The Unofficial Writer's Guide To Wattpad

Covers

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

It's a phrase we all hear, yet most of us judge books here on Wattpad by their covers! The cover is what draws us in. It's what tells the reader to click on your title. If you don't have visually appealing covers, people are less likely to click on your stories because, in all honesty, it looks sloppy and lazy.

That being said, you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on good cover making software. As a matter of fact, Wattpad's built-in cover maker, Canva, is how I make most of my covers. It's also free to use. I also use Photopea, a free online software that lets you do the basic principals of Adobe Photoshop. For adding special effects, I use Picsart.

Another thing: make sure that your cover reflects the story. For example, if you're writing a horror story, don't make your cover be rainbows and sparkles. It appears dishonest to the reader. Now, there are a few grey areas (I.e. this guide, story clubs, cover commissions, etc.) where it's difficult to find a cover that truly reflects the story. My advice? Use a simple background, such as glitter, flowers, and nature, that's neutral. For example, flowers are simply visually appealing. Glitter creates excitement, whereas nature creates a sense of peace and wonder.

When putting your title on your cover, make sure that it's clear and easy to understand. Although you may love Wingdings, it's difficult for the reader to understand. 

Make sure you use the principle of hierarchy (ooh that's a fancy graphic design word.) Hierarchy is the principal of the text that your reader is going to read first. Make sure that the most important parts of your title are the biggest and boldest. For example, the biggest word on this title is "Wattpad." That's because it's about Wattpad, and I wanted to make that clear. If the biggest word had been "the," you wouldn't have instantly noticed what it was about.

Most importantly, make sure that you like your cover. If you don't like it, you aren't going to want to look at it, which will result in you being more and more resistant to updating your story.

Stay safe and remember that Joshua Bassett is beautiful!