The art on novel book covers goes far beyond only appearance. Even a single image can reveal key aspects of a character and even hint at the book’s entire story, showcasing its powerful influence. This artwork is also a major draw for avid readers and plays a significant role in marketing. 

A form of storytelling

“The first thing that catches your eye is the art on the cover. It draws you in to grab the book and skim through the words,” says Ly Sophanith, co-founder of Somnea. The cover of a book can shift how we perceive its genre, but a great one does more than that: it reflects the story’s personality through every element shown on the cover. Sometimes, you will pick that book because the cover tells you the inside is more mysterious and appealing.

The more imaginative scenes that evoke emotions appear and capture readers’ attention. The visual helps people appreciate and be amazed by the value of the artwork that covers a book. “Most of the titles we carry are novels, and the book cover has become an essential part of the experience. We’ve noticed that our readers are becoming more and more drawn to covers that reflect their interests,” says Ly Sophanith. ‘Even if they’re not regular bookworms, they often find the artistic design of a book too appealing to ignore. Some even admire it purely as a piece of art or a creative masterpiece.

Have you wondered if the book has its own personality? The answer is yes. It’s deeply rooted in psychology.

Colors, Fonts, and Layout

This isn’t shallow; it’s science. Colors, fonts, and layout are all connected with our emotions before reading a word. We start with color theory—each color has its tone and specific goal to evoke emotions in the reader and the story. For example, orange and red suggest excitement, passion, and energy whenever the author aims to highlight a character as passionate, making the story more inspiring. Thus, while pink represents love and beauty, nostalgia arises whenever the author seeks to show how lovely a relationship is through great memories. That’s very mindful of designers in expressing the feeling of each book.

Typography also plays a role in shaping the book’s tone. As we just mentioned, a love story, for instance, might use fonts that feel soft and playful, like ‘Whispering Signature’ or ‘Sunrise Sunday.’. Those designers’ choice aspires to show how soft it is and keep it relaxed. Lastly, composition guides the reader’s eye to key spots on the cover, creating a sense of balance and highlighting the author’s intent, which means where the author wants the reader to see first and what is the most important, catchy element or text. Together, these elements help the book stand out in a crowded bookshelf, on display, or even in the market.

“Our well-known and successful novel មុនថ្ងៃហៀបលិច – The story before the Sunset became a customer favorite, and its cover went viral online,” says Tang Huyseng, also a founder of Somnae. “The color scheme was the most captivating part, especially for a love story. Our artist used pink and purple for the flowers, paired with the warm orange tones of the sunset. It instantly caught our customers’ attention and encouraged them to buy it, and even today, the book continues to grow in popularity and build its reputation.”

Behind the Curtain

Starting from scratch, most of the artwork ideas come from the author or the publishing house, then the artist puts them together and helps bring the final look to life. The artwork design process is a collaboration that bridges the author’s vision with the artist’s creative interpretation, embedding it into the story. Artists must first understand the whole story to create a design that matches what the author imagines. Some covers take about two weeks to finish, while others take longer, depending on the artist’s ideas and creativity.

“It takes more than 50% of the publication process for each book because we saw the pride,” says Ly Sophanith.

More ways to go, the artist receives an explanation of the book and makes sure not to misinterpret the text or story at any cost. However, sometimes, the artists have a clear vision of their own—they help fill in the gaps of the author’s idea to make the result priceless. “I love outlining the details. I never rush my work because rushing doesn’t create great results. Art needs peace—it must be felt and expressed through the artist’s emotions,” says Mino, who also drew a book cover. The visual design of a book creates a lasting memory in the viewer’s mind. “You have to make sure your book cover stands out in the crowd and catches the audience’s eye.”

Time to Brighten Our Culture

 “Our first goal was to promote art through books, and now our dream has become a reality,” says Ly Sophanith. Beyond the popularity of artistic book covers, Somnae brings them into a living culture—a chance to highlight heritage and showcase the beauty of Khmer culture in the world of novels through cover art inspired by tradition. 

“ឃាតករមុខយក្ស – The Serial Killer is the book that showcases the protagonist living in the circle of the beauty of Khmer tradition— that we have five artists who contributed to this masterpiece,” says Ly Sophanith.

New ideas are coming in through the commitment of the book station and author to produce the story related to Khmer traditional performance, an extraordinary chance to light up the ancient Khmer culture. “Every drop of sweat was worth it. We’ll keep lighting the way to inspire future book cover designs,” says Tang Huyseng. 

Save the Story Live Again 

Do you think the cover saved the story to gain popularity again?

However, not every result meets the expectations of the author or the audience’s preference – mistakes will be a chance to explore another aspect of the book and enhance its popularity with customers. “Our first inspiring book startup project, You, ទំព័រចុងក្រោយ – You Are the Last Page, taught us an important lesson about the significance of an appealing cover. The first edition struggled to gain support because the design wasn’t attractive enough. Eventually, we decided to modify the cover with a more creative approach—and as a result, the support rate increased rapidly,” they shared. 

The book also gained more popularity after receiving suggestions from our audience, who wanted a new version that brought the story to life more vividly. “Our most popular novel, You, ទំព័រចុងក្រោយ – You Are the Last Page, received a suggestion from loyal readers to redesign the cover with a more artistic depiction of the boyfriend—and it led to a significant increase in sales,” says Tang Huyseng. Over time, the cover became part of the audience’s desire to fully immerse themselves in the novel’s fantasy.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover,’ but no one wants to buy a blank one,” says Mino. 

“If we have the chance to design and arrange it beautifully, why wouldn’t we?” says Mino, the artist. “I want the book to be something more priceless than it already is.” In the book industry, judging by the cover is not only acceptable, but it is considered a step forward, a transformative reading experience, and encourages curiosity and connection with the reader way better.