Support for Indie Authors discussion

What type of cover do you like, matte or glossy cover. This is for a YA fantasy, but in general too, all genres. Does one wear better than the other? Thanks!

I have a non fiction book - and my cover is glossy. Interesting I opted for white pages and a century gothic font and I am getting lots of feedback about how people love that due to it being so much easier to read - so go figure.

I like glossy personally

T.E. Lawrence loved 10pt Caslon. Usually twelve is more readable.

I was an advertising art director for twenty-five years and glossy seems to wear better. Plus the art appears to look cleaner. My covers are always glossy.

But as always that's a personal opinion.

M.L. wrote: "What type of cover do you like, matte or glossy cover. This is for a YA fantasy, but in general too, all genres. Does one wear better than the other? Thanks!"

I have chosen matte for all my book covers. As a retired graphic designer, I think matte is "classier" and it also doesn't show greasy fingerprints as much.

This is helpful! I'll be going to the library as soon as another book is available so I'll take a look.

I've done glossy on one series and matte on the other. My readers feedback is they like the matte better. (Yes, I actually have asked that to see what my readers like.)

I like matte for the sole reason of the fingerprints, too. But if the book sounds good, I'm not going to turn my nose at it because of a glossy cover.

Anne, that's a great idea... asking what your readers prefer.

Stefanie, I also prefer matte due to the fingerprints issue, but paranormal books with jewel-tone colors like purple, hot pink, and aqua look so much better on a glossy cover.

I've always done matte.

I always order a copy in each to see how they compare. Though I generally like matte, my current book has a dark cover which looked a little muddy in matte, so I went glossy.

I like both and I've bought both, so I think I'll do the same, order one in each. My cover is, I guess you could say, 'bright,' so I'd like to see what it looks like with both. :)

I recall a discussion at a writer’s conference several years ago where the presenter said it depends on the genre - what is more typical of traditionally published books in your (fantasy) genre? Rather than just looking at covers to see what you like, look at books similar to yours. What do they do? Unfortunately, I don’t remember any of the recommendations the presenter gave, but by going with the norm, your self-published book won’t stand out in an unprofessional way.

That sounds good. Yes, I looked at mine and for YA contemporary fantasy/urban fantasy, glossy. I'll do glossy. I think it fits and has sort of a, well, fantasy feel. Thanks!

I suppose glossy has a "garish" quality, which is why it was the perfect choice for my memoir given the story and cover art. The content of the book should be taken into consideration in making this decision.

I love the black glossy. Love the glossy look, the whole book.

I just got the proof for my first glossy book and it looks great. This one is a comedy so the shine is nice. It's also about zombies, so if the book starts to peel, that works too.

I think we need to ask ourselves if the book leans more comedy (glossy) or tragedy (matte) to help decide.

I just saw it. It looks great. I would definitely pick it up if I saw it. :)

I've heard glossy for children's books because that's more durable with regards to fingerprints and dirt.

I myself have published both adult and children's novels and picture books and can say glossy is always a good option as it gives a little extra durability to the cover. When I illustrated a cover for another author, who at first choose matt the colours didn't liven up the same the contrast of the colours just looked to flat. So then she decided glossy was best.

I ordered proofs in both matte and glossy. Glossy looked more like the photoshop artwork as displayed on the monitor. In the end I looked at books on my shelves and opted for matte as I noticed glossy covers do not wear so well. If the book is read more than once, as my wife reads her favorites, a glossy cover will begin to crack and in some cases delaminate. I went with matte for my novel, a Supernatural Thriller. Hope this is helpful...

I've always used matte covers.

Matte covers are better.

My covers tend to be on the dark side, so I go glossy because they "pop" better. I went matte on two of my books, and both came out muddy, one so much so it was a bit hard to see the figures. I find both end up with fingerprints and with glossy you can at least wipe them down with a damp cloth. In my personal library, I've never had a problem with de-laminating with glossy covers, no matter how many times I read the book.

I agree that glossy can look better with a darker cover, matte if it's pale.

The reason I switched to matte was during my travels, the glossy rubbed and showed the scuff marks. I like matte even on my witch book. The one problem I have with matte is a residue that didn't get cleaned off. A simple way to fix that is with a damp finger and rub it off. You do what works best for you.

Check out the best-sellers in your genre in trad publishing and go with what they have. Mine ( women's fiction mainly) are always matte for that reason.

While each other has their short-comings and benefits over each other, I feel it comes down to personal preference. For me personally, I like a glossy paperback aince it helps the picture come alive, but I prefer matte coverings for hardback books-especially when they have a duster jacket.

I prefer matte covers myself. I've never been a fan of glossy covers I find they show up every mark and stain much more than matte

Considerations of genre trends always takes precedence with me, but I also consider how the color will look. Those who order proofs of both matte and glossy have it right, I think. My recent nonfiction cover is matte, predominantly green, and I get many compliments. I also think a matte finish has a nicer texture, is more "touchable."

I prefer matte myself, but I have an interesting data point for comparison. A fellow author (R. Litfin) often sells her fantasy novels at outdoor festivals & Renaissance faires. As you can imagine, these kick up a bit of dust from all the people walking around. You can wipe dust off glossy covers much more easily than matte!

In this case, for my first ever novel I went for glossy. The reason for this was cover was painting. After this trilogy though I may be going the matte road.

I ordered my proof books in both matte and glossy, and I liked the glossy better. Like L.H. said my cover is a painting, and the colors were more vibrant in the glossy version.

M.L., as an artist who is VERY, and I mean VEEEEEEEERY picky about coloring, I would combine the cover finish with the image on the cover's feeling.

Example: Your book is named "The Snow Princess" and has a regal lady who wears jewels in a Winter landscape. You would want the feeling of Winter, which is shiny and glossy.
Example 2: Your book is named "The Lost Tale of the Wild West" and features a cowboy in a dusty landscape. You would want a matte cover with that.

As for me, I don't publish physical books (would hate to kill trees for that), but if I were to do it, my novels are about love, sex, romance, humor and mystery. Definitely a "glossy" finish to them.

Hi, if it helps, I originally set my cover to a matt finish but when the first batch have arrived I am disappointed. My cover is quite dark and the detailing is a little lost. I've just reset my cover to glossy and have ordered a few to see what it looks like. If it doesn't work I can switch it back but I think glossy is going to make it pop a bit more. :)

It happened to me once. After I ordered the proof, the matte didn't look right (although it had worked perfectly with the previous book). I changed to glossy and ordered another proof that turned out great.

Glossy, definitely.

The answer depends on your genre, target audience and the company you printed with. Tell us more.