Before we tackle about the different tips and tricks that you can use and apply when designing an ebook cover, it is important to know the exact reason why your ebook needs a good cover.

The fact that ebooks do not have a physical print, just a mere computer file that is downloaded and marketed as nothing but an abstract object. There really is no set of pages, bound together to really cover.

But despite this, here are the reasons why an ebook needs a good cover.

1. People judge a book by its cover.
Although we have been told by our family growing up and the people around us to not judge a book by its cover, we actually do. It is only human nature that makes us attracted to bright, colourful and interesting visuals. It is just how the human brain is programmed.

And although the pride of an ebook author is about the contents of the ebook, it will not hurt to take this opportunity of humans (judging a book by its cover) and make the most of it to your advantage to sell your book.

2. It will remain on the potential buyers’ minds.
Most likely the first thing that you learned as an ebook author is to come up with a good title. This is because your title serves as the name of your ebook that people will remember it by. Just like how we remember actually people by their names.

In the world of ebook writing and in the industry of selling your ebook, websites usually cater to a cover, in which posted on the right beside your title. And if a potential buyer is to forget about your ebook’s title, if he sees your ebook cover, he is bound to recall it and/or coordinate it with your actual ebook.

If the title serves as the name, your ebook cover is the face.

3. It will translate your ebook into art.
Writing is as art. And so is an ebook cover. In order to translate art from words into something visually pleasing, the outcome is usually an ebook cover.

This ebook cover will serve as an artistic visualisation of the contents of your ebook cover. It will give potential buyers/readers an idea of what your ebook will be about. Because let’s face it, most of us are lazy bums that do not even bother to read a chunk of text. And if we don’t want to, we turn to the ebook cover and look at it instead.

Now that we have discussed about the importance of a good ebook cover, let us now get into the characteristics that makes an ebook cover good. Tips will also be given after each characteristic to help achieve this particular trait that makes an ebook cover good.

1. It must channel the author’s emotions and feelings for the ebook.
As stated above, an ebook cover delivers emotions and feelings that the author wishes to communicate with the readers. Aside from this, it is also supposed to provide an insight to potential readers/buyers about what the ebook is about.

For example, if your ebook is a fantasy-fiction story, you are not supposed to use a stock image of people in a business meeting or else it will mislead people and make them upset.

TIP: As the author, write down the details that you wish to be seen in your ebook. One way to achieve this is by sketching an art of your own to inspire the designer or to actually create the ebook yourself if you have the technical knowledge and confidence.

If you will have a graphic designer designing it for you, communication is very important.

2. It must be pleasant to look at.
This not only applies to ebook covers but also applies to all kinds of art as well. It is crucially essential for your ebook cover to be pleasant in the eyes. It must not have any obnoxious color that will hurt the eyes of those looking at it. It must also not contain any effect that will disrupt the vision of the people looking at it.

The ebook must also be nice and clean to look at. Details and pictures should not be cluttered together in a sense that they look like a pile of garbage.

TIP: Hire a professional graphic designer that is already an expert at keeping things nice, clean and simple.

If you are the one creating the ebook cover, then, it is very important to have the following things in mind when designing:

a. A color scheme of two-three colors that match up together.

b. At most three different text fonts that look good together. Pick one or two that belong to the Sans Serif family font. And one that is perfectly sums up your title and what your ebook is about.

For example, for a romantic ebook, you may use Calligraphy or Handwritten fonts for your title. Some suggestions are: Master of Break, Noelan and Bromello. Then to act as subtitles or your pen name, it is much better to use Sans Serif or Serif fonts like Bebas Neue and Polly Regular.

c. For a tied-together, seem-less look, using only one stock photo is most recommended. Having multiple images will remove the engagement of people looking at your ebook cover and will confuse them. Try to find only one stock photo that greatly embodies your whole ebook.

Some websites where you can find great ones are: Shutterstock.com and Freepik.com.

3. Less is more.
This quote is cliché. However, cliché is not always bad. In fact, in the situation of ebook covers or just book covers in general, the lesser and simpler it is, the more pleasant it is to the eyes and the more it attracts potential buyer/readers into picking up your ebook off of that website catering to a billion other ebooks in the competitive market.

TIP: The format given is the usual formula used to achieve a pleasant looking ebook. And although not all ebooks follow this formula, it is worth a shot to see if it works for you or your designer.

What consists an ebook cover?:

a. Background – The background could be of a solid color, a color gradient, a texture, or even an image can serve as the background.

b. A stock photo/the image – This is going to be the center of attraction in the ebook cover. As mentioned above, only one image is acceptable. This is supposed to embody and carry the message a meaning of your ebook.

c. Text – Of course, you got to have the text to tell people what your ebook’s title is and a subtitle if you will, and of course, your name as the author.

We that this short article to guide you about creating your dream ebook cover or about instructing your graphic designer to create the ebook cover that you dream of. We hope that after having read all that, you are now ready and confident to design it or help your designer design it. Cheers, hoping for the best for your ebook!

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This article is written by muyaldecrissa04. Order an article from her here.