There are many things to consider when writing a story. Plot, characters, and story structure are but a few vital things one must think about. But one thing that often does not seem to be considered much at all is the presentation of a story—or more specifically, a story's cover.

   Back when I first joined Wattpad, my stories' covers were the last thing I thought about. Who cares about a cover when it's the writing that really counts? And while this may be true, this doesn't mean a cover should be thrown to the wayside. When was the last time you wanted to read a story that had an unappealing cover or none at all? Although there are those hidden gems out there with amazing writing but poor covers, they're still hidden for a reason. Readers are naturally not as compelled to open and read books with low-quality covers because more times than not, low-quality covers are associated with low-quality writing. If you genuinely care about your book's content and you want more readers to read your work, an attractive cover is definitely good to have.

   So how can one acquire a cover? It's rather simple, really. There are literally dozens of cover shops circulating around on this site, each offering their own unique style when it comes to the kinds of covers they make.

   But let's say you don't want to have somebody make a cover for you? That you want something of your own creation or simply don't want to have to wait for your cover to be made? Technically anybody can make a cover, but it's those who truly put time and effort into them that get something truly remarkable and one-of-a-kind.

   If this is the case, there are some apps I would recommend for cover-making (mind you, I use an Apple product when I make covers, so some of these might not be available on other devices) are Eraser for erasing backgrounds, Pixlr or PicsArt for adding filters, Phonto for applying text, and Pinterest for if you don't want to dive into the depths of uncensored Tartarus (also known as Google Images) just for a bit of character art. If you're willing to spend a bit of money, I recommend SuperImpose or SuperImpose X; the main difference between the two is the amount of layers (or photos) you can work with at once. SuperImpose is $2.99 (U.S.) while SuperImpose X is $4.99 (U.S.).

   As for the cover-making process itself, here are some basic do's and don'ts.

Do:

•Try to find the cleanest images/art; there's no point in using some pretty fan-art if it's blurry.

•Make covers with space for text in mind. Make sure the text is big and legible.

•Try using art with matching art styles.

•Consider color schemes and moods when finding art. If your story involves lots of fire, use warm colors. Or if your story is dreary or sad, use blues and grays respectively.

Don't:

•Don't include too many characters. I myself only include six characters max on a cover. Any more, and things get way too cluttered and muddled.

•Don't use too many fonts. Say if your title is "Of Aether and Moonlight." "Of", "and", and the author's name can be typed with one font while "Aether" and "Moonlight" could be typed with separate fonts for variety. Not every word should be a different font, however.

•Don't get carried away with filters. It's easy to throw a bunch of pretty sparkles on a cover and it may look nice, but it quickly stops looking nice when you can't see the characters or text for that matter.

And for comparison, here's a good cover versus a cover that could be done much better:

   V. S.

The difference between the two is clear.

I hope this article has helped you in one way or another. Remember, covers are just as important as your story itself. And it won't matter how amazing your story is, most readers here on Wattpad will judge a Wattpad book by its cover. Your cover is your story's first impression, so make sure it impresses!

Article by ImberLapis , graphic designer at PWL and cover workshop artist of "Porcelain Dancer" (4/22/18)

Edited by NaivEevee