Sean Platt, Indie Author of Upcoming Novel UNICORN WESTERN 2, Says Cover Design 'Essential' for Driving Sales

Related: Unicorn Western 2, Sean Platt, cover design, fiction

Indie published authors who want to earn a living writing must invest time and money to create quality book covers, according to acclaimed self-published author Sean Platt.

Platt made the comments following the Huffington Post's decision to publish a slideshow of the worst offenders in self-published book cover design.

"Solid cover design is one of the essential elements to an indie writer carving out a successful career," Platt said. "While I disagree with the Huffington Post's approach of naming and shaming poor design work, I agree with the sentiment that authors should take as much care over their book's cover as they do over the words that make up their book, even if that means hiring outside help."

Platt, whose indie-published credentials include the post-apocalyptic serial thriller Yesterday's Gone - which has over 400 five star reviews on Amazon.com - said attractive covers are vital for any writer whose aim is to sell as many books as possible.

Which is why he and his writing partner chose a top designer for all their covers, including the new title that's to be released next week, Unicorn Western 2 on Amazon. "Our cover for Unicorn Western was one of my most favorite covers ever. I can't wait to see what our designer has come up with for the second episode!

"People do judge books by their covers," he said. "They always have and always will. It's just like when you meet someone new. First impressions count, because when you make a bad first impression, it's usually the last impression you'll make.

"If your cover design is substandard, anyone who encounters your book on Amazon will assume your writing is sloppy too. With over 1.5 million Kindle ebooks to choose from, chances are they'll buy another book whose cover conveys quality.

"That doesn't mean you can't do the design work yourself, as long as you can do it well. My writing partner, David Wright, has a designer's eye and puts together the covers for many of the books we co-write. As for me, I'm a pure-blooded writer. I devote every working minute to putting words to page."