Authors who want to maximize the impact of their books ought to enter reputable book contests. (The operative word is reputable.) Plenty of scam artists prey upon the dreams of scribes who want their books to reach the masses.

I found out yesterday that Reimagining Collaboration was a finalist for the Indie Excellence Awards in the Business: General category. I then discovered that the book didn’t win.

During the period in which my hopes to take home the hardware hung in the balance, I reviewed the other nominees:

When it comes to book covers, think necessary, not sufficient.

These are all professional covers—not simply stock images with text hastily superimposed on top of them.

Of course, a compelling cover guarantees exactly zilch. Without one, however, good luck getting noticed and selling a bunch of books—much less winning any awards.

Put differently, book covers are necessary but not sufficient for success. The presence of once guarantees nothing, but the absence of one all but guarantees crickets when your book drops.