Make an Ebook Cover Look Professional at Thumbnail Size

Where to start

A professional-looking cover makes a clear promise at the size where readers first see it. Start with title hierarchy, one focal point and visual cues appropriate to the book. More detail rarely solves a weak hierarchy.

Study comparable covers to understand reader expectations, then create an original composition. Do not copy another book's distinctive artwork or layout. Keep records for image and font permissions used in the final design.

Test the cover at three scales

• At thumbnail size, check whether the main title and subject are recognizable.
• At medium size, inspect subtitle hierarchy and whether the artwork competes with the words.
• At full size, check edges, spelling, generated text and image defects.
• Try grayscale to see whether the title depends entirely on color contrast.
• Compare the cover promise with the actual manuscript and intended category.

Simplify a crowded cover

Suppose a gardening cover contains five plants, three badges, a long subtitle and a script title over leaves. First remove claims that do not help identify the book. Choose one focal plant arrangement, shorten the subtitle where possible and create a quiet area behind the title.

Do not fix unreadable text by piling on shadows and outlines. Change the placement, weight or background first. If the cover uses generated lettering, verify every character. A nearly correct author name or subtitle is still an error readers will see.

Check your result

• Title and author spelling are exact.
• The cover remains recognizable when small.
• Artwork matches the book's content and audience.
• The final image meets the destination's current cover specification.