Creating a good book cover

Not thrilled about the idea of creating your own cover. A professional designer brings more than just photoshop skills to the table. In certain cases, using stock photos for book covers can be problematic. Although i dont know carl personally, he does joe konraths covers and also has some sales on readymade covers now and then which is a great idea to keep costs down. Browse the topics below to learn about creating an ebook cover. The 60 best book covers of 2016, as chosen by designers as chosen by the best book cover designers in the business.

Theyve always got a wealth of resources, from howto guides to blog posts packed with design inspiration. Are you looking for a free book cover creator for your book. A truly great jacket is one that captures the book inside it in some fundamental and. Creating a cover page from a template is easy enough, but if you dont like any of the builtin designs, you can create your own. A book cover design should not only give the viewer an idea of the content and mood of the book but should also be eyecatching to encourage students browsing in the library like customers in a bookstore to pick up a book they may not be familiar with. But before we get to our recommendations, we should start with a caveat. While its understandable that its the last thing you want to write after finalizing your book, its worth setting aside a good amount of time to give it the attention it deserves and needs. Before we get into why most authors hate writing their back book cover blurb, lets clarify what it actually is.

An easy tip to follow is simply to make the title bigger than you normally would. Images should be created at roughly 1659px wide by 2500px tall to cover the new requirements from most of the vendors. But if i had to pick an area that takes up the majority of my bookrelated time, it would be creating library book displays. Regardless of how you come to the cover, youre going to make a few choices before your book goes live. But now you want to make a full print cover for createspace or lightning source, or others. Sep 06, 2019 if youre on the hunt for some free book cover makers, youre probably looking to diy the cover for your book. So its a good idea to have as much preparation as you can get, to work out exactly what you should be looking for in a good cover design, and exactly what to avoid. Hes created ingenious covers for reissues of dostoyevsky, kafka, and.

This is because a book cover is a piece of art with a specific purpose. Most indie publishing experts will warn you against making your own book cover, with good reason. There are good and bad book covers, and a good designer can clearly tell you the difference between them. You buy those things from people who are experts at making them. Some of the covers arent that good, but others are very well done and not too expensive.

The dominant colors in an image influence mood and play a role in creating the contrast necessary to draw attention to the design. How to make your own free book cover in ms word the. And, when youre done, come back and share it with us. Now you know the basics of how to use this e book cover creator to form your book cover, but you can take as much time as you need to ensure your artwork is spoton. How good your book cover looks, will depend on what pictures or art you use and how well they fit together. What makes a good book cover of course, catching a potential book buyers eye is only part of mendelsunds job. Mar 29, 2019 how to use powerpoint to create a book cover. Four steps to create a great cover for your selfpublished. If you dont know a lick about design, adobe is a good place to be.

How to create a book cover for free publishdrive blog. Join chris mattia for an indepth discussion in this video creating a book cover, part of ibooks author essential training. It is horses for courses when designing your book cover with free book cover creator tools. Using the technique in this book, creating a book cover can be fast, easy, and fun. It really couldnt get any easier to design the book cover youre after. Mar 21, 2016 in this post, ill explain what makes a compelling book cover and how you can improve your cover illustration game.

Design book cover for free with online templates adobe spark. Create an ebook cover with canva or spark for free. The book title template will appear and now we can begin customizing our book. If you ask book designers to explain what makes for a great cover, however, they can tell you about how the various design elementsthe typeface, the color scheme, and the compositioncome together to create a visual metaphor for the text. Jul 26, 20 many good selfpublished books are let down by the quality of their cover, which can scupper the chances of it selling as many copies as it deserves. This will allow you to visualise the arrangement of type and images, and judge how well elements are centered on the page.

Heres how to make a book cover that will help you sell books. The best design for your cover art will incorporate elements of composition, psychology, and. Reedsy have a marketplace of vetted professional book cover designers with experience in every genre. You also have the option of creating a cover for your book that is not printed. Jim gibbons, president and ceo, goodwill industries international. Magenta asked 15 book designers to nominate the best covers that they hadnt created themselves. A book cover has three components which need to be designed in. Selfpublishing a book isnt always easy, but an amazing book cover can help you get it right. Poster my wall allows people to create book cover templates for others to use, so the quality tends to vary. For a print book, a highresolution professional book cover image is a must if you want a beautiful book. You can do this on an existing document, but its easiest to start with a blank document. I have yet to buy a cover from the site, but ive seen.

Making a custom book cover for your latest story is a breeze with placeits book cover design templates. How to create awesome book displays a stepbystep list. The 60 best book covers of 2016, as chosen by designers. So how can you give your book the best possible chance.

This book will show you a quick way to make your ebook cover using microsoft powerpoint or the freeware openoffice impress. Aug 19, 2019 when it comes to how to make a book cover, whats the best approach. Design book covers with canvas free book cover maker. Great places to find your book cover ideas and inspiration. This is because a book cover is a piece of art with a specific. This article explores what the main steps of creating an eyecatching book cover are. To read more about ebook covers, check out our other articles on this topic. Jul 07, 2016 there are a few guidelines for choosing pictures to have a great looking book cover. A book cover has three components which need to be designed in the same document, namely. In other words, making a great book cover isnt just about making. May 17, 2017 if you ask book designers to explain what makes for a great cover, however, they can tell you about how the various design elementsthe typeface, the color scheme, and the compositioncome together to create a visual metaphor for the text. You wont need to spend hundreds hiring a designer when you create your own awesome cover in.

Design agency creating marketleading book cover design. Now, for some libraries or book stores, creating displays requires nothing more than printing off a sign and slapping a few marginallyrelated books on a shelf and calling it a day. What makes a good book cover business of illustration. People really do judge a book by its cover, especially when we are literally talking about books. A cover exists primarily to entice potential readers to buy the book. So many books are published each year a good book design must communicate that the pages within are worth a readers time and attention. Its super important that you consider a few things before you create your book cover. However there are many reasons why you may be tempted to give it a shot anyway. Graphic designers need to think about the goal of the images they create. Four steps to create a great cover for your selfpublished book. The cover is often the publics first conversation with the book so it needs to start off with the right impression. Try to avoid gradients on your book cover, as well as any garnish or color combinations. Creating an attractive comic book cover is necessary to draw people into your comics and capture their interest. The right font can make a cover, just as the wrong one can break.

What makes a good book cover of course, catching a potential bookbuyers eye is only part of mendelsunds job. Always remember to have fun and keep your personal style. Now you know the guidelines to creating a good comic book cover, it will steer you in the direction of creating eyecatching designs. Whether youre ready to call in an expert or diy your cover, here are some inexpensive options for creating a book cover.

Your full print cover will only be as good as your front cover. The most difficult aspect of any book design is simply being noticed. Learn everything about creating a bestselling book cover design including book cover design tools, tips, tricks and even design services. There are a few guidelines for choosing pictures to have a great looking book cover. Adobe sparks book cover maker and templates offer a reliable tool. Learn how to write a back book cover blurb that not only intrigues readers but gets them to buy. Now you know the basics of how to use this ebook cover creator to form your book cover, but you can take as much time as you need to ensure your artwork is spoton. Anything called adobe is probably going to be good at book cover design. Creating good work is a clear demonstration of thought leadership and innovative practice in the realm of social enterprise. The best free book cover makers and a few paid ones.

In publishing, a books cover can make or break its success. Once youve taken in all of the above and gotten a feel for the promise you want to make to the reader, use the outlines below to write your book cover blurb. It will lead readers to your pages and because of its role as an ambassador, your book cover deserves thoughtful planning. Home cover design four steps to create a great cover for your selfpublished book. As the saying goes, you cant judge a book by its cover, but the reality is that a soso book cover can keep potential buyers and readers away.

Lets get started by building our explore california travel guide book cover. With placeits brand new book cover maker you can now take control and create your own book cover design. Adobe sparks free online book cover generator helps you easily create your own custom book covers that attract readers, no design skills necessary. You wont need to spend hundreds hiring a designer when you create your own awesome cover in canvas book cover maker. One of the great things about book covers is that there is almost no graphic style that cant work. Create an ebook cover amazon kindle direct publishing. Book covers exist to give visual form to written content. Nov 16, 2012 designing a book cover in photoshop is a bit complicated but is very interesting at the same time. Many good selfpublished books are let down by the quality of their cover, which can scupper the chances of it selling as many copies as it deserves. How to design a comic book cover with pictures wikihow. How to create a custom cover page in microsoft word. Many of these guys are busy because they are so good, so make sure you book in advance for any covers. But if youre going to print the book as well, i strongly suggest at least creating the image in high resolution.

This book will serve as a gps for 21st century social innovation. Before you start creating your cover, make sure you have all rights necessary for the content of your cover image and that it complies with our content guidelines. In addition to black and white, which work great for copy, most book covers look best. The cover image you upload will appear on your amazon detail page. Color plays a big role in creating the look and feel of any book cover design. You can string together the most insightful, lyrical words ever connected in human history, but if your book cover looks like photoshop amateur hour, no one will ever pick it up. Ideally youve already finished a book cover youre happy with, converted it to a jpg and used it to sell your ebook.

The five steps to creating an awesome book cover design. Use these tips to help you craft a winning book cover that you can be proud of. But you want to create a book cover that will be eyecatching and unique. Making your book a bestseller is hard enough without an ugly cover sabotaging your efforts. Assuming you are creating your own cover, here is what you need to know. Nov 17, 2017 a 300 page book will get extremely thick if designed too small, while a larger book needs to be a good length to not feel flimsy and more like a magazine or booklet. Designing a book cover in photoshop is a bit complicated but is very interesting at the same time. Though its far less costly than hiring a freelance artist to design an original cover, there. Creating a bestselling and popular book is hard enough, so follow the above steps to create your own book cover template. Oct 20, 20 most indie publishing experts will warn you against making your own book cover, with good reason. Choose from a range of genres and customize ina flash. Design a book cover in seconds with this tool placeit. Using stock photos for book covers 247 shutterstock. At goodwill industries, weve always operated by the dictum of creating good work.

Book cover design is a complex balance of images, text, and information and you need someone who understands how each of these elements interacts with the others to. One important aspect of a good book cover is to make sure it resonates with your target readers. Book cover design is a crucial part of your marketing effort. This is also a great place to create a board specifically to save book covers for future reference. When it comes to how to make a book cover, whats the best approach. A book cover design should not only give the viewer an idea of the content and mood of the book but should also be eyecatching to encourage students browsing in the library like customers. Readers will most definitely judge your book by its cover. Although book cover design is something youll usually want to leave to a professional, here are seven steps for creating a book cover, if the. In order to make a good book cover, its important to first understand its purpose. A great book cover design, at its most basic level, is something that will help.

But the truth is, book cover design can make or break a book. If you leave images or text on this part of the cover, the barcode will cover them during printing, so dont leave anything important there. Creating a book cover can be easy and cheap, even free. No need to do it the hard way, let me show you the easy way. After writing it, the final piece of this puzzle is to find the design that will get the attention of the customers you want.

Writers have wild imaginations, and its the designers job to create. Sep 14, 2018 how to create a custom cover page in microsoft word. A 300 page book will get extremely thick if designed too small, while a larger book needs to be a good length to not feel flimsy and more like a magazine or booklet. So you almost always need a professional graphic designer with design skills to help you. These 50 awesome book covers will inspire you learn.

If you go against what readers of your genre expect to see, your book will end up in front of the wrong readers and not sell. Create a book cover in minutes, with easy to use tools and a wide range of professionally designed templates. To begin, simply come over to the sidebar and click on book title. To begin editing the title, simply click on the book title, then click again to get your cursor to appear inside of it. If you enjoyed this article and are looking for more comic content, why not check out the following roundups.

You can adjust your color palette to reflect the genre or create an emotional impact, and you can even put a filter on your background image if you need a unique effect. These 50 awesome book covers will inspire you learn canva. When you need a new bar of soap, do you make it yourself. Canvas collection of book cover layouts is the best on the web. Four steps to create a great cover for your selfpublished book 10. In the ultimate guide to book design, well take a look at how to get your book cover to tell readers a story before they even crack open the first page. This is known as a tshirt design and can make you book cover appear amateur and unprofessional. When creating your book cover, the title of your book should be large, noticeable, and easy to read on the shelves.

Just select a template, edit the content and youre done. In case you wanted to create a diary with a blank cover or if the book is created by your child, he or she may want to create their own hand drawn art for their cover to personalize it using crayons or markers. Typefaces tell readers a great deal about a book, often more than they realize. Our team of awesome designers have worked hard to create quality layouts which will help your book look professional and sell out. No learning curve, so designing a book cover here is an easy and intuitive process. Design wizard is a quick and easy solution for creating a kindle ebook cover in just a few minutes. No design skills needed and no need to download any extra software since its all done from your browser. In a nutshell, its the 200 odd words on the back cover of your book that describes the book to the reader. Dec 21, 2016 the 60 best book covers of 2016, as chosen by designers.