• Research and study the book covers of bestselling authors. What is it about their covers that entice you to even pick up the book to take a closer look. Having a good cover is key to attracting a reader's attention and converting them into a potential customer.

• Back cover is important as well. Use this section to add a short attention grabbing excerpt from the book. Or use it to show comments from celebrities or other people that have read and endorse the book. A lot of times a reader will fall in love with the front cover of your book, but won't buy it because something on the back cover was a major turnoff.

• Add graphics that lure the reader in, but accent the title of your book. People like to see realistic graphics. For example, if your book is about a cheating spouse, use graphics that convey that, such as a woman all hugged up with a man while standing behind another man's back. Your title may be something like, 'Claudia's Decision', but your graphics will clue us in to that what the book is about.

• Fonts are important as well because if the reader cannot understand the title of the book, or the name of the author, it could prove to be a deterent against purchasing the book.

You want to put your best foot forward when it comes to your cover. Since it can literally make or break your career as a new author, it's the piece to the publishing puzzle you don't want to skimp on.

Your assignment: Think about the type of book you want to write. Take a trip to the bookstore and study the books in your chosen genre. What is it about those bookcovers that make them enticing and irresistable to the reader. Incooperate these ideas into your own book cover design and you will be on your way to creating an eye catching and appealing book cover.