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Ben McQueeney

Are you a self-publisher wanting to know how to design your own Or a freelancer wanting to understand every aspect of creating a book cover that slays in its genre?

Well, THIS is the course for you.

The best part is you can make your AMAZING book cover completely for FREE and I will show you exactly how to do it.

Read more

Are you a self-publisher wanting to know how to design your own Or a freelancer wanting to understand every aspect of creating a book cover that slays in its genre?

Well, THIS is the course for you.

The best part is you can make your AMAZING book cover completely for FREE and I will show you exactly how to do it.

Join the thousands of students who have already taken my courses and dive into the world of Book Covers for Amazon KDP in this course. I will share with you my system of making book covers which has helped me sell tens of thousands of books. The system gives consistent results, the system generates consistent sales, and the system WORKS.

In "How To Make Profitable Book Covers on Amazon KDP" you will learn:

  • The importance of book covers

  • The relationship between book covers and your audience

  • The foundations of a good book cover

  • How to effectively carry out competitor analysis

  • How to get the correct templates for your covers

  • How to design your book cover for FREE

  • How to design your book covers fast

  • How to create different versions of your Book Covers (eBooks, Hardcover, softcover and audiobook)

  • How to tell and what to do if you cover isn't performing.

So what are you waiting for? Join the course, Join the KDP Ninja Family and learn to master the art of Book Cover design for Amazon KDP today.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Understand the relationship between book covers, intended audience and sales
  • Perform effective competitor analysis
  • Create book covers for ebooks, paperbacks, hardcovers and audiobooks.
  • Create book covers using free and fast online tools
  • Know how to gather correct templates for designing book covers
  • Know how to check the book cover is performing well and what to do if it isn't

Syllabus

Introduction

Welcome to How To Create Profitable Book Covers for Amazon KDP. This course will be the ultimate guide on how to make your own book covers for Amazon KDP in any Niche. In this intro lecture, I introduce myself and go over some of my background.

Read more

In this lecture, we go into who this course is for and the reasons why it's a great accessible course for anyone who wants to create their own book covers or create covers as a service.

In this lecture, we will go over all the sections and elements of the course and what you will be learning along the way. The course has everything you need to be able to create profitable book covers for your Amazon KDP books effectively and easily.

Background

In this lecture, we cover the subject of how important book covers are to attract people towards it.

In this lecture, we will discuss the 4 main foundations for creating a good book cover. Be mindful of these when designing your book covers, missing one of the foundations often will lead to a poor cover design being created which is the exact opposite of what you need.

In this lecture, we will take a look at some specific examples of book covers that are fantastic and some that are bad. I will point out the issues with each and bring it back to the foundations of a good book cover which we have discussed in the previous lecture.

There is only really one thing you must do to prepare yourself to make an epic profitable book cover and in this lecture I will show you exactly what you need to do to achieve it.

Competitor Analysis

In this lecture, we briefly go over implementing the book cover creation system and explain how we are going to do an effective competitor analysis

In this lecture I will briefly show you the tool I use for gathering the information we need to get during the book cover analysis' that we are going to demo in next few lectures.

In this lecture we take a look at applying the 666 method for a low content niche

In this lecture we take a look at applying the 666 method for a Puzzle book niche

In this lecture we take a look at applying the 666 method for a fiction book niche

In this lecture we take a look at applying the 666 method for a non-fiction niche

Types, Sizes and Templates

In this lecture, we examine the four different types of book covers a self-publisher would be concerned with.

In this lecture, we go over the specifications required for making different book cover types.

In this lecture we have a look at the KDP cover calculator tool and how it can be used to generate a template to use to design your paperback and hardback book covers.

This video shows you the two types of finish options for your book covers.

Design

In this lecture, we discuss the importance of ensuring you have the licence to use creative assets and font in your designs. We will also talk about AI.

In this video, I show you the best place to get free assets and fonts online to use in your book covers.

In this video, I will show you how to make a book cover using a free method with our low-content book cover research we created earlier in the course. Please note that some of the resources in this section of the course contain affiliate links where I will make a small commission. 

In this video, I will show you how to make a book cover using an alternative free method with our puzzle book cover research we created earlier in the course.

In this video, I will show you how to make an ebook cover using my preferred method with the fiction book research we created earlier in the course.

In this video, I will show you how to make an audiobook cover using my preferred method with the non-fiction book research we created earlier in the course.

Trouble shooting

In this lecture we take a look at checking if your book cover isn't performing and specifically ways that you get tell if this is indeed the case.

Following on from previous lecture we take a look at what corrective measures you can take for a book cover that isn't performing as you wish.

Conclusions

In this lecture, we take a brief look at what we have covered in the course and reinforce the importance of each stage.

In this lecture we discuss further options of continued study from myself and the support that I can offer you on your KDP journey.

In this final lecture I touch upon the KDP Mentality "We don't quit" and offer my thanks for enrolling on this course! Thanks!

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in How To Create Profitable Book Covers For Amazon KDP with these activities:
Read "The Non-Designer's Design Book"
Learn fundamental design principles to create visually appealing and effective book covers.
View Presentation Book on Amazon
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of the book.
  • Read the chapters on CRAP design principles.
  • Identify examples of these principles in existing book covers.
Brush up on image editing basics
Review basic image editing techniques to prepare for creating and modifying book cover elements.
Browse courses on Image Editing
Show steps
  • Watch tutorials on image resizing and cropping.
  • Practice adjusting brightness and contrast.
  • Experiment with basic color correction.
Analyze successful book covers
Deepen your understanding of effective book cover design by analyzing successful examples in your chosen genre.
Show steps
  • Select 5-10 best-selling books in your genre.
  • Identify the design elements that make them appealing.
  • Note the fonts, colors, and imagery used.
  • Write a short paragraph summarizing your findings.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Font pairing exercises
Improve your ability to select effective font combinations for your book covers.
Show steps
  • Choose a base font for a book title.
  • Experiment with different fonts for the author name and subtitle.
  • Evaluate the readability and visual harmony of each pairing.
Read "Layout Essentials"
Learn about layout principles to improve the visual structure and readability of your book covers.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of the book.
  • Read the chapters on typography and visual hierarchy.
  • Analyze how these principles are used in existing book covers.
Design a book cover for a real or imagined book
Apply the concepts learned in the course to create a complete book cover design.
Show steps
  • Choose a book (real or imagined) and its genre.
  • Research successful covers in that genre.
  • Create a cover design using free tools.
  • Get feedback from peers or online communities.
  • Iterate on your design based on feedback.
Create a portfolio of book covers
Showcase your book cover design skills by creating a portfolio of your best work.
Show steps
  • Select your best book cover designs.
  • Create high-quality mockups of your covers.
  • Write a brief description of each design.
  • Share your portfolio online.

Career center

Learners who complete How To Create Profitable Book Covers For Amazon KDP will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Book Cover Designer
A book cover designer is responsible for creating visually appealing and effective covers that attract readers and represent the book's content. This course is a comprehensive guide that will help you become a successful book cover designer for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. The course shares how to design different versions of your Book Covers including eBooks, Hardcover, softcover and audiobook. It also goes over the foundations of a good book cover, which leads to consistent sales. Knowing how to tell if your book cover is not performing and what to do is also an important part of this course. For anyone interested in a career as a book cover designer, this course provides key insights and practical skills.
Amazon KDP Book Publisher
An Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing book publisher manages the entire process of publishing books on Amazon's KDP platform. The course helps those working as a publisher to design high-quality covers without needing to outsource. The course covers everything: the importance of covers, competitor analysis, templates, and free design tools. It also addresses how to create covers for various formats such as eBooks, hardcovers, and audiobooks. Most importantly, the course teaches how to evaluate a cover's performance and make necessary adjustments. This course will give you the tools to produce covers that are successful.
Audiobook Cover Designer
An audiobook cover designer creates visually compelling covers optimized for the unique requirements of audiobook platforms. If you want to design covers that sell tens of thousands of books, then this is the course for you. The course will share with you a system that gives consistent results. The course also goes over important details like competitor analysis, templates, and how to design a cover for free. You will also learn how to adapt covers to different formats which is a very important skill as an audiobook cover designer. This course will give you the cutting edge as an audiobook designer.
eBook Designer
An eBook designer specializes in creating digital books, including layout and design for electronic formats. This course helps sharpen the skills needed to create profitable book covers for Amazon KDP, focusing intensely on what makes a cover successful in the digital marketplace. This course provides techniques for competitor analysis, free design tools, and cover creation for various eBook formats. The course shares the importance of understanding how a cover performs and what to do if it doesn't. Anyone wishing to become an eBook designer will benefit from this course.
Print Book Designer
A print book designer is responsible for the layout and visual appeal of physical books, including cover design. This course may be incredibly helpful, teaching you how to create amazing book covers completely for free. Within the course, you will learn how to carry out competitor analysis, how to get the correct templates for your covers, and how to design your book covers fast. Furthermore, you will learn how to create different versions of your Book Covers including eBooks, Hardcover, and softcover. Because of this course, you will have the tools to excel as a designer.
Visual Designer
A visual designer focuses on the aesthetics and usability of visual elements, including websites, applications, and marketing materials. This course will help visual designers understand how to create visually appealing book covers that drive sales on Amazon KDP. The course covers how to design different versions of your book covers and how to tell if they are performing well or not. The course goes into detail on the importance of book covers, the relationship between book covers and your audience, and the foundations of a good book cover. All of this is important for visual designers to understand.
Freelance Graphic Designer
A freelance graphic designer works on a contract basis for a variety of clients, creating visual concepts that communicate ideas and inspire consumers. This course may be useful for developing a niche in book cover design for self-published authors on Amazon KDP. The course details how to conduct competitor analysis, design covers using free tools, and create covers for different formats like eBooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks. Furthermore, the course will provide the knowledge needed to determine if a cover is performing well and how to fix it if it is not. This course will help freelance designers add book cover design to their repertoire.
Digital Artist
A digital artist creates art using digital technology, such as computer software, tablets and scanners. This course may be useful for digital artists who want to expand their skill set to include book cover design, specifically for Amazon KDP. The course teaches students how to design amazing book covers completely for free. More specifically, it explains how to effectively carry out competitor analysis, how to get the correct templates for your covers, and how to design your book covers fast. The course touches on how to create different versions of your Book Covers (eBooks, Hardcover, softcover and audiobook). For these reasons, digital artists can use this course to develop an expertise that may be in demand.
Self Publishing Consultant
A self publishing consultant guides authors through the process of independently publishing their books. This course may be exceptionally helpful, as understanding book cover design and its impact on sales is crucial for offering effective advice. The course shares a system of creating covers that has led to high sales. The course also dives into the relationship between book covers and your audience, which is an important part of consulting authors. A consultant can learn how to assess cover performance and suggest improvements by taking this course.
Graphic Artist
A graphic artist creates visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, or captivate consumers. This course may be very useful for graphic artists who want to expand their skill set to include book cover design, specifically for Amazon KDP. The course shows how to design book covers completely for free. The course shares many helpful things such as, the importance of book covers, the relationship between book covers and your audience, and the foundations of a good book cover. Because of this, graphic artists can use this course to develop an expertise that may be in demand..
Digital Marketing Specialist
A digital marketing specialist develops, implements, and manages marketing campaigns that promote a company and its products or services. This course might improve your marketing knowledge because it highlights the importance of book covers in attracting an audience and driving sales on Amazon KDP. The course goes over the relationship between the covers and the audience. The course will also equip specialists with insights on what makes a book cover effective, how to analyze competitors' covers, and how to identify underperforming covers. Learning how to optimize visual elements greatly enhances marketing strategies.
Creative Director
A creative director is responsible for the overall creative vision and execution of projects, often in advertising, marketing, or publishing. This course may be helpful for a creative director who wants to gain a deeper understanding of book cover design principles and their impact on book sales, especially within the Amazon KDP ecosystem. The course teaches the importance of covers and the foundations of a good cover. The course goes over important details such as competitor analysis and how to design a book cover that is effective. This can inform creative strategies and improve campaign effectiveness.
Marketing Manager
A marketing manager plans and executes marketing campaigns to promote products or services, focusing on strategies to reach target audiences and drive sales. This course may be helpful for marketing managers working with authors or publishers, providing them with a specific understanding of how book cover design impacts sales on Amazon KDP. The course provides the tools to make effective book covers for Amazon KDP books. It also goes over the relationship between book covers and the audience. This knowledge will help marketing managers create more effective promotional strategies and improve book performance.
Brand Manager
A brand manager oversees all aspects of a brand's image and messaging, ensuring consistency and appeal to the target audience. This course may be useful by providing insights into how visual design, specifically book covers, affects brand perception and sales for authors on Amazon KDP. The course shares everything needed to create profitable book covers for Amazon KDP books effectively and easily. The course also goes over important things like the relationship btween covers and the audience. Brand managers may find value in understanding how to optimize book cover design to enhance an author's brand.
Content Creator
A content creator produces engaging and informative content for various platforms, such as blogs, social media, and websites. This course may be useful for content creators who specialize in writing or reviewing books, as it provides a deeper understanding of book cover design and its influence on reader perception and sales on Amazon KDP. The course goes over the importance of book covers to attract people. It also gives the foundations for creating a good book cover. These tools can then be shared with readers.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in How To Create Profitable Book Covers For Amazon KDP.
Classic guide to design principles, making it invaluable for creating effective book covers. It covers essential concepts like contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity (CRAP). Understanding these principles will significantly improve the visual appeal and professionalism of your book covers. This book is particularly helpful for those without a formal design background.
Provides a comprehensive overview of layout principles, which are crucial for creating visually appealing and readable book covers. It covers topics such as typography, grid systems, and visual hierarchy. While not specific to book covers, the principles discussed are directly applicable and will help you create more professional and effective designs. This book is valuable as additional reading to deepen your understanding of design principles.

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