WaveCloud's Wednesday Webinar Series. This webinar is for authors looking for information on book cover design considerations, and how using a strong book cover can improve sales. Book cover best practice for ebook and print is discussed.

1. Self-Publishing Wednesday Webinar:
Maximize Book Sales
With These
Book Cover Improvements
Bill Van Orsdel
(303) 974-7845
Bill.VanOrsdel@WaveCloud.com

2. Checklist:
ü You have researched your target reader
ü You have researched your genre
ü You have or are creating a cover
ü You plan on working with a professional
ü Fiction or nonfiction book
Before we get started…

3. — WaveCloud is an Author Services platform
and an ebookstore
— Helping writers become successful
authors is our #1 priority
— Not a “How To Do”, but a “What To Do”
— Watch this webinar: Maximize Book Sales
With These Book Cover Improvements
A word from our sponsor
Bill Van Orsdel
WaveCloud
CMO

4. A word about our guest
• Teddi Black: Professional Book Cover
Designer
• Has designed more than 300 book covers
• Fiction & Nonfiction
• Many repeat authors
• Her goal: Help clients create book covers
that sell books!

5. Key Points
A. Your book cover is one part of the three-legged stool that generates
interest for book sales (along with descriptions and stars/reviews)
B. Cover goals:
— Capture eye
— Confirm genre
— Convey professionalism
— And for nonfiction: call out promise
C. Maximize “available” graphic space for book covers
D. Know how to work with a design professional
— What do you need to know?
— What questions should you ask?
E. Target the right audience: Adults vs. Teens vs. Kids
F. For print - use all of the elements on the back cover (Print-on-Demand)

6. Book covers generate interest that leads to sales
— Goal: Convince those who visit your sales page to read your book
description and reviews
— Purchase Behavior: Awareness à Interest à Trial à Purchase
— Interest created by: Book covers and then description
— Trial created by: Sampling or social proof
— Better book cover = more description reads
Better description reads = more review reads (trial)
Book review reads (trial) = more book sales
Why does this matter?

7. — Create “A Cover that Sells Books”
— “Capture the Eye” with an outstanding image, story,
color, theme, tone, composition, and typography
— Confirm your Genre(s) (Mash-Ups) or Subject Area
— Convey your Professionalism
— + For nonfiction à Convey Benefit Promise
Goals for your book cover:

8. Maximize “available” graphic
space for book covers
— Images in 72 DPI or better (don’t scale up!)
— In color (mindful of black & white displays)
— RGB color mode
— .JPG format
— 1563 x 2500 pixels (rough “Golden Rectangle”)
— Beware of white background, use a frame
— Less than 5MB and another less than 2MB (B&N)

9. Collaboration TipsWorking With A Professional Book Cover Designer
— Agree on procedure & price upfront including: how to handle
extras (i.e. time, images, re-works, multiple versions, 3-D version) &
file ownership!
— Provide: Synopsis, Logline+Hook, image examples, book
examples, genre, theme and tone direction, main
character(s) description(s), etc.
— Engage with meaningful, well-thought-out, final direction
and comments. Credit your designer!

10. Refining a book cover

11. Refining a book cover

12. Refining a book cover

13. Refining a book cover
Final Cover

14. Refining a book cover

15. Refining a book cover

16. Refining a book cover
Final Cover

17. Tell a story,
elicit an emotion

18. Tell a story,
elicit an emotion

19. Target the right audience

20. Typography: good vs. bad

21. Typography: good vs. bad

22. Typography: good vs. bad

23. Back cover examples

24. Back cover examples

25. Back cover examples

26. Back cover examples

27. Back cover examples

28. — Name the book’s genre, explicity
— ISBN & correct bar code
— About the author (optional)
— Price
— Blurb
— Strong book description (logline + hook)
Back cover, often neglected

29. — Fiction: Logline + Hook
When ____ happens to ____, he/she must ____ or face ____.
i.e. “Marked for death along with his companions, a toy rabbit
must learn to cry real tears in order to save himself from being
thrown into a burning pit by the boy he loves.”
— Nonfiction:
Authority + Benefit Promise + Unique Proposition (may include
author credentials)
Back cover description

30. Final Recommendations:
A. Your book cover is one part of the three-legged stool that generates interest
for book sales (along with descriptions and stars/reviews)
B. Cover goals:
— Capture eye
— Confirm genre
— Convey professionalism
— And for nonfiction: call out promise
C. Maximize “available” graphic space for book covers
D. Know how to work with a design professional
— What do you need to know?
— What questions should you ask?
E. Target the right audience: Adults vs. Teens vs. Kids
F. For print - use all of the elements on the back cover (Print-on-Demand)

31. — Enjoyed
this
webinar?
WaveCloud
has
more
online!
Addi<onal
webinars
can
be
viewed
here:
WaveCloud
Webinars
— Ask
ques<ons
regarding
self-­‐publishing,
request
a
topic
you
would
like
to
learn
more
about,
or
tell
us
what
you
think
at
authorinfo@wavecloud.com.
WaveCloud Self-Publishing
Wednesday Webinar Series:

32. Questions?
Bill Van Orsdel
(303) 974-7845
Bill.VanOrsdel@WaveCloud.com