http://www.singlecopysales.com/covers/ There are established norms in magazine covers:  left-justify your cover lines, use a photo instead of an illustration, use numbers, and so on.  And these are known and followed for a reason: they work.  So it makes sense to learn these rules, use them, issue after issue, year after year. But every publisher knows that there is no real substitute for inspiration.  

http://www.singlecopysales.com/covers/ While  it is more possible than ever before to get a quick, inexpensive read on consumer response to your newsstand covers through online testing, sometimes it still makes sense to do a newsstand split. In either case, there are a few things to keep in mind.

http://www.singlecopysales.com/covers/ Through resources available on line, it is more possible than ever before to get a quick, inexpensive read on consumer response to your newsstand covers. Whether you are testing your covers on line via your website, through an email survey, or through a newsstand split, there are a few things to keep in mind.

http://www.singlecopysales.com/covers/ Energize your magazine’s cover lines. A rule of good cover writing is to bring in the reader, to imply the “you.” For this reason, drop the “ings” wherever possible. Make your cover lines active, directive, imperative, not passive and indirect. Instead of saying “Directing Your Own Movie” say “Direct Your Own Movie”. Don’t say “Enjoying Your Summer”—tell your readers to “Enjoy Your Summer.”

http://www.singlecopysales.com/covers/ Your magazine cover’s image and the image’s background should be simple and clears.  Don’t make your newsstand reader work to figure out what your image is trying to say. Let it tell its story at a glance.  A busy background confuses the eye, detracts from the central image, and makes the cover lines difficult to read. On the other side of the equation, there is virtually no benefit to a busy background. Why use it?

http://www.singlecopysales.com/covers/ Use Powerful Words on Your Magazine Cover. Copywriters in different media have found certain words to be powerful and effective. Those words retain their appeal year after year, cover after cover.

http://www.singlecopysales.com/covers/ Your magazine cover’s logo must be big, bold, immediately visible. It should be left-justified or, if centered, should take up the entire top portion of the cover, spanning it from left to right. 

http://www.singlecopysales.com/covers/ In addition to your magazine’s cover image and cover lines, there are additional design tricks you may use to catch the readers attention, create excitement and urgency, and ultimately close the sale. 

http://www.singlecopysales.com/covers/ Use numbers on your magazine covers. People want to know what they are getting, how much they are getting. Tell them! The number doesn’t have to be huge—in fact, an overly-large number can be overwhelming. Seven great getaways; 12 holiday recipes; 21 easy patterns. The numbers tell the people precisely what they are going to get, and whet their appetites for what is to come.

http://www.singlecopysales.com/covers/ Your cover image must be clear, immediately recognizable. It needs to tell its story at a glance. Some people recommend always including people on the cover–and this is bad advice.