This is not about getting angry or frustrated with the cover designer. They aren’t in your head, and if their mock-ups did not fit your vision, that’s OK. Just be clearer and more methodical in your description, and you’ll get there. Remember this: your cover designer is a human who has feel- ings, but also a professional that wants to do a great job. You are both on the same team. You can be firm, but also polite and understanding. HOW CAN YOU CHECK IF YOU HAVE A GOOD BOOK COVER? Once you have a cover, or you think you have one, here are the questions to ask to check if it’s working for you: 1. DOES IT STAND OUT? This is crucial. Look at it from all angles; print it out and put it across the room. Think of every possible way someone will look at it—on a screen, in a bookstore, etc.—and make sure it stands out that way. Can you read the title? Is the image clear? Check it as a thumbnail too. Does your cover look good when you shrink it down to a tiny thumbnail? That’s how most of your readers will see it, as a small image on Amazon. 2. DOES IT HAVE A CLEAR FOCUS? Establish a principal focus for the cover—nothing is more important than this one thing. Your book is about something, and the cover ought to reflect that one idea clearly. You must have one element that takes control, that commands the overwhelming majority of attention, of space, of emphasis on the cover. Don’t fall into the trap of loading up your cover with too many ele- ments, three or four photos, illustrations, maps, or “floating” ticket 288 · ThE SCriBE METhOD