I have a companion book on my @VictoriaKaer profile with writing tips. This book will cover some basic elements of cover design as well as some dos and don'ts of design. I also have information about requesting from a designer here on Wattpad.
I ce...
All right let's discuss book jackets (sometimes called a book wrap)
So what's a book jacket?
A book jacket (or wrap) is the entire cover image that would encase your book from front to back if it was a book published in print.
This is an example of a template you would receive from Amazon to create your cover for a published book. This template is for a paperback book with a trim size of 6" X 9". Amazon now offers a hardcover option but it's a laminated hardcover (like a textbook) it's ugly in my opinion and not the right look for a novel.
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The size of your template depends on several things.
1) your final page count AFTER formatting is complete
2) the type of paper you choose. Amazon offer bright white or cream (everyone I know uses cream the white is seriously white and it hurts your eyes)
3) and of course the trim size you choose (trim size refers to the size of the book. When I first self-published everyone did 6X9, now 5X8 is becoming more popular)
There is no set template size. It all depends on your book. You must plug in the above options into Amazons cover calculator thing and then download the template. If you don't then your cover won't be the correct size and Amazon will yell at you when you try and upload it.
When you create a book wrap for paperback the front cover is always on the right and the back cover is on the left. If you reverse it then when the book is printed your covers will be reversed and you'll end up with your summary on the front and your title on the back. Unless you have have paid for help to publish then Amazon isn't going to tell you you screwed up. As long as the template fits they'll approve it. The computer has no clue which is the front and which is the back, it just plugs the image in and if you hit approve it's on you.
Some designers here make the book jackets backward, and while I understand you're not using it for print it still annoys me simply because that isn't how it's done.
I don't use an Amazon template to create book wraps for users here on Wattpad for a couple of reasons, they're meant for print and they're a very big file. They will never upload to Wattpad because they're way too big. Even when I email covers to authors it's too big, Google sends the files as a drive link.
I have a PSD template I use for Wattpad book jackets that was made by my friend Holly.
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The barcode on the back is a font downloaded from DaFont. I usually personalize the barcode. Most of the time I make it the date when the user joined and then I'll throw in their follower count and number of works to make it long enough. You'll notice this template has lines to indicate where the spine it. On a print cover you'd never have lines because once the book it printed you know exactly where the spine is. Since the images remain flat here on Wattpad a lot of designers put the lines on the image to indicate where the spine it.
