How to Design a BOOK COVER in 2026 - What a Book Cover Must Look Like to Sell (With Real Data)

Learn all the book cover design trends of 2026, and find out what YOU can do to ensure your cover is designed to sell your book in this competitive market. Cover design trends that are working now are different from what worked 5 years ago. It's super important that we as authors understand how to design around these trends, so we can give our books the best chance to succeed. 📣 ENTER MY GIVEAWAY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A $500 DESIGN CREDIT FOR 99DESIGNS. That's basically a free cover, and all you have to do is include the word "giveaway" in your comment (winner will be announced in next week's video) -- This video was sponsored by 99Designs by Vista, a global graphic design company that I personally use to design my book covers. If you're interested in checking out their library of cover designers, use my link to get $30 off: https://99designs.com/categories?utm_campaign=claire-fraise-30&utm_medium=YouTube&utm_source=influencer I HIGHLY recommend the cover designer I work with, Mila Book Covers. Here is her profile on 99Designs: https://99designs.com/profiles/meella For a more detailed walkthrough of this data, visit this blog post: https://99designs.com/blog/book-design/designing-a-bestseller-how-book-covers-evolved-with-the-times/?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&utm_term= -- OTHER TOOLS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO: PickFu: https://www.pickfu.com K-Lytics: https://k-lytics.com Publisher Rocket: https://publisherrocket.com -- Subscribe to my channel for weekly videos sharing actionable writing tips that helped me improve as a writer. 🎬 VIDEOS YOU WILL LIKE: How to Outline a Book Using a Plot Grid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd9_4efYEYQ Best Software for Writers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osShVxu4ggU How to Write Banter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axBbPKF24qA SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/c/WritewithClaireFraise 👻 READ THEY STAY (book 1 in my paranormal thriller series and won the Grand Prize at the 2023 Writer’s Digest Self Published Book Awards): Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/They-Stay-Suspenseful-Young-Mystery/dp/1737225301/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=claire+fraise%27&qid=1628649544&sr=8-1 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/they-stay-claire-fraise/1139953490?ean=9781737225300 Add on GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57821402-they-stay 😀 CONNECT WITH ME: MAILING LIST: https://bit.ly/3zFpz0l EMAIL ME: [email protected] WEBSITE: https://www.clairefraise.com/​​​​​​ TIKTOK (where I’m most active other than YouTube): https://www.tiktok.com/@clairefraiseauthor?_t=ZP-90cwafzkR5z&_r=1 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/clairefraiseauthor/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/clairefraiseauthor PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/clairefraisebooks/ GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14193771.Claire_Fraise ABOUT: Hi, I'm Claire! I’m an award-winning self-published author of paranormal thriller books (my book "They Stay" won the Grand Prize at the 2023 Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards and is the first in a five-book series). There is no one way to write a book. I’m a strong believer that the only way to develop your own writing process is by trying a bunch of different methods to find out what is the most helpful to you. In my videos, I share how I approach every stage in my writing process, from brainstorming to editing, in the hope that it could give you something to try that could help you level up as a writer. I share techniques that have improved my own writing so you can see if the same strategies help you. -- CHAPTERS: