Before you choose fonts, select a color palette, or search for images, there is one question that should guide every decision you make about your cover: Is this appropriate for my genre, subgenre, audience, and brand?

Research is how writers gather the information they need before they begin drafting. It helps you build confidence in your details, stay accurate, and shape your ideas into something clear and usable.

Inspiration can come at any time of the day or night (if you’re like me, a night owl). You might be washing dishes or going through your routine, and get inspired by something so simple. The point is, when inspiration hits, you need somewhere to put it. And that somewhere needs to make sense.