So, the illusive cover.

"Fancy, as long as my book is good, the cover doesnt matter!!!"
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cute babe real cute

okay but seriously. people are here are super quick to pass up on a book, and the cover and description are pretty much the only thing standing between you and a reader

so, some quick tips:

-KISS. keep it sime stupid. the cover shouldn't be too cluttered. there should really be one central image that your audience's attention should be directed on

-don't draw them. sorry artists, but it looks really immature. i used to do this and my books didnt look nearly as professional as when i used actual images. however, if you are an uber talented painter, go for it I guess...but I really dont suggest anyone else do it.

-make sure the text is big and readable. if youre designing it yourself, zoom out the work until its a couple inches tall and see if you can still tell what's going on

-im no sure how to describe this particular look but,,,,,dont make it look like some kid just discovered blingee. those little "stickers" you can photoshop onto a picture really shouldn't be used. Keep it professional and tasteful

-study book covers of actual books and see how those work. they give good inspiration

-utilize the theme of your book. You don't always have to have the protagonist on the cover. Something as simple as an arc symbol does wonders for covers. Settings also work. Books that are dark in tone should have a dark themed cover as well, and vice versa.

-if you think youre unsure how to make a cover, have someone else make it. holy dang. it's better to have to reach out to someone and maybe do some favors for a cover than to have a crappy cover