The book’s cover is the first impression for the reader of what’s coming and a promise that needs to be fulfilled. If the book cover design isn’t appealing in terms of colour palette or typeface, the book is likely to be ignored. Since the time of its publication, the book will be struggling to stand out in the sea of new releases it has to be competing with.
In the past, before the latest trends in design and clever marketing strategies prevailed the books’ stories, telling them was the sole job of the book. Nowadays, with readers increasing in both substance and style, the cover has its own tale to tell. It certainly does.
The ability to tell a story by using the book’s cover may seem like a daunting task but it doesn’t need to be. Similar to clothing, book designs are heavily influenced by trends, with certain things “in” and some things “out.” No one individual decides on a trend but rather, trends grow and fade depending on what’s up and coming that excites people and appeals to their aesthetics. Based on the drastic changes we’ve seen over the past few years; let’s check out the design trends that’ll dominate in 2022.
Five of The Latest Book Design Trends
Here at Austin Macauley Publishers, we’re proud to assist our authors in deciding on what suits best for the books they write when it comes to the book covers and their wishes are our utmost priority. We’ve noticed many stunning dramatic trends in book design that have proven to be popular in 2020 and 2021 and are expected to take off by 2022.
Bold Typeface
A popular and striking trend in book covers that we predict will last until 2022 will be the bold typography – the size, font and spacing of the words. In reality, there are many stunning covers that depend almost entirely on typography to convey the message. The heavy sans-serif fonts which are scaled to an impressive size instantly grab the attention and give a sense of credibility. The fonts that are lighter in sans-serif style convey an uninhibited style yet are still dramatic when enlarged to a huge size.
To create a more emotional impact, hand-drawn fonts and hand-lettered titles are a favoured style. Hand lettering is a way to convey an easy-going and wholesome tone that’s appropriate for a variety of topics.
Minimalistic Designs
While in the past, designers would try to incorporate “everything and the kitchen sink” on a book cover that included a variety of colours, fonts, and eclectic visual effects. But now, we’re witnessing an increase in simple, clean, and minimalist designs. The book covers let the titles speak for themselves and are often accompanied by only one image.
Photography That is Creatively Used
When it comes to photographs, we’re seeing the creative usage of photography becoming an emerging trend for book design. In this fashion, the typography stays simple, even dialled-down in which a single, powerful image is the focus. In most cases, this is mixed with a lot in negative space, highlighting the main subject.
Bright Colours
One design style that you’ll frequently see incorporated in other fashions is the usage of vibrant shades. Orange and bold shades of Pink and Yellow in particular is seeing a revival but there are also a variety of shades of blue like the shades of teal, aqua and cobalt. You’ll find bright colours like those often combined with striking typography or even a single striking photo or image.
Retro Imagery
The final book design trend to take into consideration to incorporate into your next book design is the usage of images from the past, such as line art of the past or halftone images. In addition to the other elements of design, retro imagery could create a playful and irreverent tone or serve as an ode to earlier times.
Beautifully Illustrated Books
Although illustrations on cover designs are used for a long time, but the designs in recent times have always been large and heavily inspired by the major illustrators from the mid-century. While these designs continue to be in use, we start to see lighter types of illustration emerge such as Ghost Wall’s delicate flower skull. There is a recurrence of line art as well. In order to create a modern look, Matisse and Picasso’s drawings are incorporated with the usual styles.
Messianic Designs
Although minimalist designs rule the world of book covers, there are some chaotic designs that we could be seeing. Book covers are readily accessible. A chaotic design has decorative items scattered over the cover of the book. The typeface that runs from top to bottom is used to create the cover.
However, a jumble of tiny and bold fonts will be on display simultaneously. Between the text and images, other elements can also be observed. The book’s cover is made to be so intricate that it looks unique, distinct, and memorable.
Integrating Current Trends Into Your Style
When you design your cover, think about what elements you could add to your cover to incorporate some of the latest fashions for a contemporary appearance. While you shouldn’t be a slave to each trend, including some of them will convey competence and professionalism through the design of your book. They let readers know that you’re in tune with the times and can build a sense of confidence.
We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest book cover trends in 2022 and will incorporate these useful ideas while designing the cover of your book. We wish you a successful writing career. Be a part of Austin Macauley by sharing your manuscripts here for review. You can also submit online by filling out this Online Submission Form. Stay connected with Austin Macauley on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more updates.
