Thanks for your interest!
Have some fun with these samples and see if they work for you.
Hi there! Below you’ll find a bunch of resources for making beautiful book covers in MS Word. Most of these links are to .zip folders; you’ll need to unpack/extract the .zip folder before you can see the contents. Once you open the Word files, things may not look right if you don’t have the same fonts installed that I used, so try changing the fonts.
You’ll be getting an email confirmation from me, make sure you hit the ‘subscribe’ button in it so I can let you know when new samples and other resources are available. I also give away huge prizes like writer retreat vacations. (If you don’t see it, check your spam box).
Here’s a link to the sample package; you can use the Quickstart Guide or “Cheat Sheet” to troubleshoot and learn the ropes. There are a few fiction and non-fiction cover template samples to play with. The instructions are based on Word 2010.
An Epic List of Appropriate Fonts per Genre
Choosing the right fonts for your book cover is important; you’ll probably use the same fonts for your interior formatting as well. Here’s a huge list of fonts I like divided by genre.
I made a few “sell-sheets” that may help with book marketing; for a long post about how to use them, and other alternatives, you can read this article I posted on my blog: How-to-make-a-sell-sheet-for-your-book-with-free-templates
Full Print Covers (Createspace, etc.)
Making full print covers for Createspace is a little tricky, but this guide and sample templates will help. You can make a full print cover that looks pretty good, but you need to get familiar with the features in MS Word, and use quality fonts and images.
This package is light on layers, heavy on templates – it’s got everything you need but assumes you’re starting from a finished cover file, so you’re just importing layers. There are also instructions for ordering postcards and business cards (and how to use them).
Free Books!
I want to help you avoid the mistakes that kill book sales, so I’m also giving you 4 of my books for free. They’ll improve your formatting, publishing, author platform and book marketing.
Book Marketing is Dead
How to Write, Format, Publish, Promote…
100 Publishing Questions Answered
Cover Design Secrets that Sell Books
Thanks and good luck!
Let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Derek Murphy
PS) I made a tool for converting PDF to JPG that’s not mentioned in the guide, it’s here if you need it:
More stuff to help you publish
If you need help formatting your book, check out the free book formatting templates I put up atwww.diybookformats.com. You can also check out mymain book cover design site, or my blogCreativindie.com where I help authors and artists produce and sell their best work. Finally, if you’re looking for a book editor, check outwww.bookbutchers.com.
Connect with me (Derek Murphy)
Twitter: Creativindie
Facebook: Creativindie
