Putting Together the Cover of My Memoir

The Front Cover

By Hadiatou Wann | 12/24/22

The first thing people see when they look at a book is its cover.  There are two things that the front cover needs to have to give a reader the chance to decide whether he or she wants to purchase that book: the title and image/design. Every writer is different. Some writers come up with the content of the book first and then the title. For me, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala always inspires me with a title first, then I begin the process of writing the book. After deciding to wear the hijab, I knew that at some point I would write a book for children or adults, embracing hijab and/or walking them through the journey.

Once Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala inspired me with the title “Modest in the West: An Untainted Journey of Wearing Hijab,” I researched the title on Amazon and Google to ensure that it was not out there already. When people read a title, it should give them an overview of what the book is about. It is not easy trying to summarize an entire book in a title, and since this book was a nonfiction, I knew I needed a subtitle to make it clearer for the reader. Anyone from other faiths can dress modestly, so the title “Modest in the West” was not sufficient. I wanted people to know that my book’s about a Muslimah’s journey toward modesty. That is why I needed the word hijab in the subtitle.

When I thought of being a Muslim in the West, automatically, I had this idea of me now dressed in hijab and in front of skyscrapers, given that I spent most of my life in New York City. I reached out to my photographer (Beth Brown), and she loved the vision! I had to find the right outfit and location.

In chapter 9 of my memoir, I talk about how the fall of the World Trade Center impacted me. When I looked for locations, I found a hotel that was across where the World Trade Center once stood strong and tall. While I stood there covered in hijab, I was a bit nervous because I didn’t know how people would perceive a Muslimah posing in front of where a horrific terrorist attack took place years back. However, my intentions were good. Despite being up on the 20th floor and going against the turbulent wind, my photographer (Beth Brown) captured the epic cover I was aiming for!

The Back Cover

I hired a book designer who is in Sri Lanka (Sam Smith). Sam did the typography for the front cover and the back cover layout and design. The back cover of the book is usually where the description of the book goes. At a library or bookstore, when readers pick up a book and look at the front cover, most of the time they turn the book around and read the back cover (the description) to find out if they should spend their time and money on this book. I had to think deeply about how to summarize my memoir in 100 to 200 words without saying too much or too little, all the while aiming to move the reader so he or she could decide to invest their time and money on this book.

Some authors choose to put a blurb on the back cover while others don’t. Since this book is about hijab, I wanted to include blurbs by trailblazers and highlight the person behind the brand. I also wanted to highlight Muslim-owned modest brands. That way, after reading my memoir, if people are interested in dressing modestly, they can check out the brands I listed. A fellow author also agreed to read my memoir and provide an honest review that will be included on the back cover.

I reached out to founders and CEOs of modest brands. Three of them agreed to read my manuscript and provide a blurb for the back cover, but unfortunately the third one did not submit it in time. These people have busy lives and run businesses, so I was fortunate enough to get them to do this. Some of the people I contacted to write a blurb never responded to my email, but that’s okay. It’s all part of the journey.

This time around, instead of placing it on the interior of the book, I added my author photo (which Beth photographed in 2019) and a short description about me, and ways to connect with me, on the back cover. The ISBN (International Standard Book Number), a 13-digit number (assigned only to me) that makes it easy for readers and retailers to locate my book, goes at the bottom right of the back cover. I’m so excited about the release of my memoir. I hope you find it valuable!