Everything Wrong With HARRY POTTER Fanfictions

DON'T NO 2: Unappealing Covers

Unappealing Covers might mean a lot of things so let me clear it all up one by one for you.

Covers are a big part of what your story is about. It is the first glimpse the reader will get of your book.

And as you have heard a lot; the first impression is always the last impression.

Keep in mind that there are millions of stories on Wattpad and the cover is your chance to capture the reader's interest at first glance.

Have you noticed that when you type a few basic keywords, thousands of stories turn up that revolve around the same plot line. So what is it which makes you choose one story out of the list of Ks of stories?

The Cover.

Now we will start looking at the basics of cover making and the role a cover plays in the conveyance of your story, but first I will state the facts which make a cover a bad one.

Covers Which Are Overlooked:

1. The color scheme is too dull and the reader can't make out what your cover depicts.

2. Too many objects cluttered up in a small space.

3. Extra flashy title.

4. Giant font for the text. Or font is extra small.

5. Just a simple picture of a celebrity or face claim you are using without any heading or text on it.

Making A Cover Stand Out:

1. First and foremost, pay attention to the Title. Labeling your story simply as Riddle's Daughter or Malfoy's Love Interest is not going to make it appealing. Even though there is a huge audience who will still read it (judging by those stories who have crossed 200K views) but it's better to make your work stand out. 

For example, let's say you're writing a story about a young witch/wizard who is interested in wand lore and suppose the time frame is post Wizarding War. Also, that witch/wizard's love interest is Oliver Wood. Your story focuses on their lives after the war, the effect the war has had on them both and how they are trying to make things work in their life.

If your story is titled An Oliver Wood Love Story is not appealing at all.

You can be a bit creative and play a little with the keywords to craft your title such as:

Sycamore and Mahogany (Sycamore is a known wand wood while mahogany is the wood used for manufacturing Quidditch brooms like those of the Nimbus range. The title can also be used to point out the difference in their combination. Mahogany is of the tropical hardwood species with reddish brown timber and in the title it has been used to symbolize Oliver Wood. While Sycamore symbolizes the other character, it is a wand wood which is used to craft wands for those who are curious, adventurous and eager for experience). 

Now I think I might make a fanfic based on this concept, but as usual I don't have the time so if anyone of you want to use this idea, do let me know. I would be happy to share with you what I have thought of this concept so far.

2. Since we have already discussed the Title, let's pay some attention to its Font. A font in which the title is written must collaborate with the story as well.

[Take the Harry Potter books for instance. The lightning bolt at the P of the Potter indicates the shape of Harry's scar. It is not necessary for you to take care of signifying fonts, but if you do, it does make the cover interesting].

However, make sure that the font size is appropriate and doesn't take up the whole space in the cover. Keep it neatly aligned and if you want to see an example of how to do that, you can look at the picture below: