Most writers aren’t designers and that’s okay. But, a writer who self publishes needs to get comfortable with what good cover design looks like. Unfortunately, that can become a bit of a quagmire — a web search for good design will have you reading for the rest of your life… or at least a couple of weeks. So, where to begin? Well, my favorite place to start is the bookstore closest to you, and not just because I’m a caffeine addict. You can learn a lot by browsing. Take the time to notice spine design that calls to you. Evaluate front covers and back covers. Look in the area particular to your genre. Look in a couple of areas that have nothing to do with your genre. This is nothing approaching a technical education, but you should be able to start to describe some of the things you like and want to see on your own cover. You can do this at a library, too; none of the libraries where I live are large enough to have a coffee shop inside though, so I’ll stick to bookstores!