eBook and Paperback Book Cover Design Using Canva and Gimp
What you'll learn
- Find inspiration for your book covers as well as free, cheap or premium images without infringing upon someone else's copyright
- Understand the technical terms used in image design such as image size, file size, aspect ratios and color modes as well as what file type to use when uploading to your chosen platforms.
- Know the current specifications for print book, eBook and catalogue covers on major platforms like Amazon and Smashwords.
- Design an eBook catalogue cover in Canva using either a template or your own specifications and images
- Work out the specifications for a paperback book cover or generate one in Createspace, and then design your cover in Canva with a little image manipulating in Gimp.
- Set up and design book covers in Gimp using layer masks and blend modes to create interesting effects.
- Convert your catalogue cover images and paperback book cover images to a suitable size to embed within your ebooks.
Requirements
- You need to sign up for free accounts at both Canva and Gimp and be willing to believe that you are perfectly capable of creating a great cover.
Description
Thanks to huge advances in computer technology making your own book covers is not nearly as hard as it used to be. You can use drag and drop image building apps online. My favorite of these is Canva.
For those few things that you cannot do inside Canva, there is also no need to invest in expensive image manipulation software because you can do them in Gimp for free.
Even though designing a book cover can get a little technical, it's a skill you can easily learn. In this course I will teach you the software you need so that you too can get stuck in and create great covers for your books.
Designing images for book covers and designing them for social media banners and posts is very similar, so once you know how to use the software, you can go on to create all the marketing material to go with your book as well.
Who this course is for:
- Anyone wishing to design their own book covers including writers of both fiction and non-fiction. It would also be handy for marketers putting out reports and other promotional material.
Instructor
- 4.3 Instructor Rating
- 3,066 Reviews
- 20,196 Students
- 9 Courses
I started my career as an interior designer but have always had a passion for books. In 2013 I wrote one, but like most authors did not have any connections in the publishing world so I decided to format it myself and publish it on Amazon. It was even a bestseller for a very short time.
During the writing and publishing process I was surprised to find how many of my author friends were being held back by not knowing how to get the best out of their writing software and not knowing how to self publish their books so I transitioned into writing books about writing software and teaching people how to self publish.
I had to learn Screenflow to make marketing videos for my books but soon discovered that it is much easier to explain software in a video than it is in a book so I switched to making video courses instead. 6 courses on Udemy so far and 3 are bestsellers.
So my mission statement is to inspire as many people as possible to embrace all the amazing technology we have access to these days that makes publishing easier than ever, and get them to write and publish their own stories and create their own video courses about what they know.