8 Tips to Create Unique Ecover Design

The key to good ecover design is to know what will go well with the audience and what will not. Many associated with publishing world as well as readers have a common belief that a professionally design cover page is an ebook’s main marketing tool. Here are a few tips - on how to make a good ecover - for those who have little or nil knowledge about graphic designing. 

Use Big & Easy-to-Read Title

It is the most significant aspect of a good cover design. Most of the potential readers will find your ebook on screen instead of on a book shelf in a store. A bold and stand-out title easily catches attention of the readers. 

Black & White

This is important particularly for the current Kindle. After WIFI is included on the Kindle, bookworms now search for the new launches and download the ebooks from their Kindles instantly. This implies, an ecover must be effectively designed even in monochrome i.e. black and white. 

Thumbnail Reviews

This is the aspect most of the publishers, designers and surprisingly even authors forget to take into consideration. An ebook’s cover page must be visible and readable even in thumbnail size. It is important for the ecover design to look different on iPads, Kindles and mobile gadgets. 

Use Right Fonts

Font type is equally important like other elements of cover designing. Each font evokes a different feeling. Experiment with the fonts and see which works best for your ebook cover look. However, you should avoid two fonts – Papyrus and Comic Sans. You can use either of them if the book is about pure humor. 

Stick to Only Two Fonts

It is better if you restrict yourself to only two fonts. Make sure these two are complimentary to each other. Some publishers or designers recommend avoiding all caps, outlines, italics. However, what will look good depends much on your ebook cover page.

Sometimes, you can use three types of fonts. However, to use them efficiently, you must be a pro graphic designer. If you are from a non-graphic designing background, maintain rule of thumb – never use more than two types.

Color

Your ebook is not meant for babies, so avoid using garish combination or heavy contrast. In most of the cases, it mars your ecover design. 

Use Professional Illustrations & Graphics

Are you a graphic designer with richness of experience? If not, keep yourself away from using your own artwork on cover page, it will kill the overall feel and appeal. The art available on Microsoft Word or other layout programs, which are not meant for designing, should be avoided while creating a professional cover page. Instead, you can use stock photography which is easily available on internet. 

Use Unique Photos

Look beyond overused photos like oceans, mountains, sunrise, sunset, feathery clouds etc. Images and illustrations play an important role to lend a unique design to your ecover. You will definitely want to be noticed instead of being overlooked for a copycat ecover page, isn’t it?

How to Create a Good Ecover Design

If you are a writer or a publisher and want to launch an ebook, cover page is the most important aspect – only next to subject matter. If you want to make a lot of money through your ebook, the importance of having a professionally designed cover page can’t be stressed enough.

Consider your browsing habits when it comes to purchase of books online. Do you remember how many times you have clicked on the cover image in respect to the titles just next to it? You may not give the exact figure but it is true that cover images grab more eyeballs and visually force more visitors into clicking on them to find it out what is contained within.

It is human psychology – which ultimately governs our behavioral pattern – to gravitate towards visuals because those are what we always look for. If these images in their thumbnail form are not clearly visible, this could be a strong repulsive factor to drive the visitors away from your offer.

Now all these preambles lead to an inevitable question – how to make your ecover design stand out from the competitors. Here is our prescription of five effective ways to help you design a killer ebook cover. Let us put them in brief.

Design of Title    

                                                                                 

More than colors and pictures, it is important that your title is easy to read. Also use a different color for your title, which will be in stark contrast to background. Use large font for title and make it bold. Add some special effects like drop shadow to keep it different and a clear stand-out from the background.

You can play liberty with your creative ideas to make things look most unique and appealing. Remember it is unique excellence that will put you ahead of others, at helm of the race. It should be a priority for you to ensure that the title is clear, crisp and will show up in search results as thumbnails. 

Choice of Images

Sometimes, you are drawn towards a plain background filled with solid color. However, to add a little bit pizzaz to your ecover design, better it is always to use illustration or professional photos, which will drop a good hint what the subject of your book is all about.

While choosing images, make sure to use 300 dip (dots per inch). You should also be aware of image copyrights while plucking photos off someone else’s website. Every photo enjoys copyright protection. So use only royalty-free photos, otherwise it will be an illegal activity on your part.

Customization is the ‘in’ thing these days. If you have a custom illustration created or custom photos taken, your ebook cover page will be different from others’. The disadvantage of using stock photos without any twist is they will look like what someone else has already used for his ebook cover.

Do Some Research

Place yourself in buyers’ shoes and now consider which images attract you and which turn you off. Take notes of your observation in writing. Browse through the online book stores and ask yourself which ecover design you like and why.

All these will help you develop a certain pattern of preference. Once you have got a clear idea of what you like – this will reflect average choice of your target audience to a greater extent – it will be a good help to create a good, if not great, ebook cover.