Book Cover Trends for 2026: The Next Chapter in Book Cover Design

Written by:

Chloe Messinger

The publishing world is always evolving, but 2026 promises some bold shifts in how books are presented — both online and in print.

How can we expect modern, on-trend covers to be created?

When it comes to cover designs for books aimed at adults, it is more popular than ever before to have a cover that is created digitally by a professional designer using commercially available stock imagery. The internet exploded into public use in the 1990s, and now, almost four decades later (yes, I feel old!), this has resulted in us having unlimited access to an enormous variety of commercial-free images just waiting to be used for your cover design.

While there isn’t a comprehensive “official list” showing exactly which stock images were used on specific books (mostly due to the images used being 100% free for commercial use anyway — meaning there’s no need for publishers to disclose something that is already freely available to everyone), industry reporting and design-trend analysis confirm that stock imagery remains a widely used tool in book cover design in 2025, and continues to be as we head into 2026.

What visual aspects will we see on upcoming book covers?

A large majority of commercially released book covers shown in trend round-ups (for a variety of different genres) display aspects such as silhouettes, textures, photography and digital illustration — and these elements are often sourced from stock imagery, which are then altered and customised by the designer.

These days, professional, visually compelling cover designs are more accessible than ever, as designers harness commercially available resources to deliver high-impact results without significant cost.

When you look a little closer at new covers emerging in 2026, you’ll see how silhouettes, textures, photographs and more have all been cleverly edited to create eye-catching and on-trend cover designs.

Where Yesterday Inspires Tomorrow

In 2025, book cover design was shaped by a mix of bold typography, simplified symbolism and highly polished imagery, with many commercial titles favouring strong type-led covers, limited colour palettes and clean compositions that read clearly at thumbnail size. While photographic and stock-based imagery has remained popular, there has been a noticeable shift toward illustration (whether that’s done digitally or using hand-drawn elements), abstraction and graphic minimalism, especially in fiction aimed at an adult audience.

As we move into 2026, covers are becoming more concept-driven and less literal, with designers prioritising distinctive visual identities, expressive type, and artwork that signals tone rather than plot. The overall trajectory points toward greater originality, restraint and brand coherence, while still balancing marketability and thumbnail visibility.

So what cover design trends can we expect to see in 2026?

From evolving styles to fresh ideas, I’ve compiled a list of the top eight cover design trends shaping the year ahead. Read on to explore what’s coming next.

1. Typography Takes Centre Stage

One of the biggest shifts you’ll see in 2026 is the use of typography not just as text, but as the main visual element of a cover. Designers are increasingly using oversized, high-contrast typefaces that dominate the cover and communicate tone instantly. This is a strategy that works especially well in a crowded digital marketplace where covers must stand out even at thumbnail size.

Strong typography helps covers “stop the scroll” on sites like Amazon, Goodreads, and social media. Titles might occupy the whole front with minimal or no imagery. Designers mix serif and sans-serif in unexpected ways to convey mood and genre before a reader even reads the blurb.

Example: This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum. Bold lettering becomes part of the scene and the main visual element of the cover.

2. Distorted or Warped Text

With text becoming the main visual element for the cover and the most important thing to catch a reader’s eye at thumbnail size, designers are making the text a work of art itself. Not only will there textures and shadows used across titles, you’ll see text become stretched, fluid-like, frozen over, glowing, appear 3D and more. You’ll notice this across many different genres being applied in different ways, such as across contemporary fiction and thrillers, but particularly across genres such as science-fiction and dystopian novels, where the designer can suggest another world or atmosphere through the text.

Example: American Fantasy by Emma Straub. The text on the cover is designed to catch the eye first, bubbling out in a 3D effect towards the viewer.

3. Contrast and Colour

Bold colours and bold type became popular in 2025 across many genres, and this trend is evolving in 2026. Designers are favouring bright, saturated colours. Expect to see high colour intensity and contrast.

Certain genres such as crime fiction and horror still use moody palettes, but they now rely on sharp, colourful injections of colour, jewel tones and dramatic colour interplay to draw the eye.

From bright neon titles to unexpected pairings that demand attention, colour is no longer just for background — it’s a tool for emotion and genre signalling.

Example: Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell. The cover shows bright, sharp colours paired with jewel tones and dramatic colour interplay.

4. Shapes That Speak

Geometry is taking shape across covers in 2026, especially for genres such as Contemporary Fiction, Speculative Fiction and Mystery.

Bold shapes, circles, grids, frames, repeating patterns and layered designs aren’t just decorative; they organize the entire layout, guiding the eye and creating a strong sense of balance. Depending on how they’re arranged, they can feel orderly, mysterious, connected, or fragmented.

Paired with minimal colour palettes or high-contrasting colours, geometric designs feel modern, confident, and instantly recognizable. Perfect for covers that need to be smart, conceptual, and visually striking at any size.

Example: The Astral Library by Kate Quinn. The library of books all appear to turn on different circular layers with the innermost circle in darker blue hues, drawing the eye to the centre of the cover.

5. The Human Touch in a Tech World

We are currently living in the age of AI, and so in turn, AI is a trend for book covers itself. AI can generate covers quickly and cheaply, so naturally you will see more AI-generated covers in 2026 than ever before.

Yet, as AI generated imagery becomes more prevalent, there’s a clear push back for human-driven creativity in 2026. Authenticity and creative balance is celebrated over sterile, digital precision.

When AI is asked to design a cover, it tries to show everything: the characters, settings, plot, symbolism – the whole book! If you know anything about selling a book, you’ll know that this is the complete opposite of what a cover should show. AI is very literal, whereas a book cover should give a hint at what’s inside, not tell the whole story.

However, used correctly, AI can be a powerful tool for a designer. It can extend an already existing image or seamlessly add to an image an object that wasn’t there before. AI is especially useful for giving you a photo-realistic image for a particular character.

When AI is used subtly to add to a cover, it can genuinely help. You can expect to see AI across a wide range of genres. Keep an eye out for this being used especially in genres such as historical fiction and fantasy, where details for characters, worlds and time periods need to be specific and accurate.

There are no examples at present of upcoming book covers that use AI in 2026. This may suggest the concern around the ethics of using AI-generated art, and the pushback for more authentically created cover designs.

6. Back to the drawing board

We’ve seen the rise of AI, and in 2026 we’ll be seeing a comeback of covers that feel more hand-rendered. These covers will showcase painterly styles and brushstrokes, textured digital paintings, collage, hand-drawn elements, and textures that give a feel to the cover, calling back to traditional ways of creating art (such as the shine of oil paint, dusting of chalk and smudging of charcoal). You can expect to see this style across a range of genres, but most suitably across modern contemporary fiction, romance and YA fiction books, where the designer is looking to evoke emotion through brushstrokes and hand-drawn fonts.

Example: Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune. All aspects of the cover appear hand painted, rich with colour and texture. The text appears hand-drawn, as though painted across the cover. There is even the addition of paint dripping down the cover, giving it a more unique, one-of-a-kind feel.

7. A World of Layers

If you’re looking to step into another world in 2026, you’ll be mesmerized by the trend emerging across fantasy, cosy fiction and mythological fiction. Covers for these genres are becoming full of intricate details, ornaments, symbols and hidden motifs that are all carefully crafted into scenes that draw you in to another world. They invite the reader to pause and prepare to be transported to another place entirely.

Example: Queen of Faces by Petra Lord. Instantly recognisable as a fantasy novel with its intricate details, selective colour palette and suggestive silhouettes and ornaments.

8. Flowers and botanicals

While you’ll have seen flowers and filigree patterns on book covers for a long time, designers are changing their approach in 2026. We will see how plants aren’t just decoration, but incorporated as part of the character’s features or woven into the text to evoke certain emotions. Flowers are growing to have a deeper meaning on a book cover. You’ll notice this most across romance and fantasy fiction, but designers are also using plant material in a darker way across thrillers and horror novels.

Example: The Verdant Cage by Jess Lourey. The cover shows leaves being used symmetrically to form the shape of a skull, whilst also weaving into the text. A striking example of plants being used in a sinister way for this dystopian thriller.

Covers That Click

2026’s cover trends reflect broader changes in how people consume visual media. Designers are balancing digital performance with artistic depth, bold typography with expressive imagery, and tech tools with human intuition.

In the end, the most effective book covers in 2026 balance bold structure with subtle detail. Big shapes, clear hierarchy, and strong contrast capture the eye, while textures, embossing, foil, and delicate illustrations reward a closer look.

What may appear deceptively simple online is often a masterclass in thoughtful restraint in print. The covers that will win in 2026 are those that work seamlessly at any size, grabbing attention digitally while offering a tactile, immersive experience on the shelf.