You can also search for Creative Commons images on Google. If you pay for rights, ensure you are paying for the rights you need and shop around for both images and reasonable prices. Many do not allow free images to be used for commercial purposes. Be wary of “free stock images” and read the Terms and Conditions of the sites carefully. Be sure you can use the image commercially.You can crop and size down as you need to fit your image into a 1562 x 2500 cover (the size I recommend working with to ensure the best quality image). Make sure you can download the highest quality image possible.If want your cover image to stretch top to bottom across your cover, make sure it has enough “white space” – that is space that has little or no elements over which typeface can go – to accommodate a title or that the image itself will accommodate typeface over it.An image should have one important element that is the focus of the page. Choose an image that relates to your eBook’s theme.This will give you an idea of the type of imagery that tends to catch the reader’s eye and give you ideas on your own cover image. Look at other covers in your chosen genre, focusing on bestselling books.No hard and fast rules exist for choosing images however, a few guidelines will help. I use Adobe RGB to ensure I can save in RGB color later.Ĭhoosing an image is the next important step in creating your cover. You will also need to go under Advanced and set the Color Profile (this will be important when you save later). This will give you a nice resolution for the image if you decide to use it for print later.īe sure to set your Color Mode to RGB color if it is not already set there. I keep the resolution here at 300 Pixels/Inch. Be sure, when you set your Width and Height that you set it by Pixels. When you go to create a new file, this window will appear first. PSD file, so that you have a template for creating future covers. I also recommend saving the base file as a. When you go to create your file in Photoshop, it is important to set the correct dimensions and setting to begin. Save should use 72 dpi minimum (I recommend 300 dpi if you decide to move from eBook to Print later).Use smaller compression for JPEG and no compression for TIFF files (compression affects file size). Image file size should not be more than 50 MB and should be.Dimensions should be between 625 x 10 x 2500 pixels.Since Amazon is the most popular, and Kindle still sets the standard for eBook formats, these guidelines follow Amazon’s suggestions for image uploads and customer satisfaction.Īmazon requirements for cover images are as follows: So, if you decide to publish on, say, Amazon and Smashwords, you can use one platform’s guidelines and know that you will have a cover that will work for all of them. Fortunately, because Amazon has almost completely cornered the market on eBooks, size also tends to be universal for almost all eBook publishing platforms. When it comes to eBook covers, size matters. This will help you hone your craft so that when you are ready to publish your next short story or novella eBook, you have a great cover that will catch a potential reader’s eye. I recommend creating some practice designs and obtain feedback from your fellow authors in writing groups and other forums. This will help you get started in making your own book covers in Photoshop. If you publish often, especially if you publish short stories and novellas, having an inexpensive way to create covers is important. While the idea of purchasing a custom cover is nice, the price tag can be very high. Like many people, you have decided to write your own e-book.
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