Magazine Tips
How to Create a Successful Magazine Cover (Infographic)
For successful newsstand sales, a strong cover is key. Your cover is what draws the reader in, and communicates your style and content before your publication is opened. With this in mind, it is important to familiarize yourself with the elements that create a successful cover.
The first and most important element of your cover is your logo. It should be eye-catching and recognizable, and printed clearly at the top. This is the one thing that will remain consistent throughout the different issues, so you want to make sure it sits in the place of honor. Your picture should be something clear, simple, and recognizable. Most newsstand publications find they have good luck with images of people or a person, but this isn’t always the best choice. If you have a specialty publication it’s a good idea to have images that include your subject: bicycles, food, vacation destination, etc. Make sure that whatever image you choose is easy to recognized and not too busy.
Your cover lines come next. These are what lure your readers to open the pages and explore your content. First, you want to make sure they’re noticeable and legible. No one is going to be drawn in by an unreadable font, tucked discreetly away in a bottom corner. Your cover lines should be energetic, left justified, and very easy to read. Demanding action is a strong way to engage the reader: “Lose weight!” “Make more money!” “Plan your vacation!” These are calls for your buyers to read, and puts them into an active state of mind. Be sure to include strong keywords in your cover lines. Studies have shown that browsers respond the best to words like, “Free”, “Bonus”, “Tips”, “How to”, and numbers, such as “Top 5” lists. Make sure that your picture and background are high contrast to one another so that the image and cover lines pop out at you. You want to make sure your cover is eye catching and will stand out amongst the other publications on the newsstand.
For more, take a look at our Cover Clinic.
