Carousel Posts, Galleries, Slideshows … whatever you call them, they’re a fantastic tool to boost Instagram engagement. They offer the ability to deliver sequential information – in other words, a narrative. And since this is exactly what authors already do, it’s a great way to leverage your storytelling chops!
Book Cover Resources for Self Published Authors
Tips, Tricks & Tutorials on Book Cover Design
Welcome to my Book Cover Resources! I compiled these articles to help self-published authors get the most out of their book covers. Topics include choosing the right premade, using marketing images more effectively, and getting more value out of your back cover blurb.
The cover is your book’s most valuable marketing asset. It’s probably the first thing potential fans will see. Because of this, it needs to:
- grab reader attention
- confirm it’s something they might be interested in
- entice them to read your carefully-crafted blurb (and hopefully click ‘Buy!’)
In other words, the cover is the face of your book, and your brand – so you should be getting the absolute most out of it! I’ve broken these tips and tutorials into 3 basic categories:
- Book Cover Design – help with choosing premade book covers, identifying good covers, understanding romance genre conventions, plus general design principles & information.
- Book Marketing – how to get the most out of your cover, free resources to streamline the book marketing process, and tutorials on creating marketing assets.
- Book Cover Creation – technical under-the-hood information on dimensions, resolution, layout, color modes and more.
I’ll keep building out this Resource List over time. Topics are based on conversations I’ve had with clients over the years, but if you have any suggestions, feel free to drop me a line via email or Facebook.
In the meantime, I’ve listed some of the more important articles below, under ‘Suggested Reading’. These are issues and questions that seem to come up most often, so check them out!
Suggested Reading
What’s a Title Graphic, and Why Do I Need One?
Think of a Title Graphic as your book’s logo, or ‘stamp’, because that’s pretty much how it’s used! This article covers what they are, where to get them, and how to use them.
How To Create a Knockout Book Promo with Book Mockups
Book Mockups are a powerful, sneaky little shortcut to creating great book promos. With a basic level of editing know-how, your virtual book can be dropped into a gorgeous, on-brand setting – and get you competing with the pros!
Book Cover Dimensions: A Complete Guide
Setting the dimensions is the very first step in book cover creation. Get it right, and you’ll never have to think about it again. Get it wrong, and you may have to recreate the whole thing from scratch. If you can’t stand the thought of that (trust me, I don’t blame you!), this article has all the information you need to set up your own book cover canvas, stress free.
5 Powerful Tips for Getting the Best Premade Book Cover
This article isn’t about choosing which cover is ‘prettier’ or better-made. We all know when something looks home-made or professional, Christmas-sweater ugly or tastefully elegant. When I say choosing the BEST, then, here’s what I mean: the BEST premade book cover is the one most likely to appeal to the highest number of readers who would be interested in buying your book.