DOs and DON'Ts of ebook cover design - Page 3

sassanik · 02-22-2011, 11:55 PM

I think one of the biggest things is to remember to make sure the image is readable at a small size, in my case I normally resize it down to 25% to make sure that it still looks decent, because that is what many people are going to see first. Also it is good to check and see what the cover looks like in Black and White, because that is how people will see the book cover on most readers.

I also think practice helps. The more you work at doing covers the easier I think it can become. You also can change it much easier than you could with a paperback. So if you decide later you need to redo the cover, which I have done, you can change it relatively easily.

Amy

Alm Hlgh · 02-23-2011, 12:46 AM

Actually I've been trying to find a really good and inexpensive cover book design software. Someone recommended ULead, it was good and inexpensive. When I went to purchase it for all of 39.00 plus tax they had been purchased by Corel (an excellent software I might add; but at the price tag of 399.00 it ought to be). My covers are a little flat but I was fortunate to have a friend of mines who is in school to purchase me the student version of Corel PainterII and I can't wait to get it. Hopefully my covers will improve. Point I'm making is I think investment in a quality cover software is important.

Lirael · 02-23-2011, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sportourer1

I dont read eBooks but have one published, are the covers important to people?

Oddly enough I think they are. I've never bought an ebook just because I liked the cover (I admit, I'm guilty of occasionally doing that with paper books) but I have definitely decided not to buy an ebook based on the cover.

The covers I like best are ones that have easy-to-read text, and whose cover image looks as though it's reasonably related to the contents of the book. If your blurb tells me you're writing a thrilling sci-fi epic about a galactic war, and your cover has some random lady swooning in the arms of a Fabio lookalike... even if you put it there because that was the only stock photo you could find, I'm gonna assume the book is actually romance and I'm not gonna buy.

CHunter_Author · 02-23-2011, 07:06 AM

I am surprised to find out that so many independent authors and publishers do not take their covers as serious as they should. It's the first impression, the skin on the apple as to whether the reader is dealing with quality or not. It's like a stain on the shirt or holes in the shoes to see crooked letters and pixilated pictures. It could be the greatest story ever told inside the book, but it wouldn't matter. Many people do and always will judge a book by it's cover.

NewBooks · 07-22-2011, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocNoir

I want a cover to put me in a mood. Every time I glance at the cover, I should remember what the world of that book feels like.

That's it, exactly.

Great cover, btw.

Davidpf · 07-23-2011, 10:03 PM

Cover design is really important. I have split tested several covers for a couple of my books and it's quite surprising the difference a cover can make in terms of sales. From my experience, the best covers;

- Use 2-4 primary colors
- Large, readable font
- A simple picture or image that is not buried under text

That last point is the biggest mistake I made, and the one I see a lot of writers making with their cover design. Generally, you want to avoid putting text over a complex picture because it makes both hard to see clearly.

ramsey_isler · 07-27-2011, 01:51 AM

Here's a good blog post on the topic, from a book cover designer: http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/...-kindle-store/

It doesn't give a great "do and don't list", but it does provide some good examples of what works and what doesn't.

Stephen_Melling · 07-27-2011, 03:17 AM

I think simplicity is the key to a good cover. A cluttered image tries to convey too much about the content in one glance. I designed my own from my archive of images for one book, stock images for another. In hindsight I think I would have gone simpler. Some of my favourite covers are the most simple. I like the American edition of 'Salem's Lot with the black cover and drop of blood.

02-22-2011, 11:55 PM	#31
sassanik Guru Posts: 774 Karma: 1211741 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Oregon Device: EB1150, iPhone, Cool-er Purple, Pocketbook 360, Kindle Fire	make sure it looks good small I think one of the biggest things is to remember to make sure the image is readable at a small size, in my case I normally resize it down to 25% to make sure that it still looks decent, because that is what many people are going to see first. Also it is good to check and see what the cover looks like in Black and White, because that is how people will see the book cover on most readers. I also think practice helps. The more you work at doing covers the easier I think it can become. You also can change it much easier than you could with a paperback. So if you decide later you need to redo the cover, which I have done, you can change it relatively easily. Amy

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02-23-2011, 12:46 AM	#32
Alm Hlgh BelieveNLove Alm Hlgh Posts: 39 Karma: 501052 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: USA Device: none	Actually I've been trying to find a really good and inexpensive cover book design software. Someone recommended ULead, it was good and inexpensive. When I went to purchase it for all of 39.00 plus tax they had been purchased by Corel (an excellent software I might add; but at the price tag of 399.00 it ought to be). My covers are a little flat but I was fortunate to have a friend of mines who is in school to purchase me the student version of Corel PainterII and I can't wait to get it. Hopefully my covers will improve. Point I'm making is I think investment in a quality cover software is important.

02-23-2011, 07:06 AM	#34
CHunter_Author Zealot Posts: 118 Karma: 503896 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Bronx, NY Device: iPhone	I am surprised to find out that so many independent authors and publishers do not take their covers as serious as they should. It's the first impression, the skin on the apple as to whether the reader is dealing with quality or not. It's like a stain on the shirt or holes in the shoes to see crooked letters and pixilated pictures. It could be the greatest story ever told inside the book, but it wouldn't matter. Many people do and always will judge a book by it's cover.

07-23-2011, 10:03 PM	#36
Davidpf Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: Kindle	Cover design is really important. I have split tested several covers for a couple of my books and it's quite surprising the difference a cover can make in terms of sales. From my experience, the best covers; - Use 2-4 primary colors - Large, readable font - A simple picture or image that is not buried under text That last point is the biggest mistake I made, and the one I see a lot of writers making with their cover design. Generally, you want to avoid putting text over a complex picture because it makes both hard to see clearly.

07-27-2011, 01:51 AM	#37
ramsey_isler Enthusiast Posts: 36 Karma: 170392 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle	Here's a good blog post on the topic, from a book cover designer: http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/...-kindle-store/ It doesn't give a great "do and don't list", but it does provide some good examples of what works and what doesn't.

07-27-2011, 03:17 AM	#38
Stephen_Melling Stephen_Melling Posts: 133 Karma: 479422 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Preston, Lancashire Device: kindle	I think simplicity is the key to a good cover. A cluttered image tries to convey too much about the content in one glance. I designed my own from my archive of images for one book, stock images for another. In hindsight I think I would have gone simpler. Some of my favourite covers are the most simple. I like the American edition of 'Salem's Lot with the black cover and drop of blood.

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