A good ebook cover is avisual, strategic and emotional glance into the contents of your writing.
This isn’t just a topic of vanity and of having a “professional looking cover”, though.
It’s a truly important part ofyour self-publishing journey.
Moreover, there’s no arguing with the fact that booksarejudged by their covers.
A shoddy cover suggests shoddy content, even when that content may be the best content in the world.
it’s crucial that you just browse the many free titles on Amazon to see what I mean.
Image Credit: (Book Cover for Closure)Derek Murphy
“Interesting”, I thought.
Unless I strained my eyes to try and read the title.
Or strained my brain trying to decipher what the images were all about.
On the other hand,The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmescover immediately peaked my curiosity.
All because I received some sort of insight into the book simply from its cover.
Get Some Inspiration
Before sitting down to design your cover, get a hearty dose of inspiration.
Image Credit: (Book Cover for Closure)Derek Murphy
Walk around your local bookstore and take photos of all the covers that you justhaveto pick up.
Don’t forget to study the covers that justdon’tgrab your attention too.
You’ll be able to learn a lot about whatnotto do.
Aspect ratio (dimensions are almost always in pixels), file size, and resolution.
You should also check relevant publishing sites etc to ensure this information is up to date.
Each site/e-reader has its own preferences (which change pretty much every year).
For B&N especially you have to ensure the file is less than 2 MB.
However, they may soon follow in the footsteps of Amazon.
First:Avoid cheesy, clichestock images at all costs.
You don’t want your cover looking like other mediocre, corny covers out there.
Most people can recognise these clichestock photos from a million miles away.
Second:Don’t be too literal.
The words within the book should be able to create the image in your readers' mind.
Approach Typography Carefully
Typographyis a huge topic for dedicated graphic designers.
see to it the font is large enough to be read, even on thumbnails.
This often helps to make the title more readable by giving more contrast against the background.
For ebook covers, concentrate on including only your title and author name.
There’s generally no room for recommendations, quotes from reviews, sub-headers etc.
like there are on print books, so save these for inside the book itself.
And finally, ensure you have the rights to use the font you choose commercially.
For this, you’re able to use sites likeMyFontsandFontSquirrel.
Simplicity Is Key
Try not to do too much with your cover.
As the ol' saying goes, “less it more”.
Minimalism is in Vogue.
Bear this in mind throughout your cover design process.
If it doesn’t generate curiosity about your book, you should probably leave it out.
There are plenty of designs out there that are complex and overpowering.
By having a simple clean cover, your book will stand out against the crowd.
If needed, you’ve got the option to also pay a small fee for additional features.
There areother cover design tools availablethat help, but the results they churn out are less than stellar.
It’ll save you hours upon hours of heartache while ensuring your book looks professional.
Conclusion
In all, having a well-designed cover for your ebook should be taken seriously.
If you have designed an ebook cover, share your best tips.
Which are the tools and resources that are invaluable?
