How to Make an eBook Cover for Free in Canva
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- Don’t have a lot of money to dish out for a book cover? Well you’re in luck. In this video, I’m going to show you how to create an ebook book cover for free, using Canva. So stick around.
How’s it shakin, Write Righters? Keith Wheeler here, and if you want to continue to get all of the hints, tips and tricks on how to make self-publishing easier to understand, then be sure to subscribe to the channel and smash that the little bell icon so you can get alerted each and every time I put out new content.
Recently, I’ve been getting quite a few inquiries about my book covers. That’s right, I read and respond to every message I get. RUclips comments, emails, facebook, twitter, Instagram, carrier pigeon, smoke signal. If there’s a way for me to get the message, I WILL respond!
Any, this particular message reads, “Hey Keith, a little birdie told me that you actually made one of your book covers completely for free using Canva. Is this true?” Thanks for messaging me, and the answer is, that birdie lied to you, because I have not done 1 book cover for free using Canva, I have done over 10 book covers, completely free and I’m going to show you exactly how I do it.
I’m currently working on a fun softball themed book, so I’m going make the book cover for that in Canva, right now. So I’m going to flip the screen around and let’s get started.
The first thing I do is go to Canva.com and create a free account. Once I log in, I’m going to go to the top and select “Create a Design”. I’m going to pick book cover. Feel free to scan through the premade layouts, they’re a great way to get some inspiration. If you want to use one of these layouts, just click on it and then you can replace each of the elements. This layout right here I used as the base for my book self-publish authors, Please Don’t Beg, How to get book reviews and keep your friends. As you can see, I made some changes, but this was the base of it.
For this cover, I know exactly what I want to do, so I will create it completely from scratch. So, the next thing I need to do is get my pictures. For that I will pull up pixabay.com. This is one of my favorite FREE stock image sites. You want to make sure, where ever you get your images, that they are royalty free for commercial use so you can use them on books you plan to sell.
Next, I look for the images I want to use. I’m going to search for softball. I’ve already scoped out the images I want. So it’ll be this one, I’ll download it. And then go back and get this other one.
Please give this video a thumbs up and share it with someone else who you think will benefit from it. Remember, if you want to continue to get all of the hints, tips and tricks on how to make self-publishing easier to understand, then be sure to subscribe to the channel and hit the little bell icon so you can get alerted each and every time I put out new content. I’m Keith Wheeler and until next time remember to write right.
Contact Me:
email: kwheelerbooks@gmail.com
Instagram: @kwheelerbooks
Twitter: @kwheelerbooks
Website: www.kwheelerbooks.com
Hi Keith. Just wanted to let you know that, thanks to you, I got my first KDP publication. Thank you. Exciting times ahead.
I’m thrilled to hear that! You should be so proud! I’m glad that I could help. Best of luck!!!!
Great tutorial! Canvas is an excellent resource and you prove that you don’t have to use the premade templates. Bravo 👏
Thanks, Dale. There are so many possibilities within Canva, no need to use a 100% premise template.
Again impressed sir.
Thank you very much.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it.
This is absolutely amazing. Thank you so much!
You're very welcome! Glad you found it helpful!
@@KeithWheelerBooks Thanks to your videos I am about to self-publish for the first time.
You’re quite welcome! I’m very excited for you! Best of luck! 😊👍
This video helped a lot thanks man
Glad to hear it! 👍
SO incredibly useful! Thank you so much for this vid!!!
It’s truly my pleasure. I’m glad you found the content helpful. Thank you so much for watching and subscribing!
@@KeithWheelerBooks Absolutely! Super helpful! :)
Great! Glad to hear!
I almost left when I heard, "that birdy lied"... Haha... You really had me there.
Thank you very much for all your advice and tips. I really appreciate it and using it now
Ha, glad you stuck around.
@@KeithWheelerBooks do you give one to one writing advice?
I have a coaching program.(but I’m not taking any new students until the new year. Also, on the 3rd tier of the channel membership, we do a monthly 1hr group mastermind, which you may find useful.
If none of that works for you, I’d suggest checking out our Facebook Group, Self Publishing Today.
Hopefully, one or more of these options will be helpful to you.
Awesome video Keith!!! Need to work on my Canva skills! Seen a lot of people using it to create cheat sheets.
Thanks Carlos. I love using Canva.
Brilliant RUclips video by Keith Wheeler using Canva to make FREE eBook covers. The best 8 minutes I could hope to invest in learning how simple it can be to create a great cover.
I'm so sorry for not responding sooner. YT didn't show me this comment on the mobile app which is where I usually reply from.
Thank you so much for the kind and encouraging words. I'm glad you enjoyed the content.
Great resource! Thank you for this and all you do. I'm super grateful for your concise style. Keep up the good work and much success to you!
Thank you so much for the kind words. It truly means the world to me! Best of luck to you and your self-publishing business.
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Wow this is amazing, I’ve had challenges with my book cover when I send it for printing previously, this has really opened my eyes, Thank you 🥂
I’m so glad you found the content helpful.
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
Glad it worked!
Awesome cover! Are there any specific dimensions the ebook cover needs to be for KDP Ebooks?
I'm glad you liked the cover. The dimension you're looking for would be 1410 x 2250, but the great news is in Canva there's actually an option called Kindle Cover. So that makes it extremely easy to set up.
Thank you. 😃
You’re very welcome!
Thank you very much
You’re welcome.
Thanks for the video. I'm glad to hear you say that you respond to questions.
This is my first book. I just want to know which format to download for a KDP ebook. I would really appreciate your answer.
All of the tutorials I have watched, and wasted my time watching, don't tell how to download for an ebook. They say choose the one that you need. Well, if I knew which one I need, I wouldn't be watching the tutorial. Right?
So very true! For novels and other, non-children’s books, I upload doc files for the ebook. For picture books, I typically generate a mobi file, using kindle kids book creator.
I hope this helps.
@@KeithWheelerBooks thank you. Do you print the ebook cover from Canva as PDF print?
Ebook cover should be a png
@@KeithWheelerBooks thank you
You’re very welcome.
keith. Just found another 'tool' within Canva. When you download as a PDF Print, it gives you a download option of 'Crop Marks and Bleed' which is great to check that all is within the printing limits.
Yes this is a very helpful tool. I typically don’t use it because the bleed is not the same bleed margin as KDP requests, so I just calculate the bleed myself. But thanks for reminding me of this feature.
Hi Keith. Your tutorial was great! Just what I was looking for. The cover that you made....is there any special formatting or measurements before I can use my cover in Amazon’s KDP?
According to KDP, Ideal dimensions for cover files are 2,560 pixels in height x 1,600 pixels.
Learn more: kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200645690
Hey Keith. I'm really new at this but I seem to be able to follow your steps far better than some of the other 'Gurus' I have looked at. Thanks. A question: Do you design an original cover in Canva as (say) a 6 x 9 without bleed, spine etc added to the measurements and add those measurements when you start to put the cover together or do you create the original as a 6 x 9 without bleed, spine etc. Also, in my version of Canva, when I hit the 'Create A Design' button I do not have the choice of 'Book Cover' as per this video. My choices are shown in categories - Social Media, Documents, Personal etc. so I'm at a bit of a loss to know what to do here. Could I just go to 'Custom dimensions' - 6 x 9 - and create the blank page for the front cover, add a page for the back cover then create the spine as a separate creation and then pul them together when I create the full cover?
First of all let me say your comment about how easy it is to follow my steps, made my day! That is my goal to make this as easy to understand as possible. Now, let’s get to your questions.
When I design a cover it completely depends on how complex the cover is as to whether I create it in pieces (front, back and spine) or if I create it all in one project. Either way is possible. You just have to make sure your final file includes the bleed. As for not having the book option, I find that rather odd, but yes, you can just create the custom dimensions version. In fact, if you’re doing it for a paperback, custom is really the only way to do it because the exact dimensions will differ from book to book. Remember you don’t need to add a spine or bleed for ebooks, just for the paperback.
I hope this helps.
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
@@KeithWheelerBooks Thanks mate. That's good. Onward and upwards.
That's the only way to go!
Can I create the back cover on canva?
You don’t need a back cover for an ebook. If you’re looking to make a back cover for your paperback, yes you cans and I have a video for that. It’s called: How to Create a Canva Book Cover
Hey Keith. Thank you for this video. I was wondering, does the size matter here?
Debbie Hyde in general the size of your ebook cover doesn’t matter too much. Since it’s digital.
Keith Wheeler Books yeah I kind of assumed that after I asked the question lol. I’ve practiced a few covers in Word but they save as a pdf.
Glad I could help. Yeah I’m not a big word fan when it comes to making covers. Derek Murphy makes some amazing covers in Word, but not me.
Wow Great & easy 😍
I'm glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching and for subscribing. My subs mean the world to me! If you have suggestions for future videos, feel free to let me know.
@@KeithWheelerBooks ur work always great .i m gald i found ur channel &learn alot Best of luck God bless u :)
Creative Thinking , thank you so much for the kind words, it means a lot to me. I’m glad you found my channel as well!
@@KeithWheelerBooks 😍 best of luck ur future
Creative Thinking, you too!
The Canva version I'm using has 2 book templates found in Personal section. One is "Book Cover 1410x2250 px" and the other is "Wattpad Book Cover 512x800" - I have searched and the definitions don't make sense to me. I am currently looking for a print book for a low content style book. Thank you for your assistance. Your videos have been quite helpful. Thank you
Thank you for the kind words.
Great question. Based on the fact that you're looking for a print book for a low content style book, it sounds like you're not looking for an ebook cover. I did a video on how to create a paperback cover in canva as well.
Because it's for a paperback, you're going to need to select "custom dimensions" when using canva. Since your trim size and page count will differ from book to book, there's no 1 size template that you can use. I think you'll find my tutorial on paperback covers in canva to be quite helpful.
Please let me know if you have any further questions.
@@KeithWheelerBooks Perfect Keith. I've been watching other videos of yours and it's making more sense. I was creating the Kindle cover 1st to add to the print but now realizing LOL that I don't need to. ;) Thank you
Trust me, I completely understand. It can get a bit overwhelming. I'm glad you're finding the content helpful.
Too funny! You’re quite welcome!!!
After this great tutorial I'll definitely open a free account on Canva for the great options it offers for both paper and ebook covers. Still, I would like to know if it is possible to do ebook covers in PowerPoint, too.
Absolutely! I have numerous videos where I show how to make a book cover in PowerPoint
@@KeithWheelerBooks I'm thankful to this channel for having learned how to make paperback book covers in PowerPoint. What about ebook covers in PowerPoint?
I’ve got a video on that too. But basically it’s the same thing as a paperback but you don’t have to worry about margins, a back cover or a spine.
@@KeithWheelerBooks So, basically, the PowerPoint slide needs to be customized at 8,5x8,5 for example (no margins), settled on portrait, and save it as a png for ebooks, or directly as pdf. Did I got it right?
The 8.5x8.5 is only because that was the dimensions of my book. If your book is going to be a 6x9, you can use those dimensions.
Honestly, for ebooks, the dimensions don’t really matter too much. I just like to use the books dimensions so that the proportions are correct.
Hi Keith. My name is Andrea Glover but this message is in my daughter’s name. Thank you for this tutorial. It was awesome. I’ve created my book cover but I’m having difficulties attaching it to my book, which is on my desktop. How do I connect the two? Thank you
You don’t combine them. You upload them separately into the KDP platform.(ie whatever platform you’re publishing on)
I have a video on how to publish on the different platforms, they walk you step-by-step.
Hi Keith. Thank you for reviewing my comment. Do you have a video on how to attach the book cover to the book? I don’t see an option in Canva to save it to my desktop
You are so awesome. Thank you for replying so quickly. When my books jump off, I will be sure to give a shout out to you for your step by step e-book training on RUclips.
Again, you don’t combine them. In canva, you download the cover(download button is in the top right corner) For the ebook you want the cover in jpg or png. For print book download as PDF-Print.
You don’t combine with the book, you upload each separately into KDP.
Awesome! I can’t wait to see your success!
What is the right measurement for ebook cover and where can I reset it
There’s no official measurement. I just go with the same dimensions as my print book so it’s proportionally accurate.
Hi Keith. Q for you. I didn't see you create the size for your book, so here's my Q. If I know the book will be 6x9, and I need both ebook cover & print, do I need to do the ebook in pixels and then the print in inches? That's how I've heard others explain it...
OR Can I just do 6x9 for the front (ebook version) and then use that (like you have) as the front cover for the full print version? I'm not sure how you decided the size of the book cover...
Thank you
When I get the ebook cover made, I tell them the dimensions I'm looking for(in inches) and that I want it to be at least 300 dpi. Then I can use that same cover as the front of my paperback.
If you don't specify the size and, especially, the image quality(300 dpi), then when you make the paperback cover, the quality may not be good enough for a print version. The reason you have to specify the size is to ensure you don't have to stretch the image to make your paperback cover. (Stretching the image will lower the quality of the image, making it look pixelated) The reason that you specify the image quality is that most ebook cover creators will go with the minimum, which is 72dpi. This is fine for an ebook cover but for a print version, the quality has to be much higher(at least 300 dpi)
I hope this helps.
@@KeithWheelerBooks Thank you Keith. I appreciate the response. Makes sense.
My pleasure, Sue.
New to books on KDP...working in Canva...I noticed in this video CANVA has "Kindle Cover" (im trying to make my ebook cover) but now in Canva I don't see that option....do I just use "book cover" (1410X2250) for ebooks? Can you make an updated video on this please? canva has added/changed alot in a year! Thank you!
Yeah, they have made quite a few changes in this new version. I may have to film an updated video. In the meantime, yes, you can use the book cover option.
Thanks for asking this great question!
Hey Keith, I can create a whole ebook on canva right? And then I want to sell it on pay hip... Or I can place a plr on canva and edit it?
Yes, technically you can create the pages for a book in canva. I don’t know anything about pay hip.
Keith, I'm struggling here. So I've got my Front and Back covers and the Spine (printed) saved and ready to load. Problem is I can't find the next step - how to put the pages into the book and how to create the number of pages necessary to fill the book using one single lined template. I'm sure you have a video on it but I cannot find it anywhere. HELP!
If you’re doing a lined journal, I have a video on lined interiors that will show you how to create the page. Once you create one page, just copy it as many times as you need to make your book. Then upload them to kdp. I also have a video on how to publish a paperback on kdp which will walk you through the steps of uploading everything.
Thank you! This was very helpful!
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching and subscribing!
He does reply❗️
Yes I do!
Does Canva automatically generate the cover at 2560 x 1600 pixels as required for Amazon KDP? Is there an option in canva for the size?
You can set the dimensions manually instead of using a template.
Where I’m stuck is how to do the spine and back cover.
I have videos both on how to create a paperback cover as well as one specifically on spines.
How to Create a Canva Book Cover
ruclips.net/video/ZHW4fgsO1os/видео.html
Book Cover Tutorial | Making a Spine for Your Book
ruclips.net/video/QAUlMHP3c8g/видео.html
it seems they only give you one size to work with.. what if we want 5x8?
Linda Carlson, great question. When you creat a new design, instead of clicking on a pre-made design, you can select “custom design” in the top right corner. You can then enter in the dimensions you want.(be sure it’s set on inches and not px)
I have another canva video where I show how to take your ebook cover and turn it into a paperback cover. In that video I show you how to do a “custom design”
And maybe you might give some pros and cons of using that tab and its other functions.
Another great suggestion. Let me look into this and I’ll see what I can come up with.
He does reply✌️
I sure do!
to add pics to inside the book do you just make more canva pics
You can use canva for the interior but when you export it, it needs to be a separate file than the cover.
@@KeithWheelerBooks thanks darl
👍
How do you take a book cover and change it on a plr book
To be honest, I don’t really mess with PLR. That said, if I were to acquire a plr book, I would probably hire a cover designer to design a completely new cover.
Also, as a side note, assuming you want to sell yours online, I would differentiate the book by adding in some content unique to my version. Remember that most people selling plr are selling more than 1 copy of it, so you need to make yours unique.
If you were to use one of Canva’s full-size images as the basis of your cover design, to whom do you give photo credit on the copyright page; or is it even necessary?
Thanks
I will still put "picture credits: Canva.com" or something along those lines.
Hey Keith....great video ...I want to know whether using canva's resources such as the background and the colors is copyright free or not and can we use them for commercial purposes?
Thank you so much for the kind words. That’s an excellent question. Since different sites have different licensing agreements as well as their terms may change over time, your best bet is to always go directly to the source.
Here is a link to Canva’s licensing policy in easy to understand verbiage. about.canva.com/license-agreements/free-media/
I hope this helps.
Hi Keith - what is the difference between choosing 'book cover' and 'Kindle cover' when creating an ebook cover?
To be honest, I haven’t found a difference. I just use the kindle cover option as it’s the one that’s been around longer, so I know I can trust it.
Hey Keith. I'm getting there, albeit slowly but I am getting there. Hit a problem today. When I load a single page template to Canva and then use the 'copy' function to create 200 pages Canva seems to stop me at 100 pages. My issue is, can you upload into KDP two PDF files of 100 pages each. If not how do I create 200 pages within the one PDF file? Hope you can help here.
You are correct, Canva has a 100 page limit. All you have to do is go to pdfmerge.com and you can easily merge your pdf files into one combined pdf.
I hope this helps.
Hi Keith. I've just discovered the tab in Canva called 'File' - 'Print Bleed' which I thought was great until I came to edit the first layer. It seems to lock itself in and not allow changes - not even a shift of position. Could you explain that? Do you use that function in Canva?
I’ll be honest with you, Canva just recently rolled out a new version and I haven’t tested out a lot of the new features and functionality. I will look into this and see if I can figure it out and report back.
I did my whole ebook in canva and it turned out great except when I downloaded it as pdf the cover looks horrible when you than open the pdf as a reader. But it goes to normal looking when you make the pdf smaller while you are viewing it is there anything I can do about that?
It sounds like the resolution of your original image may have been less than 300dpi. You also want to make sure that you download from canva as a print pdf.
I hope these tips help.
@@KeithWheelerBooks thank you very much for your reply....
You’re very welcome.
hallo I would like to use pixabay photo ...only free use...but I read on their site this note "Don't sell unaltered copies of an image. e.g. sell an exact copy of a stock photo as a poster, print or on a physical product." what does it means according to you? is it related also to e book or physical book? thank you
They’re saying they don’t want you to just take the image and sell it as is. They want you to make changes, enhancements, etc. This way you’re making it unique from the original file you downloaded.
@@KeithWheelerBooks oh great Keith !!I'm glad you cleared that up for me.!!! thank you !
but do you think I should also modify the images inside the book as I did for the cover?
You’re quite welcome. I always suggest modifying the images to make them unique. I actually have a video where I show how to make a picture page all from free images I acquired.
Thank you so much for everything you do! But my question is that if I uploaded my ebook first on kindle is it possible to upload my paperback version later? Or is it a must that I upload them both at the same time?
Excellent question! Yes, you can upload your paperback and ebook at separate times.
Keith Wheeler Books Thank you so much for replying back!
My pleasure!
Hi Keith one more question: for my ebook cover art is it okay to use a transparent style of pictures? I am editing my own and use multiple layers (I blend pictures together to create a dream like effect).
It should be ok, but you may need to flatten it for uploading to KDP.
How much you charge? I plan to just send someone my images and have them design the cover.
Due to my schedule, I don’t do freelance work anymore, but if you’d like to hire someone from Fiverr, I can give you a recommendation.
@@KeithWheelerBooks Awesome Video Keith. Who would your recommendations be on Fiverr?
Depends on your needs/timing.
I have two videos that I did recently on getting illustrations done on Fiverr.
If you want to check out one of my favorite illustrators, that are reasonably priced, go to kwheelerbooks.com/epic
You can use images from sites like pixabay and pexels on kdp?
And 1 guy on RUclips I watched says canva covers wont work on kdp.
Thanks for any response.
As long as you double check the license and make sure it’s free for commercial use, then yes you can use it for publishing.
I have used canva covers on KDP numerous times and worked fine and have sold plenty of copies.
@@KeithWheelerBooks have you used images from pixaby, or pexels, on kdp?
Pixabay, yes. I have an entire series of picture books that utilize pixabay images. You just need to make the book unique so it stands out, as others may be using the same images.
@@KeithWheelerBooks thanks.
You’re very welcome.
Hi Keith, I have a free version of canva, and it saves the PNG file with less pixels than what KDP requires to upload. Is there a way to tackle this?
TIA.
You are 100% correct. That said, I’ve found a fairly quick and easy work around.
1. On Canva, export your “image” as a “PDF Print” file.
2. Go to www.online-convert.com and choose the “Image Converter” option.
3. Upload your PDF Print file that you downloaded from canva.
4. Under the DPI option, enter 300
5. Hit the “Start Conversion” button
The resulting file will be a jpg with 300dpi resolution.
I hope this helps.
HOW CAN WE MAKE ACCURATE 6*9 FOR EBOOK.PLS TELL
I have a video where I show how to create an ebook cover: How to Make an eBook Cover for Free in Canva ruclips.net/video/VHayUyEPOjc/видео.html
Thanks.i watched your vedio full but how I will understand that it is 6*9 dimension.there is no dimension size.plz tell how to select 6*9 size book .I donot understand
Because it’s an ebook and not a physical book, the trim size doesn’t matter.
@@KeithWheelerBooks thank you sir.you are great.
Quick question: Would you have to credit the author of the pictures in your book if it's from Pixabay or a site with royalty free, commercial free usage photos?
It completely depends on where you got the pictures from. When you acquire a picture, you need to check the licensing to ensure it is approved for commercial use. In addition, you need to check and see if attribution is required.
@@KeithWheelerBooks Thank You Keith! That helped me a lot!
My pleasure! Best of luck to you!
Is that not a baseball?
It’s technically a white softball.