Using the right fonts on your book cover helps tell the reader what genre your book fits into and elicits an emotional response. You want it to look great, but also be appropriate, fit in well with the cover design, and (probably) be just a little more interesting than a standard font.
So I’ve put together some cheat-sheets of the best fonts to use for your book cover, divided by genre.
In general, stick to 1 “fancy” or decorative font, and keep the other fonts very simple. You don’t want them to compete.
Also – the MOST important thing about your book cover (for fiction at least) is the picture – so don’t distract or cover it up with the text. Let the picture do its work, make the text more subtle, by blending in with the image as one art piece.
For non-fiction, the most important thing is the text, mostly the subtitle. Use simple serif or sans-serif fonts.
To use these: find the font you like and Google it. (The name of each font is written in that font).
Some fonts are free, some aren’t.
There are LOTS more, but this is a good start.
Want to download all these fonts in a simple PDF? Click here.
PS. I feel like I should apologize for this post: it’s become really popular, because it’s useful, but it was only meant as a suggestion for the *kinds* of appropriate fonts to use for each genre. A lot of these fonts are outdated, overused or too flashy. You’d probably do better to google “best fonts for [genre]” and choose some good ones. Fonts on CreativeMarket tend to be higher quality. Try to avoid free fonts unless you’re sure they’re for personal *and* commercial use – or sometimes you can donate to the designer.
Finally, here’s an updated version with just my favorite fantasy fonts. Of those, there are about 5 fonts I’d actually rely on, and this is true with most genres, certain fonts are go-to, until they become overused.
These fonts are a bit too showy or flashy for most books, but should help point you in the right direction.
Best Fantasy Fonts for book cover design
The above lists are a little old, here’s a newer version of some fancy, beautiful fonts for fantasy book covers. Sorry this image isn’t high quality, not sure what happened to it. Keep in mind, this is kind of too much. Most fantasy and urban fantasy covers use the same *best* fonts which are….
1. Cinzel
2. Brilon
3. Love Moon
4. Yana
But if you’re looking for something more creative, here’s a list.
Also here are some of the Free fantasy fonts I included in my online book cover maker. I’ll be adding templates there soon to help make your covers easier.
Best scifi fonts for book covers design
Here’s a list of some free scifi fonts I found. These aren’t necessarily *the best* – those tend to be paid – but I choose free fonts to put inside my online cover creator tool. I’ll be making templates over there soon, and there are a bunch of cover design tutorials to help you avoid common cover design mistakes.
Cover design secrets that sell books
If you need help, make sure to download my free guide!
I’ve helped design over 1000 book covers, including hundreds of bestsellers – download my free book to learn all the insider secrets I use to sell more books. Click here to get it now. I’ll also share some of the advanced book marketing tactics I’ve used to make a full-time income with my writing.
7 must have qualities for a book cover that sells
Here’s an updated article on cover design; and if you want to see these fonts in action, take a look at EbookLaunch’s choices for best book cover fonts.
More book cover design resources
- 300+ Fool-Proof Fonts to use for your Book Cover Design
- Where to find royalty-free stock images for your book cover
- Cover design secrets that sell books
- Midjourney for Book Cover Design
I’m a philosophy dropout with a PhD in Literature. I covet a cabin full of cats, where I can write fantasy novels to pay for my cake addiction. Sometimes I live in castles.
