How to Create a PDF Book Cover for Amazon KDP Print | Free Self-Publishing Course | Video #16

About this video

Sean explains how to convert a JPEG ebook front cover into a paperback PDF cover, saying this step is much trickier than formatting the manuscript and recommending outsourcing it. His default option is Fiverr, which he uses himself: a Fiverr designer simply adds a spine and back cover to the existing front design, so it is more basic and cheaper, without extra decorative touches on the spine or back. His premium option is 100 Covers, which can add nicer design details. He argues the basic option does not hurt sales because buyers only see the front cover before purchasing, and in multiple years of publishing he has never had a complaint about a Fiverr-made paperback cover. He reserves 100 Covers for someone publishing a single book to promote an existing business, where the book acts as a business card for leads. Before ordering, he says to give the designer the book size, total page count of the manuscript, paper type — white or cream, since it affects spine width — and the back cover text, which he usually takes from the book description with small changes, such as replacing ‘click buy now’ wording.

Key takeaways

• Outsource the JPEG-to-paperback PDF conversion rather than doing it yourself — Sean calls it much trickier than manuscript formatting
• Fiverr is his recommended default: cheaper and more basic, just adding a spine and back cover to the front design
• Use 100 Covers only for premium detail, or for a single lead-generation book promoting an existing business
• Cover quality on the spine/back does not affect sales in his experience, because buyers only see the front cover before buying
• When ordering, supply book size, total page count, paper type (white or cream), and back cover text adapted from the book description

Episode details: published April 2, 2020 · 3:26 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Sean Dollwet’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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