Things You should Know About Wattpad, But Probably Don't

Try Not To Die While Designing A Cover

Sorry about the title. I just love saying that I used to not be ale to design a cover to save my life.

But now I can.

If you design on the computer or laptop, I can't help you. Sorry. I am no good on the computer. I can only use one editing software on the computer and that is CANVA. CANVA is a wattpad made software to help users develop and design their very own covers. CANVA is simple to use. Its features are pretty self-explanatory and if you don't like the images they provide to you just drag and drop an image into uploads.

The only downside of CANVA is that its a little to simple for my liking. Although it has many features, it doesn't have nearly as many as other softwares and apps do.

However, most of the covers I design I use 'ToolWiz Photos' for. I'm gonna be honest with you. ToolWiz isn't the best site out there, but it's still really good.

The only downide of it is that the pictures aren't always the best quality coming out of it. WHile your editing the picture quality is really bad looking but after you download it it starts to look good.

In addition to ToolWiz I use Phonto. Phonto is the best app out there for fonts and writing. I mean in my opinion at least. Plus, it's super easy to use and has many fonts and simple features.

ToolWiz also has A LOT of features so it might be difficult to use it at first.

Now on to the actual editing. Different artists have different techniques, but I like screenshotting. First, because it's easy. And although screenshots don't always give the best quality, my phone is really bad and slow so it won't let me download images off the internet.

ANOTHER GREAT app is Picsart. I, personally, prefer Picsart. Picsart is MUCH better quality.

Picsart has less features than ToolWiz but the features it does have are AMAZING.

You can use both apps. That's what I do. I start out with Picsart. Whatever is missing I use on ToolWiz and then back to Picsart I go.

Next, go onto your editing app, wether that be ToolWiz, Picsart, or something else, and download the picture.

If it's your first time using the app, I reccomend trying out EVERY SINGLE FEATURE. This is because then, in the future, it will be easier and faster for you to edit, knowing where every feature is located.

After your done messing around with the editor close your eyes.

That's right.

You read that correctly.

Close your eyes.

Before you start editing get a clear image of what you want the cover to look like. Make sure you do this imagining after picking out your image or images.

WARNING: You won't always get the exact image you had in mind. Despite what many say, not EVERYTHING is on the internet.

So when you imagine what you want/ the cover to look like, you should have already found the image you want to use. That way, your imagination doesn't get your hopes up.

Make sure that the image fits your story. Many times I see romance novels that are written from the perspective of one character have that very character on their cover in a romantic asthetic.

I'm sorry but that doesn't make sense. Unless the book is about finding self-love then the cover shouldn't be of the main character in a romantic asthetic. It can be of the main character just in a different asthetic.

Just because a picture looks pretty, doesn't mean you should use it for the cover. If it matches the book then go right ahead, but if it doesn't then don't use it.

A book that has nothing to do with romance shouldn't have a cover portraying a couple kissing, no matter how pretty the cover may look.

Your cover should make sense and colaborate with the book.

That is why, once you have found the image, you close your eyes.

Now, with your eyes closed, imagine what font you would like on the picture. Imagine what asthetic. Imagine any other features you would like to include.

Imagine all of that and you have your cover idea.

IMPORTANT NOTE: MAKE SURE THAT YOUR COVER SIZING IS CORRECT. THE RATION IS 2:3 WHICH SHOULD BE PROVIDED WHEN YOU CROP THE PHOTO. MAKE SURE YOUR CROP IT WITH THAT RATIO OTHERWISE THE COVER WON'T WORK ON WATTPAD.