How to Choose a Cover Design for an eBook
Consider hiring an artist., Check the technical requirements., Learn about the genre., Look at the cover in thumbnail size., Choose a font., Lay out the title and author's name., Plan around your budget., Browse artist portfolios., Consider using an...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consider hiring an artist.
A poorly designed cover will drive away potential readers faster than any other mistake.
This section will teach you the basics of what to look for, but they cannot replace graphic design experience.
The next section of this article will cover the process of hiring and working with an artist, which gives you the best chance of success. -
Step 2: Check the technical requirements.
Familiarize yourself with the size and format restrictions on your eBook cover image.
The Amazon standards are by far the most important due to that site's massive market share.
The Smashwords requirements are a distant second, as that site will automatically take care of formatting for other websites.
If you are not technically minded and don't plan to hire a professional artist, use a "cover creator" service such as Kindle Direct Publishing.
This should take care of technical requirements automatically.
If you want more options, use Photoshop or a similar image editor instead. , Each genre has its own rules of cover success.
It's usually best to play it safe and put a gun on the cover of an action Western, or a couple on the cover of a romance.
While there's a lot more to it, these rules should help a beginner get started:
Books aimed mostly at women typically include human figures in the cover art.
Books aimed mostly at men should include some action or motion.
Readers should be able to identify the genre and general style based on the cover. , Many great printed covers can never work for an eBook, because most readers see the image at a much smaller size.
If your thumbnail doesn't grab attention, few people will ever click it and see the full size version.
Make sure your cover makes sense at small sizes, and don't rely on tiny details. , If you're not familiar with typography, you may be surprised how difficult and important this decision is.
Your first priority is to make sure your title is legible at thumbnail size.
After that, make sure your font accurately communicates the genre or mood of your book.
If you don't know where to begin, browse eBook covers in the same genre as your book for examples. , Place the title so it's large enough to read, but doesn't interfere with the cover image.
Unless you already have fans, the author's name is less important.
You can generally reduce its size to leave more room for the title and art. , Your cover image is the single most important factor in marketing an eBook.
Putting this in the hands of an experienced artist is almost always worth the cost.
Choose from a range of options depending on your budget:
Hiring a cover design professional typically costs US $500–$600.
If you have high expectations for the book and money is no object, you could even put in $1200–$1300.
You can negotiate a much cheaper price if you use an existing image.
Keep reading for more advice on this topic.
A non-professional artist is much cheaper, but a little risky.
Start as early as possible, as these artists tend to work on their own schedule. , There are many online databases of artists available for hire.
Look through them for artists you enjoy, and ask friends with an eye for graphic design to lend you their opinions.
You're looking for art that grabs your attention, especially at "thumbnail" size.
If possible, find a portfolio that includes cover designs and/or illustrations in your book's genre.
If you're not sure what to look for, read the section above on choosing a cover design. , If you're looking to save money and turnaround time, find an image that suits your book already.
Contact the artist and ask for permission to use the image as a book cover.
The artist may be willing to add your title and author name for a moderate price, and possibly tweak it to suit your needs.
If you want exclusive rights over the image, you'll need to pay the artist extra.
Copyright law can be confusing and lead to major legal headaches.
Even if you think you're using an image legally, it's best to get permission from the original artist. , Arrange a plan with the artist that divides the project into stages.
It's usually best to approve a rough proof of concept, then the final image, then the title font, then the final cover.
You'll typically pay the artist by the hour, so you want each revision to "undo" as little as possible.
This is especially important if the artist does not have much cover design experience.
Keep copies of the art and font at each stage.
This will make it easier to tweak the cover for future editions.
If the artist is a non-professional, it's best to pay only upon completion of each stage, to provide more deadline incentive.
Also stipulate that partial payment will give you rights to the partially completed image.
This allows you to take the work to another artist to finish, if the amateur job doesn't end up the way you like. , Most new authors are not good at designing a cover.
Give the professional artist room to experiment or invent her own designs.
While you can definitely ask for revisions or adjustments, overly restrictive instructions often lead to poor results.
If possible, ask artistic contacts for their opinion on your cover design. -
Step 3: Learn about the genre.
-
Step 4: Look at the cover in thumbnail size.
-
Step 5: Choose a font.
-
Step 6: Lay out the title and author's name.
-
Step 7: Plan around your budget.
-
Step 8: Browse artist portfolios.
-
Step 9: Consider using an existing image.
-
Step 10: Work in stages.
-
Step 11: Trust the artist's judgement.
Detailed Guide
A poorly designed cover will drive away potential readers faster than any other mistake.
This section will teach you the basics of what to look for, but they cannot replace graphic design experience.
The next section of this article will cover the process of hiring and working with an artist, which gives you the best chance of success.
Familiarize yourself with the size and format restrictions on your eBook cover image.
The Amazon standards are by far the most important due to that site's massive market share.
The Smashwords requirements are a distant second, as that site will automatically take care of formatting for other websites.
If you are not technically minded and don't plan to hire a professional artist, use a "cover creator" service such as Kindle Direct Publishing.
This should take care of technical requirements automatically.
If you want more options, use Photoshop or a similar image editor instead. , Each genre has its own rules of cover success.
It's usually best to play it safe and put a gun on the cover of an action Western, or a couple on the cover of a romance.
While there's a lot more to it, these rules should help a beginner get started:
Books aimed mostly at women typically include human figures in the cover art.
Books aimed mostly at men should include some action or motion.
Readers should be able to identify the genre and general style based on the cover. , Many great printed covers can never work for an eBook, because most readers see the image at a much smaller size.
If your thumbnail doesn't grab attention, few people will ever click it and see the full size version.
Make sure your cover makes sense at small sizes, and don't rely on tiny details. , If you're not familiar with typography, you may be surprised how difficult and important this decision is.
Your first priority is to make sure your title is legible at thumbnail size.
After that, make sure your font accurately communicates the genre or mood of your book.
If you don't know where to begin, browse eBook covers in the same genre as your book for examples. , Place the title so it's large enough to read, but doesn't interfere with the cover image.
Unless you already have fans, the author's name is less important.
You can generally reduce its size to leave more room for the title and art. , Your cover image is the single most important factor in marketing an eBook.
Putting this in the hands of an experienced artist is almost always worth the cost.
Choose from a range of options depending on your budget:
Hiring a cover design professional typically costs US $500–$600.
If you have high expectations for the book and money is no object, you could even put in $1200–$1300.
You can negotiate a much cheaper price if you use an existing image.
Keep reading for more advice on this topic.
A non-professional artist is much cheaper, but a little risky.
Start as early as possible, as these artists tend to work on their own schedule. , There are many online databases of artists available for hire.
Look through them for artists you enjoy, and ask friends with an eye for graphic design to lend you their opinions.
You're looking for art that grabs your attention, especially at "thumbnail" size.
If possible, find a portfolio that includes cover designs and/or illustrations in your book's genre.
If you're not sure what to look for, read the section above on choosing a cover design. , If you're looking to save money and turnaround time, find an image that suits your book already.
Contact the artist and ask for permission to use the image as a book cover.
The artist may be willing to add your title and author name for a moderate price, and possibly tweak it to suit your needs.
If you want exclusive rights over the image, you'll need to pay the artist extra.
Copyright law can be confusing and lead to major legal headaches.
Even if you think you're using an image legally, it's best to get permission from the original artist. , Arrange a plan with the artist that divides the project into stages.
It's usually best to approve a rough proof of concept, then the final image, then the title font, then the final cover.
You'll typically pay the artist by the hour, so you want each revision to "undo" as little as possible.
This is especially important if the artist does not have much cover design experience.
Keep copies of the art and font at each stage.
This will make it easier to tweak the cover for future editions.
If the artist is a non-professional, it's best to pay only upon completion of each stage, to provide more deadline incentive.
Also stipulate that partial payment will give you rights to the partially completed image.
This allows you to take the work to another artist to finish, if the amateur job doesn't end up the way you like. , Most new authors are not good at designing a cover.
Give the professional artist room to experiment or invent her own designs.
While you can definitely ask for revisions or adjustments, overly restrictive instructions often lead to poor results.
If possible, ask artistic contacts for their opinion on your cover design.
About the Author
Richard Sanders
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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