Book Dust Jacket Design: How to Make It Stand Out

Do you know what a dust jacket is and what information you should include there?  Before we get into the dust jacket design, let’s talk about the difference between paperback, hardback, and case wrap covers. It will help you fully understand the design layout and key elements of any book cover. 

Get yourself comfy and let’s begin!

Paperback cover vs. Hardback cover

Let’s start with the basics. Do you know the difference between a hardcover and a paper cover?

What is a hardcover book?

As the name suggests, a hardcover book has a rigid protective cover, typically made of cardboard wrapped in cloth, paper, or sometimes leather. It often features a stitched spine, allowing the book to lie flat when opened.

Hardcovers are used to increase durability and protect the book from wear and tear. They also usually feature higher-quality printing and materials, which is why they cost more. New releases are often published in hardcover first, as it’s more profitable for publishers.

What is a paper cover book?

Paperbacks, in contrast, have covers made of thin cardboard or heavy paper. They’re cheaper to produce, which makes them more affordable for readers. That’s why publishers often release paperbacks after the hardcover edition to reach a broader audience.

Main differences between hardcover and paper cover books

Here are the key differences and pros and cons of the hardcover and paper cover books: 

• Hardcover books are more expensive and heavier to carry. So if your target audience is, say, a person on a budget who travels very often, hardcovers might not be his weapon of choice.

• On the other side, the hardcover book is more durable, has better quality, and the pages won’t get torn or damaged easily. Besides, a lot of readers get hardcovers for gifts or for their collections.

• Paperback books are much lighter and cheaper, but the covers can get damaged quite easily.

This  brings us to other terms in the book publishing world: hardcover case wraps and hardcover dust jackets.

Case wraps vs. Dust jackets

A case wrap is a hardcover with a laminated cover pressed directly onto the book. It’s costlier to produce and usually used for first edition releases.

A dust jacket, on the other hand, is a removable paper cover with folded flaps that wrap around the book, making it easier to hold and protecting it from dust.

Both the jacket and its flaps are key elements of the cover design and presentation.

We recommend asking yourself the following questions when deciding what cover to dress your book in:

• Who is my target audience?

• What are my budgetary constraints?

• Does the durability of the cover matter for my target audience?

Now, let’s concentrate a bit more on the dust jacket design, its elements, and functions.

Anatomy of the dust jacket 

First, grab a book with a dust jacket from your shelf. What catches your eye first? That’s right — the text and information. The dust jacket carries a significant role since it’s designed to tell the reader more about the book.

A professional designer should be aware of all the dust jacket elements to create a clear and not overwhelming book cover design.

We’ll be dealing with front panel, front flap, the spine, back panel, and back flap.

Front panel 

This one is the same as the front cover in a paperback or case wrap book cover design. 

The front panel’s key elements include:

• The book title and the author’s name;

• Subtitle or additional supportive text;

• Images or illustrations;

The front panel is slightly larger than the book page. Be mindful of the margin — a few millimeters around the edges where no text or key design elements should appear.

Here are some other ideas to keep in mind when it comes to the front panel design:

• Aim for clarity and simplicity

Pay attention to selecting the right typography, color palette, and images that will represent your book genre.

• Evoke emotions

Make sure that your cover evokes the right emotions and conveys the message to the reader.

• Concentrate on your readers

Conduct a target audience research when deciding on the visual elements for your front panel.

Our next destination is the front flap. Buckle up.

Front flap

The front flap is the dust jacket’s element that folds between the front panel and the books’ first page. A good practice is to make it around 50 – 60 % of the front cover’s width. The front flap is used to provide more information about the book. 

Here are some ideas.

Short description (or blurb)

We’ll get back to this one in a bit. Most of the time, when you are dealing with the dust jacket, you might want to divide your blurb into some parts. Include just a small preview on the front flap, and the extended version of the blurb will go on the back cover. Keep in mind that the space on the front flap is limited, so don’t overwhelm your readers with a huge block of text. 

Quotes from the book

 A great practice is to include some captivating quotes from your book on the front flap. It captures the readers’ interest and looks very elegant. See for yourself. 

Author branding

Some authors use the front flap to promote their author brand and include the author website and social media channels. You might also consider putting your other book titles on the front flap.

Now, let’s go through the list of things you should know about the dust jacket’s spine.

Spine

The spine is an essential part of a dust jacket—it helps readers navigate bookshelves quickly. Its size and width depend on the book’s format and page count. When designing a cover, spine text can be arranged in a few ways:

• from top to bottom

• from bottom to top

• across the spine

A well-designed spine not only catches the eye but also contributes to the overall visual balance of the cover.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Include the book title and the author’s name. Choose font size and color carefully.

• Ensure a strong contrast between the text and background for readability.

• Use appealing typography that draws attention.

• Consider adding a key element from the front cover — or your author logo — to tie everything together.

The next stops are the back panel and the back flap.

Back panel

The back panel of a dust jacket serves the same purpose as the back cover of a paperback—it provides key information to help sell the book.

Here’s a breakdown of typical back panel elements:

• Tagline – A short, catchy phrase that conveys your book’s core message and grabs attention.

• Blurb – A brief summary of the plot designed to evoke emotion and hook the reader, without giving away too much.

• Author bio – A quick introduction to who you are, your expertise, and why readers should trust you.

• Testimonials – Endorsements from reviewers, experts, or fellow authors.

• ISBN barcode – This must be placed in the lower right corner of the back panel. It should be black on a white background — no exceptions.

Each of these elements plays a role in persuading a potential reader to pick up your book and take a closer look.

As you might have noticed, we kept mentioning the back flap. So let’s take a closer look at what you might want to include there. 

Back flap

As we mentioned before, there are many options and ideas on what information to include on the back flap.

• Author bio. The most common practice is to place the author bio, and the author headshot on the back flap.

• Author website and social media. Some authors toss in contact details and social media accounts where they are active. No matter what, keep networking, remember?

• Author logo. Putting an author logo on the flap is also a great idea. It helps you to boost credibility and appear more professional.

• Other publications, upcoming projects. Depending on your author’s activity and the book release timeline, you might add information regarding the future or current projects or events you are working on.

To sum up

Hope, we managed to explain the differences between paperback, case wrap, and dust jacket. Pay attention to the key design elements and decide what works best for you. 

What dust jacket design ideas did you like the most? Let’s talk!