the story can help readers feel more engaged before they start reading the book.
Easy, Quick, Attractive Promotion
Books with 3D pictures or covers can be used in marketing materials like social media posts, websites, and ads (like on Amazon) to make a strong impression and attract attention to your book. A shiny book cover design makes wants people to click and learn more.
Ideas for 3D Book Cover Designs
Whether you’re creating a design yourself or using affordable book design services, there are some key ideas you should consider. There are many options available, but there are a few important aspects you should ask professionals to include.
Thematic Elements
Thematic elements are important!
Why? Why can’t I just simply write my title on a black cover and publish it?
Well, you can – nobody would stop you. But that’s if you are writing a poetry collection or a memoir. But if you are writing fantasy, fiction, rom-com, thriller, or dystopian novels, then you need visual elements that would hook your readers.
Thematic elements refer to imagery that hints at the book’s theme or evokes powerful emotion and makes people curious. Not adding these can make your 3D book cover design fall flat.
Dynamic Typography
Writing your title or your name in simple Times New Roman is not going to work! When designing 3d covers, you must understand that you need to play and experiment with different font styles and placements to create a sense of motion.
Here are a few things that you must take care of when using dynamic typography:
Limit Font Variety: Use just two or three different fonts to keep things looking clean. Using too many fonts can make things look messy.
Establish a Clear Hierarchy: Make the title, subtitle, and author’s name stand out by using different font sizes. The title should be the biggest, and the subtitles and the author’s name should be smaller.
Experiment with Placement: When it comes to the placement of the text, it matters a lot. You cannot simply put it straight and expect it to attract people.
No, it does not work like that.
For 3D book covers, I advise using unusual positions for text, like placing it at an angle or in a curve. This will make your design more attractive and livelier and will add energy to it. You can also place the text off-center to distort balance and create visual tension.
Yeah, I know that having balance in book covers is important to establish visual harmony and prevent elements from overwhelming, but for 3D covers, you can experiment with symmetry to add the 3Ds to your book cover – depth, dimension, and dynamism.
Realistic Textures
To add depth, richness, and tactile feel to the cover, it is important to add textures to your 3D book cover.
Hmm, but how are you supposed to do that?
Easy! Use materials like leather, fabric, and other textures to create a book cover that is so visually appealing and intriguing that readers immediately pick up the book.
Layering and Depth
When we think about 3D, our mind immediately goes to something that looks like it’s jumping right off the screen, right? Ever wondered how is this feeling and visual achieved?
Yes, so when designing the 3D cover, the best book design services play around by layering different text elements or combining them with images. This is to add depth and dimensionality to the cover. The process of layering basically helps generate visual tension and makes it feel like every element on the cover is interacting with another. This results in a book cover that is engaging and provides a unique visual experience to readers.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Designing 3D Book Covers
Designing a 3D book cover can be exciting. This excitement can lead you to put so many things/elements on the book cover that should not be there. This is why we have listed down key mistakes that you must avoid when designing the 3D cover.
Over-complication
There is a fine line between creating strategic visual tension and cluttering the book cover. Remember, the visual tension that you create still has to maintain a sense of harmony and coherence.
This is why when it comes to selecting the elements you are planning to put on the cover, make sure you choose wisely. Leaving your readers overwhelmed by too many details can be a major drawback. Focus on the key elements that represent the story and allow the design to breathe.
Inconsistent Branding
The cover design should match the book’s genre and the author’s style. For instance, a playful fairy cover with colors like pink and blue would not suit a dark fantasy book well. This can confuse readers.
Keeping the fonts, colors, and images consistent helps the cover connect with the book’s content and its intended audience.
Neglecting Target Audience
Even when the best book cover design services are making covers, they do it while keeping their target audience in mind.
Knowing who your audience is is really important. A 3D cover that attracts young adult readers or people who enjoy thrillers, but it might not work for adult fiction readers. Doing some research and looking at successful covers in your genre can help you make better design choices.
Am I Claiming that 3D Book Cover Designs Have No Drawbacks?
No!
Up until now, in the blog you have read, you must have been wondering, “Wow, are 3D covers that good and have no disadvantages?” Well – every coin has two sides. Similarly, 3D covers also have the other side. It is time that we explore that, too.
Limited Compatibility
If you are using 3D covers for your eBook, well, the problem is that not all platforms or devices support them. So, when designing your cover, you must look into the platform you are planning to publish your book on. Make sure the platform meets the 3D cover needs.
Higher Production Costs
Making a good 3D cover can take more time and skills than making a regular flat cover. This might lead to higher costs, especially if you need to hire premium custom book design or buy special software.
Effective for Only a Few Genres
3D covers are not suitable if your genre is academic, business, finance, self-help, spiritual, or memoirs! So, when you are planning to get a 3D cover, try to research and look at covers in a similar genre to find out whether or not it will work for you.
Get the Best 3D Book Cover.
When you want to make a 3D cover for your book, you have two choices: you can do it yourself or get help from a professional.
We are going to discuss both options with you so you can make an informed decision for your book.
3D Book Cover Makers
Now that the demand for eye-catching book covers has increased, people who want to design their covers DIY are always on the lookout for the best software they can use. So, if you are also planning to walk on this path, we have some 3D book cover makers online that you can use.
Canva
If you have ever designed something on your own, then you must have done it on Canva. It is literally the first option for people who have no design expertise, right? To create 3D book covers, use the Canvas Smartmockups feature.
First, design your 2D book cover using Canvas templates or start from scratch. After you finish your cover, download it. Then, you can either upload it into a new Canva design or go to the “Apps” section and select Smartmockups. From there, choose a style for your 3D book mockup, like a standing book or a stack of books.
Canva will automatically apply your design to the mockup. While it doesn’t offer as much customization as full 3D rendering tools, it’s a simple and quick way to create realistic 3D book visuals.
Boxshot
Boxshot is a special software for creating 3D book covers and images. It allows users to control all parts of the book design. The best thing about Boxshot is that it lets you change the size, thickness, spine width, camera angle, lighting, and shadows manually.
You can also upload different pictures for the front, spine, and back cover. This makes it perfect for authors who want a realistic look at their entire book, not just the front.
Adobe Express
Previously known as Adobe Spark – it is a web-based design tool that now includes 3D book mockup capabilities.
It’s a simple option that’s easier to use than more complicated Adobe software and is great for making quick 3D book mockups. The steps are easy: just upload your front cover picture, and if you have it, the spine picture and Adobe Express will automatically fit them onto a 3D book shape.
Book Brush
Book Brush is made especially for authors and publishers, and its 3D mockup feature is great for those who aren’t designers. With the Instant Mockups tool, you can easily turn a flat book cover into a 3D image. There are many scene options available, such as single books, books stacked together, lifestyle scenes (like books on a table or bed), and digital device mockups.
You don’t need to edit anything manually. Just upload your cover, pick a scene, and download the image. While you can’t change the camera angle or lighting, the wide variety of templates makes it simple to create different images quickly.
Step-By-Step Guide to Creating 3D Book Cover on Software
Now that I have discussed the software for creating DIY book covers let me provide you with an overall step-by-step guide on how to create a cover online.
Decide Your Concept
Before placing any image or color on the software, you must think about the concept. If you start without a concept or an idea – things will spiral out of control. So ask yourself:
- What should my book communicate
- How can I symbolize my story visually?
- What kind of art do I want in my book?
- What kind of font should I choose?
These questions will help you design a cover that will definitely convey the essence of your book.
Elements You Want on Your Book
Next, gather the design pieces you’ll need, such as photos, drawings, graphics, color choices, and font styles. Make sure the fonts match the tone of your book and are easy to read. For the title and subtitle, stick to rules like those in the Chicago Manual of Style to keep the formatting clear and consistent.
Plan the Layout
Start by layering your elements carefully. Make sure to use whitespace wisely to keep it from looking too busy. Arrange the important parts clearly: put the title at the top, the subtitle next, and your name last.
Convert to a 3D Book Cover.
Once your 2D layout is complete, download it. PNG or JPG format is preferred. Once this is done, upload the 2D layout to the online software/tool and convert it into the 3D mockup.
All the platforms that I’ve listed above allow you to upload your flat design and generate a realistic 3D version.
Do the Customization
Change the camera angles, background colors, shadows, and lighting if your tool lets you do that.
For example, Boxshot allows you to adjust these settings for a professional look. On simpler platforms like Canva, you can pick from ready-made styles.
Once you feel like, “Yes – that’s it! That’s my book cover,” download your 3D mockup and use it.
Second Option – Hire Affordable Custom Book Design Services
Now, you may be tempted to design your own 3D book cover. I truly appreciate the enthusiasm. However, if you want your book to truly sell, let experts handle it. A well-designed cover will capture the attention of readers.
Benefits of Hiring Experts
Custom Designs: Experts basically provide personalized designs. They make sure that the final product perfectly matches your idea and the theme of your book.
Experience: Skilled designers like BookQuill are always updated on current trends or what people love. This helps them make covers that appeal to the target audience.
Quality Images: Expert services use top-notch design tools and high-quality images. This results in an image that is clear and eye-catching.
Branding Factors: Every author has a unique touch or signature that defines their brand. Experts designing 3D covers ensure that everything remains consistent and aligns well with this brand.
Final Words
Currently, the average attention span of a person is 8.25 seconds. As an author, if you want people to pick up your book and read it – you need to use these 8 seconds wisely and attract them. This can be done through 3D book covers.
By using good design tools, trying out creative ideas, and looking for professional design help, authors can make covers that are not only striking but also show what their stories are about. This is a smart choice and investment that can improve an author’s image and increase their book sales.
FAQ’s
Are there any trends in 3D book cover designs that I should be aware of?
Lately, 3D cover designs often feature simple styles, strong text, and realistic textures. Try to use them in your book to attract an audience.
Can I change my book cover after publication?
Yes. If you previously had a 2D design, you cannot refresh the book and its appeal by introducing a 3D cover.
Is there a copyright issue if I use stock images or templates for 3D covers?
It’s possible. If you’re using free 3D book cover makers or templates, make sure to check the rules for using them.
Can I use AI to help create a 3D book cover?
Yes, many authors are now using AI to help make pictures or models for their books, and they also hire designers to make everything look polished. AI can help create background images, while professionals take care of the layout, text style, and 3D images for selling the books.
About Author
Hi My name is Tyler Brooks As a professional book illustrator, I’ve witnessed firsthand how a well-drawn cover can be the key to a book’s success. Despite the saying, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’ the reality is that people do—and those judgments matter. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to help aspiring authors understand the power of great illustrations and how they can make or break your book.
