I dont really like my book cover. I did design another one but Im worried that readers that arent following me might only recognize my book from the cover. Is it a good idea to change book covers mid way through a story.

Also if the book isnt performing aswell as hoped could a change in cover help?

I guess they will still see the name or at least recognize it when they'll see it. 
I don't know about RR (tho it must be the same as elsewhere), but usually yes it helps since the cover is one of the first things that will attract new readers.

NellielDC Wrote: I guess they will still see the name or at least recognize it when they'll see it. 
I don't know about RR (tho it must be the same as elsewhere), but usually yes it helps since the cover is one of the first things that will attract new readers.

Thanks, that makes sense.

For me personally (so long as the cover was as good if not better than previous) I've only seen an uptick in views and followers with each cover change. Granted, my first cover was pretty crappy (made it myself and was so proud, but times change) and it could only go up from there. Yours is actually pretty good, but I think change is also good as new eyes see it and someone who may not would've clicked on this one may give another a chance.

I do make sure to post the new cover on the latest chap before I change it to see if my followers like it and get feedback, and then they also become accustomed to seeing it before it's changed. Plus, I've found the awesome folk who follow the ramblings of my mind just like updates on what I'm doing.

Maybe that'll help a bit. :-)

~Rhea

Rhea Wrote: For me personally (so long as the cover was as good if not better than previous) I've only seen an uptick in views and followers with each cover change. Granted, my first cover was pretty crappy (made it myself and was so proud, but times change) and it could only go up from there. Yours is actually pretty good, but I think change is also good as new eyes see it and someone who may not would've clicked on this one may give another a chance.

I do make sure to post the new cover on the latest chap before I change it to see if my followers like it and get feedback, and then they also become accustomed to seeing it before it's changed. Plus, I've found the awesome folk who follow the ramblings of my mind just like updates on what I'm doing.

Maybe that'll help a bit. :-)

~Rhea

Thanks Rhea thats some great advice.

I say go for it.

There's a lot of advice that pours out about covers for Indie and Webserial authors. Typical advice includes choosing a cover that portrays the genre at a glance. For Isekai, a lot of the web serials and, hah, almost all of the manga and LN covers are basically "Protagonist alone with hand extended up doing magic/holding weapon/looking chill" or "Protagonist and side-character/support cast beaming into the camera in varying poses".  I would suggest joining a writer discord and then finding some other authors to take a look at your cover and see what they think. The Traditional publishing contracts I've seen often don't even stipulate letting the author choose a cover. The story gets written and then an artist is commissioned.

I digress. Back to your direct question. I know several authors that continue to hit RS on Royal Road time and again who change covers, sometimes while they're trending or racing to the top. Wanting to hold off on commissioning better covers until they know their story is on the rails with their viewership. Some of the longer series will change covers just to update where they are, volume-wise, nodding to current content. I wouldn't change covers if I thought the new cover wasn't better though.

For increasing your audience having a more eye-catching cover can definitely be a benefit, but you might be better served by quietly looking into exchanging shout-outs with other authors or asking your friends if they wouldn't mind looking at your fic and adding advanced reviews. Advanced Reviews and shout-outs are considered solid choices for exposure on Royal Road.

Cheers.

I've been changing my cover repeatedly after every new chapter. I no longer see the cover as a book cover and more of an opertunity to show what characters look like.

I can also use it to show scenes in my book. It's all thanks to AI art. I even have a pixiv account where I post art of my story.

I haven't really noticed any difference in viewership. All I can say is it's better to have a cover than not.

I feel my cover swap was definitely a good move. Give it a try and see how it goes, you can always change it back if you don't feel it's performing as well.

Your cover is the most important thing because it's the first thing people see. It's especially important in the age of screen reading where attention spans are so low. If you don't think your cover is getting your story the engagement it should get, change it and see what happens.

I've changed my cover at least 10 times, if not more. And while your cover needs to be eye-catching, I think changing it too many times is detrimental to its success. I've got no data or facts to back that up, but it's what my mind tells me. So while I have another five different designs ready to go, I keep the one I have now for as long as I can just to keep the stability of it. 

Go for it; I could see your concern about people not recognizing the book, but if they're following it already or looking for it frequently they're doing it by title or by your name. A new and better cover will likely help you bring in new readers faster, and that's the name of the game.

Plus if you notice that you're not getting hits like you were, you can always change it back afterwards! Only way to know for sure is to test it.

Smack a poll in your next chapter. If people like the new one, go with it.