Book Cover Chaos | Cover Design
Out of all the elements on a book cover, the design is what captures readers’ attention. So, when a publisher decides to change the cover, it’s a big deal. But why do they do this?
The biggest reason is likely because the series is being marketed in a new way. There are many potential reasons for this. Maybe the book changed genres or age ranges, so the cover needs to reflect the age or genre more accurately. An example of this is A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, which changed from a character art style in the YA genre to a symbol art style in the adult fantasy genre. Or perhaps the original cover did not reflect the book’s themes as well, so it was redesigned to cater to the new marketing tactics. Whatever that decision may have been, the publishing team decided that changing the marketing by having a new cover will help sell more books.
Another reason for a cover change is the book’s age. Book covers, just like every other area of art, will follow trends that ebb and flow. This means that books can start to look outdated after a while. If a book looks too old, it is not as easy to sell compared to the shiny, new, trendy covers. Additionally, if the series gets updated with new stories, the older books will often have a redesign to match the new cover. Thus, some older series will get a refreshed cover design. Take Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, which has had three redesigns. The first new cover was created so that the rest of the series could match; the second new cover was created so that the covers and spines could align in a big mural; and the third new cover was created to redesign the series in conjunction with the 2023 release of Percy Jackson and the Chalice of the Gods.
The other big reason why a cover may change is simply because new information can be advertised to promote the series. There could be an especially good quote from an industry reviewer or author, it could have earned a spot on a bestseller list, it could have won an award, it could have a screen adaptation “coming soon” or “out now”…the list goes on and on. The point is that if there’s something new to the story that the publishers want to brag about, it will end up on the cover somehow.
Book cover redesigns are used fairly frequently in the publishing industry for a variety of reasons. If a publisher decides that a book cover needs to be updated, it weighs the risks and the rewards. At the end of the day, the publishing industry wants to sell the book. If redesigning a cover will earn the publisher a book sale and earn the modern reader a beloved story, then that should be celebrated!