Up Close & Personal with a Portrait Cover – Book Cover Design Types
Choosing a cover for that sacred story that has lived inside of you for so long can be one of the hardest things an author does. And choosing the “right” type of cover to match your genre can lead to anxiety and doubt. There are a few type of common covers, depending on who you ask they’ll have a different name for them, or a different opinion.
Another common book cover type is the Portrait Shot, or what I call the Character Focus, because a lot of my clients write paranormal romance so they’ll often times depict part of the body as well (chest + abs). With this type of cover you are telling the reader that this books is character focused. The hero &/or heroine is center stage and this story is all about them. This cover can be simple or complex – but the character image is key. It has to be a compelling shot. You want to be drawn in by that character on the cover. They are saying READ MY STORY.
Paranormal Romance, dark romance, contemporary, women’s fiction, thriller, science fiction and specifically memoirs/biographies will use PORTRAIT covers.
An Example of a Portrait Book Cover Design
The designs focal point is the hero without giving you TOO much information about his looks it showcases the tattoos and the digital design gives the impression that he’s possibly a hacker. Could be used for many genres, mystery, paranormal, romance, thriller, science fiction, urban fantasy and much more.
This cover is available for purchase as a premade. Contact for more information.
