8+ Thriller Book Cover Designs & Templates – PSD, AI, ID, Pages, Publisher, DOC, PDF
Some people like to stray from the usual romance books found in the market. They look for another genre of writing that will keep them at the edge of their seats. One genre of fiction that surely fits for this kind of reading is a thriller. It is the kind of fiction that mixes mystery, darkness, and conflict. Thriller stories make readers feel anxious, hopeful and worried all at the same time. These stories can also be seen in television and movies.
Having a cover for the book that you’re writing is very important. It represents your book as a whole and attracts the reader’s’ attention. If you are writing a thriller novel, your cover should have a mysterious appeal to the readers. Check out our collection for some awesome templates that you can use for the cover. You may also see book cover designs.
Thriller Book cover Template
Free Thriller Book Cover Template
Thriller Book Cover Template
Modern Book Cover Template
Thrilling Book Cover Design
How To Write A Thriller Novel
Coming up with a thriller novel takes a lot of brainstorming, work, and patience. It takes a load of creativity in churning out a story that excites, saddens and makes people so anxious. This is how you write a thriller novel:
1. Map out the characters.
Determine the hero and antagonist. Breathe them into life by giving them distinct personalities and goals to achieve in the whole course of the story. You have to make a structure on how they interact with each other and other characters. They need to have a strong sense of being. You can make them as complicated as you want. You may also check out novel book cover templates.
2. Come up with an interesting plot.
Thrillers are exciting and suspenseful at the same time. In maintaining that kind of emotion, make an interesting and heart-stopping plot. Sustain the interest of the readers by weaving the narrative well. Connect things with each other, find possible loopholes, and patch them up. A boring thriller does not make you feel any of the emotions it should make you feel. With a good narrative, your story will be surely read by people. You might be interested in book cover design template.
3. Put twists that make sense.
A twist in a novel is not added for the purpose of shock value. It serves as a vehicle for the rest of the narrative to unfold. Make sure to write a twist that makes a good sense in the whole story and connects things that readers might think are disconnected. A plot twist can also change the expected outcome of the story. This literary technique is used most of the time or sparingly. Sometimes, a plot twist is already foreshadowed in the story. It keeps the interest of the readers and audiences to finish the whole story. You may also see free book mockup designs.
4. Play with words.
One thing about thriller novels is its extensive play of words. As a writer, you have to know how to play with words to vividly describe what’s happening in the story. Thrillers rely on descriptions, especially if it’s an action scene or the greatest showdown between the protagonist and antagonist. A knack for playing with words matter in maintaining the interest of the readers. You may also check out book template.
5. Put pressure and time constraints.
The story gets more exciting if pressure is applied to the characters to achieve the goal in a limited time. These get them to move around and have a stronger will to defeat the enemy. Time constraints also allow them to think of ways on how to solve their problems. You might be interested in journal cover designs.
6. Make matters more complicated.
As the story goes on, the plot thickens and gets more complicated. The more complicated matters are, the higher the stakes as well. It is in complicated matters that the hero learns one thing and another. This also gets the interest of the reader and will make them wonder how the story ends. You may also see wattpad book cover designs & templates.
7. Put a sense of unpredictability.
A good thing about thrillers is it has a sense of unpredictability. Play with that element while writing the story. It’s not much of a crime to make the readers think that one character holds the key to a great revelation and ending it up with another low-profile character being the center of attraction. Being predictable is too boring. Have it your way and make the readers guessing until the end. You may also see children’s book templates.
PSD Book Cover Template
Creative Book Cover Template
Book Cover Template PSD
Elements of A Thriller Story
When we think of thrillers, we automatically think of darkness, gritty murders, and heightened emotions. There are several elements that make a thriller story as it is. So the next time you read a thriller story or watch a thriller movie, take note of these very crucial elements. You may also like portfolio cover designs.
1. Cohesive and gripping narrative.
Thrillers are built with a cohesive and gripping narrative. Since one of its main goals is evoking emotions such as anxiety, fear, and hope, thriller stories are tightly-knitted and connected in several ways than one. A cohesive thriller narrative will make the readers guess and think what happens next. This is the best element of a well-loved and well-remembered story. You may also see great examples of magazine cover designs.
2. Character complexity and growth.
Characters are the prime movers of the story. You have to write characters that are understandably complicated and people love to love and hate at the same time. Thrillers are a journey, so make sure your characters don’t just remain who they are at first. Give them the growth they need. Make them learn the lessons that they have to learn as the story progresses. Characters in thriller stories, especially the protagonists, experience a big change in the end. You may also like beautiful notebook mockup designs.
3. Tension and raising stakes.
In writing thrillers, put your character at odds that they seem unable to fight. Give them the tension they need so they can work harder in achieving their main goal. Raise the stakes that they have to go against to heighten the reader’s anticipation of what happens next. Raising the stakes give more room for conflict, solutions and twist that no one expects. You may also check out book vectors.
4. Proactive over-reactive.
Being proactive is a must for a thriller story that relies on narrative and character interaction. The characters should make the first move before something happens. This saves them a lot of time and energy while the conflict is underway. You may also see sci-fi book cover templates.
5. Conflict and drama.
The conflict is the juiciest part of any narrative, especially in thrillers. It gets the story going and provides more room for characters to be at odds with each other. Add drama to the story to make it look more emotionally appealing and gripping to the readers. You may also see simple cover templates.
6. Turning point.
This usually follows the conflict and drama. The turning point should be connected to all the happenings in the story from the start and should serve as some sort of a conclusion on why it led there. It should explain some bigger parts of the story and a sneak peek at how it ends. This can be a showdown between the protagonist and the antagonist. It can also be a big revelation that changes the course of the whole story. The turning point is that one part that can make the story a success or fall short as the narrative ends. You may also see DVD cover templates.
7. Flashback.
The flashback is as important as the parts set in the present time. This connects some parts of the story that don’t seem to make sense from the start. Usually, a flashback is a revelation that shocks the readers. This is where they get the answers to the questions that they have on the story. Flashbacks are commonly found when a major plot point is being explained. You may also see PSD book cover designs.
8. Tied up loose ends.
In thrillers, most of the questions are answered by the end of the story. Most of the loose ends are tied up and give readers the answers they want. Some writers write their stories with full resolution on the plot and characters while some write cliffhangers. Whichever the case, the story should have a complete beginning, conflict, and resolution. You may also see ebook cover templates.
Simple Thriller Book Cover
Thriller Novel Cover Sample
Subgenres of Thriller
The thriller genre does not just subscribe to one genre. It has a lot of genres people can enjoy reading. These genres are put into different settings to make the story more appealing and entertaining. It’s refreshing to read a thriller story with a defined and concrete setting. Here is a list of common subgenres of a thriller. You may also see CD cover templates.
1. Medical thriller.
This kind of thriller is set on the field of medicine. It usually involves doctors who are using their expertise as a weapon against a strong enemy. Medical thrillers also involve elements of conflict such as the spread of a deadly virus, a murder done in surgeries, and pointing fingers on who did the error. Doctors are expected to butt heads with each other and solve the conflict in more bloody ways than one. You may also see album cover templates.
2. Psychological thriller.
In a psychological thriller, the conflict happens inside a person’s mind or a battle of wits to see who wins in the end. This kind of thriller puts the protagonist in a deadly situation that can lead them to insanity. In beating the antagonist, mental capabilities are used and put to a test. Psychological thrillers are a favorite among storytellers. It always keeps the viewers guessing what happens next.
3. Crime thriller.
In crime thrillers, a crime becomes the starting point of the whole story. As the protagonists solve the crime, several revelations will be unearthed that leads to the identity of the suspect. While the story progresses, the protagonists get a hard time in tracking the suspect due to unforeseen circumstances. The whole story of the crime is revealed in the flashback. Crime thrillers make people think about who did the crime since the possible suspects are not only limited to one person. You may also see free twitter cover templates.
4. Political thriller.
The backdrop of political thrillers is a government in conflict with its people. It also involves plot elements of corruption, dictatorship, assassination and toppling down the government. Another favorite trope in political thrillers is a conflict in the relation to a country to its neighbors. The protagonist is then hired to solve the conflict. Before gaining attention and growing as a character, the protagonist lives a simple and laid back life. You may also see professional book cover.
5. Spy thriller.
Spy thrillers are packed with action and twists of betrayal and revenge. What makes it a thriller is the itch of knowing the real culprit of a big crime that affects thousands of people and the way the characters don’t trust each other. Spy thrillers are set in a war or a huge-scale crisis that affects many. You may also see CD covers.
6. Supernatural thriller.
Supernatural beings get their fair share of being included in thriller stories as well. Otherworldly beings are portrayed as antagonists that bring a conflict to the story. The characters usually have supernatural abilities that beat the otherworldly beings. You may also like facebook cover templates.
7. Romantic thriller.
Romance and thriller are weaved together in the romantic thriller. Another favorite of writers and readers alike, romantic thrillers are set in a backdrop of a crime and involves the two main characters getting attracted to each other. As their relationship grows, they are being forced apart by other forces in the story. Their lives are even put at stake. Romantic thrillers have the right mix of romance and mystery. While the romance captivates the readers, the thriller part keeps their heart beating wildly. You may also see social media book cover templates.
8. Legal thriller.
Legal thrillers involve lawyers and courtroom scenes. A crime becomes the major plot point and the story of the murder is slowly solved. Legal thrillers present plots of a developing case. The protagonist is a lawyer who takes in a case for a client that proves to be deadly for the both of them. You may also see 3D book cover template.
9. Conspiracy thriller.
Conspiracy thrillers are set in a large and powerful organization that threatens to harm the people. The protagonist is set to confront this kind of enemy that he alone can see. In this, the conspiracy is slowly uncovered by the protagonist and he gets into life-threatening consequences for having done just that. It is packed with action and twists that will surely get readers flipping the next page. You may also like catalog cover templates.
10. Sci-fi thriller.
Breakthroughs in science are also fictionalized in a science fiction (abbreviated as sci-fi) thriller. It is usually set in the future with robots toppling down humans or a dystopian society that needs to be taken down by the protagonist. High technology is a vital role in sci-fi thrillers, as this gives more mystery and twists to the whole story.
Thrillers are fun to read and write. It gets your creativity going and you imagine everything in full color. While it makes you feel all sorts of emotions in one sitting, it also teaches lessons on life, death, trust, and betrayal. You may also see blue business book covers.
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