Everything you need to know about a fantasy book

No doubt, a cover of any book can help the book stand out on the market. While some people may not purchase a book based on the appearance of its cover, you still need to make it attractive. This is especially true in this digital age, where many people prefer to sort through books by checking the thumbnail functionality of the book cover design, so the fantasy book cover matters a lot. An interesting book cover can draw a potential reader in while a poor cover can keep potential readers away. 

This is especially the case with fantasy books that have some problems when it comes to their book covers. Remember that you have control over your finished book when you choose to self-publish. Unfortunately, it can be overwhelming to choose the right cover. This is the reason why it makes sense to hire a fantasy book cover designer to help you with the cover of your book. This article discusses everything you need to know about a fantasy book. 

Understanding a fantasy book

A fantasy book is a genre of literature that includes fantastical elements. In most cases, the stories that come in this genre usually have mythological magic and creatures. Therefore, depending on the type of subgenre the book is, there is a chance that the story may be in an alternate universe, the present, or even the past. But the universal issue in these stories is the fact that the event that occurred in the story can happen in real life. As a result, this can significantly distinguish fantasy from other types of fiction.  

Graphic books can sometimes be fantasy novels. Remember that a novel is a piece of fiction that tends to have a longer length than other types of literature that are written in prose. Therefore, you can differentiate them from stories based on their length, non-fiction by their fiction, and poems by their prose. A fantasy novel is differentiated from other types of literature as it has the aspect of fantasy in it. The settings and characters of a fantasy book often include an element of the supernatural or magic. Besides, it can have a mythical creature like a dragon or elf.

You should note that a fantasy book can have stories for children or even stories suitable for more mature readers. You can find many subgenres of fantasy books, such as dark fantasy, high fantasy, and comic fantasy. High fantasy usually has good characters fighting evil characters. A good example of this type of fantasy is the Lord of the rings. When it comes to dark fantasy, the stories are common horror. On the other hand, comic fantasy is a type of fantasy that has humor. 

The setting in a fantasy book can vary significantly, but it depends on the subgenre of the book. High fantasy can happen in a modern setting, the future, the past, or in an alternate dimension. You can find some fantasy books with stories that happen in medieval times. There is also an urban fantasy that can occur in a contemporary setting, which can be either imagined or real and has fantastical people or events.

It’s worth mentioning that the fantasy genre is closely associated with science fiction. But they are not the same. Both can have places or events that may not exist, and science fiction utilizes science to achieve this. Simply put, science fiction can happen with the right technology. Regardless of these differences, both genres are usually placed together, and sometimes they can be put in the same category. 

A fantasy book cover 

As explained earlier, you need to help your fantasy book stand out so that potential readers can notice it. This means you need to work on the typography of your book cover. This refers to the font that you utilize on the book cover. In most cases, some authors like to use different fonts for their author name, title, and subtitle. This is a crucial thing you need to do because it makes your fantasy book look great.  

There is a good chance that you may have noticed that some genres tend to have some tendencies when it comes to fonts. For example, romance titles usually can be swirly and memoir and nonfiction lean towards academic fonts. Therefore, you need to check the fantasy aisle at any local bookstore to see the common trends.

The imagery of your fantasy book cover also matters. This is the image and picture that you use on the book cover. It can be hard to find the right imagery, especially if you don’t have any graphic design experience. You should remember that you cannot just find any free photo on the internet and use it on your book cover. 

Aside from this, you need to consider whether you want to use a painting, a person, or abstract art on your fantasy book cover. Hence, it makes sense to check the imagery that appears in fantasy books of other authors. In this way, you can uncover the common trends by subgenre. 

The color scheme of your book cover is another important thing you need to consider. People who have taken a graphic design or marketing class can agree that the color you utilize also matters a lot. Most social media platforms are usually biased toward blue backgrounds because this color improves your alertness. Blue is also considered to be universally attractive and tends to make individuals feel creative and safe. On the other hand, red is regarded as an urgent color that can catch your attention when you visit a supermarket. No wonder, many supermarkets have yellow or bright red price tags. 

You can apply the same strategy when it comes to your cover design. You need to understand the meaning of colors and how they function in conveying the theme and mood. A dark purple book cover that has rich green foliage offers a creative and moody feel. And, a minimal white book cover that has straight blue lines can feel just like a textbook.