A reader may know never to judge a book by its cover, but the cover is the first part of the book that the reader will see. When you publish a manga-style comic, you need a stunning cover to compel readers to give your book a look. Since manga traditionally appears in black and white, the cover could be the one place where you get to draw your work in color. Study bestselling manga covers and then create your own.
Instructions
1. Brainstorm ideas for your manga cover. Look over popular manga covers and take note of thematic elements. Engaging backgrounds, vibrant colors and close-ups of one or two manga characters appear time and time again. Characters often appear in mid-action poses rather than in static poses.
2. Draw a thumbnail sketch of your manga cover, front and back. Roughly divide the paper in half with a ruler and pencil. Draw the front cover on the right side of the page if you want your manga to read in the American left-to-right format. Draw the front cover on the left side if you want your manga in the Japanese right-to-left format. Include the characters and basic background you want on your paper. Place the manga title and your author credit on the page as well.
3. Draw the front of your manga cover. Your finished manga cover will be 8 inches in length and 11 inches in height. If you draw digitally, create a 8-inch by 11-inch template for your work. If you draw on paper, fold your 11-inch by 16-inch piece of paper in half and draw on the right or left side of the paper, depending on which direction you have chosen.
4. Draw or design the back cover of your manga. The back cover of your manga can include a drawing or a summary of your manga. Include the price as well. Design the back cover on the untouched side of your 11-inch by 16-inch piece of paper. If you design the back cover digitally, do so on another 8-inch by 11-inch template. When finished, open up a blank 11-inch by 16-inch template. Paste each cover onto one half of the document.
5. Print or copy the cover in color on 11-inch by 16-inch paper. Make as many copies as you want.
6. Fold the papers in half so that the front cover and the back cover are separate.
7. Add the manga pages inside. The manga pages should also be on folded 11-inch by 16-inch paper.
8. Unfold the pages. Staple the manga cover to the manga pages along the spine. The top of the staples should appear on the outside.
