You hired a designer. You sent them a Pinterest board. The result was beautiful and wrong.
The misdiagnosisThe misdiagnosis is that the designer needs more references.
The real diagnosisThey need fewer. The brief that works is short, specific, and structural. Three comps. One mood. One forbidden. One paragraph of plot. That's the brief.
The Five-Part Cover Brief
| Part | Length | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Plot paragraph | 100 words | Setting + protagonist + central conflict |
| Three comp covers | Three images | Books in your genre that did well |
| Mood word | One word | 'Quiet,' 'Lush,' 'Gritty' |
| One forbidden element | One line | 'No swords. No castles.' |
| Audience | One line | 'Adult literary readers, 30-50' |
Three Things To Cut From The Brief
- A mood board with 40 images.
- Hex codes you Googled.
- Suggestions for how to render specific characters.
A good brief tells the designer what to ignore. Not what to copy.
Trust your designer to do the visual job. Your job is the strategic frame.
The dare (not assignment)Write the five-part brief for your next cover today. Send it. Watch what comes back.
Image promptA printed cover brief on a desk with two reference book covers beside it. Painterly. Cream and dark blue. No people.
— The Book Maven
