My title applies to life in general, but more specifically to designing book spines.

We all know the old saying, ‘Don't judge a book by its cover', but we literally do that with books (and probably with people too). Basically, unless you're a known figure, it's challenging to get your book into a bookstore as it is so you will probably not have the luxury of having a huge display with your books on it, facing outwards and languishing on silk with a fresh vase of flowers next to them. In fact, if you're lucky, you'll only have a few on a shelf with only a small piece of real estate, the spine, doing the job of selling.

If the potential book purchaser doesn't already know what book they're looking for—that being your book—if the spine isn't appealing, your chances of going home with the book buyer are about as likely as my current obsession Jo-Wilfried Tsonga asking me out for a coffee the next time he's in Melbourne (but, hey, Jo, if you're reading this blog, email me, *laugh*).

So, what can you do to make your spine sexier? Here are a couple tips:

1. First of all, please, please carefully consider the font. I'm a sucker for decorative fonts, you know the ones with the curves in all the right places, but people literally GLANCE at spines, so it has to be readable as well as enticing.
2. Think about using colour, or at least an interesting motif for part of the spine. Be really careful with your colour choice as they convey and trigger subconscious moods.
3. Most people don't have necks that tilt to the side so if the spine is wide enough to keep the writing horizontal, why not do it? My Australian Oxford Dictionary is a prime example of this principle in action.
4. Finally, and I've actually jumped ahead, as I'd start with this: Do your research. Go to a bookstore (or three) and have a look at where your book would appear. Look at spines ... really look at them. Which ones grab your eye? Which ones do your eyes slide over? Why? The insights you collect during this phase of the design process will give you some awesome insights into what works and what doesn't.

OK, I'll close for now and let you get back to it. If you have any questions, or want to share a tip, feel free to email me on renee@risingstardesigns.com.au.