{"id":46668,"date":"2017-07-06T06:42:44","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T13:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/?p=46668"},"modified":"2024-04-16T05:35:03","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T12:35:03","slug":"how-to-design-a-great-ebook-cover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/how-to-design-a-great-ebook-cover","title":{"rendered":"How to Design a Great Ebook Cover"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever seen a book cover that made you stop in your tracks and think “What’s that<\/span>?â€<\/span><\/p>\n

Although we’ve been taught not to judge books by their covers, the fact remains that ebooks live and die by their first impressions on potential readers. Sure, the content of your book needs to deliver, but a strong cover is a “make or break†element of any ebook.<\/span><\/p>\n

Think about it. Ebooks that grab the attention of digital passers-by will attract more downloads, reads, and shares versus those whose covers simply fall flat. In order to effectively incorporate ebooks into your marketing strategy<\/a><\/span>, you must design a cover that signals a must-read in the eyes of your audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

But what makes a great ebook cover, anyway?<\/span><\/p>\n

Thankfully, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to designing a great ebook cover. This creative freedom provides you with plenty of options when it comes to design. From bold, eye-popping imagery to a more minimalist approach, consider the following tips for crafting an ebook cover that your audience won’t be able to resist.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Choosing a Color Scheme<\/span><\/h2>\n

Spend a few seconds on Amazon’s Kindle bestseller page<\/a><\/span> and you’ll see a variety of ebook covers spanning just about every genre. Some are loud while others are more subtle and subdued — talk about inspiration overload, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps the best place to start with your ebook cover without<\/span> getting overwhelmed is by choosing a color scheme.<\/span><\/p>\n

The psychology of color<\/a><\/span> plays a massive role in what our ebook says before someone even has a chance to read the title. Our brains process color in a matter of milliseconds, meaning that picking the right scheme for your cover is crucial to snagging the attention of potential readers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out the ebook cover for Dale Carnegie’s classic How to Win Friends & Influence People<\/span> as a solid example:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Straightforward but effective, isn’t it?<\/span><\/p>\n

The title of the book speaks for itself; however, color plays a huge role in making us wonder what the cover is all about. Generally speaking, louder colors such as red, orange and yellow work to create a sense of excitement and buzz. That’s why you see them so often in the world of advertising.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, that doesn’t mean that you have<\/span> to go bold with colors. Consider how calmer color schemes can work just as well to get your point across at a glance. This is the case of the cover of Authority Content<\/a><\/span>, <\/span>making use of green to signal wealth and growth to readers:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The cover of Don’t Sell Me, Tell Me<\/a><\/span> <\/span>likewise incorporates a blue cover to signal trust, which is appropriate considering that the title of the book directly relates to the concept of trustworthiness:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Last but not least, there’s always the option of taking advantage of negative space<\/a><\/span>. The white-space trend may be seen as overdone by some; however, many awesome ebook covers utilize a minimalist design. Check out Roxane Gay’s Hunger<\/a><\/span> for some simple inspiration:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/span>The Case for <\/span>and<\/span> Against Images<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

You’ve probably already noticed that many ebook covers are pretty stripped down, oftentimes completely text-based without any<\/span> accompanying images or graphics. This is somewhat ironic considering that ebook publishers don’t have to worry about physical printing costs associated with pictures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, there is no “right†design choice for an ebook cover. If you’re stuck on figuring out whether or not your book needs a busy cover or a minimalist design, ask yourself the following questions:<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>“Can My Title Speak for Itself?â€<\/span><\/h2>\n

If the title of your ebook is striking or self-explanatory, images could potentially distract from your message. The previously noted cover of How to Win Friends and Influence People <\/span>is a good example of this, as is the cover of Breaking the Time Barrier<\/a><\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/span>“Am I Setting the Right Tone?â€<\/span><\/h2>\n

Imagery should be used to supplement your cover and the content of your book rather than serve as something pretty for people to look at. Consider how the high-res, image-based cover for Beneath a Scarlet Sky <\/a><\/span>succeeds in establishing the novel’s tone while still being relevant to the title:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/span>“Do I Own the Rights to My Photos?â€<\/span><\/h2>\n

This question is perhaps the most important for those taking a DIY approach or<\/span> stuck on a shoestring budget. You can’t just slap an image from Google on your cover and call it a day. If you aren’t specifically designing it yourself, you’ll need to sort out your legalese before you put anything<\/span> but text and color on your cover.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t feel like you have to pick between one extreme or the other, either. When in doubt, check out other relevant ebook covers in your niche to see what the competition is up to. If you feel like minimalist covers are cliche, there’s no reason why you can’t switch it up.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Take Care of Your Typography<\/span><\/h2>\n

Picking a font for your ebook cover doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth. While there are plenty of typography considerations for designers<\/a><\/span>, the top priorities of your cover font should be to…<\/span><\/p>\n