Do me a quick favour: Google ‘lousy book covers’.

You’re welcome — firstly for all for the hours of entertainment I’ve just provided, but secondly, and far more importantly, for warning you against the single biggest and most common mistake self-published authors make.

No matter how the old saying goes, everyone judges a book by its cover. It may not be fair, but it’s absolutely true. Pick one of the covers you’ve just seen. Imagine if that had been for the first edition of, say, The Great Gatsby. I think if that were the case it’s a pretty safe bet that old Gatsby wouldn’t be all he’s considered to be today.

Now, we shouldn’t be too critical of the unfortunate authors who’ve found themselves featured in such lists. Publishing a book yourself can be a daunting process, and there’s a lot more to consider than most first-time authors expect. It’s also fair to say that many literary minded people are perhaps not so astute when it comes to judging design. And when you’ve already handed over your hard earned cash to a designer only to be presented with, well, whatever some of those covers are supposed to be, I think some self-rationalisation is understandable.

This is why it’s so important to ensure that the design of your book cover is in good hands before you part with your money. At Jelly Bean Self-Publishing, we employ the same cover designers as those who work with our sister imprint, award-winning independent publisher Candy Jar Books, ensuring cover art of the highest standard. You put your name to the words; our artists put theirs to the art; we stake our professional reputation on the finished product. Together, we’ll try and stay laughing at those ‘lousy cover’ lists — not featuring on them.