The writing of your eBook is finished. Now its time for you to add the final touches, designing the eBook cover and matching banners, graphic buttons. You will need a sales pages if you are planning to sell the eBook.
photo credit: Enoch Pratt Free Library
This last step of creating a professional look to your eBook is one of the essential parts of creating a professional impression. With out this final process your writing will be overlooked.
There are several options available for this last step.
1. You can hire a professional to design your e-book cover and the graphics needed. This is the faster way to finish your eBook, particularly if you have not worked with graphic design and photo imaging software before.
2. You can use a package of ‘stock’ covers that you can alter to fit your needs or you can design the graphics you need yourself.
3. Use software to create you own eCover and graphics.
photo credit: room122
If you really don’t feel up to the task or time involved in eBook cover and graphic creation, hire a professional. There are groups of skilled designers that design eBook covers, headers and graphics for very reasonable fees.
Online, I would recommend eLance. You sign into eLance and place a job ad for the eBook and graphics needed for your project. Include the price range you are willing to accept and wait for bids.
You may also be able to find talented local college students that would be able to do the work for you.
The price for the graphics for your eBook project will depend on the amount of work you are requesting. But prices usually fall between $40 and $100.
If you decide to design your eBook cover and graphics yourself you will need imaging software. Photoshop, Paintshop Pro, or GIMP are a few programs available. Stock images, are also available online. But you need to carefully check the license of any image you select to see if you can user the image for your project.
If you are a photographer and have professional quality photos, or know a good photographer, they might be a person to contact. Otherwise look for sites that deal in royalty free images. Google has many listing for stock photographs.
When creating you own eBook cover make sure the quality of the image is sharp and attractive. You will also need to check the perspectives of the eBook cover and match up all edges so that your binding, and front and back covers are not crooked or out of proportion.
There are software packages out there that provide Photoshop action scripts and more aid in the design of your eBook. These action scripts allow you to generate a cover without fiddling with matching up edges and other tasks such as a perspective view that you might want for your e-book or stylized box design. ECover software programs can be found on Google. Some programs must be bought and others are free.
The cover and packaging is the first thing most people will see of your e-book. The quality has to be top notch to attract attention and create interest. Your eBook may be informative and a great read but if the eCover lacks pizzazz your readers will loose interest quickly.
Regardless of the topic of your eBook, a professional and appealing e-book cover is a must if you expect to people to read your eBook or buy a copy.