Working On An Ebook Right Now? Here’s How You Can Create An Awesome Cover Page Fast

(You Don’t Need To Hire A Graphic Designer Or Anything!)

As a digital entrepreneur, you’re always working on something to increase your revenue. 

A new program… 

A new product… 

A new service…

But even the most veteran content creators run into the same major problem every time they come close to completing a new project.

Creating a product cover that they can be proud of.

And while it might be tempting to hire a graphic designer and a copywriter to do the work for you, you don’t really have to if you understand the three fundamentals rules I’m about to reveal to you…

So go ahead and skip the frustration – by the end of this post, you’ll be a master of cover page copy and design (and you’ll even have the tools to tie everything together).

Here’s what you’ve got to do…

Step 1 – Find Your Models

The creative process can be extremely daunting – but it shouldn’t be. 

You see, the reason logical and system-driven people like you and me have trouble with it is because we live in this false reality. A reality that dictates that every creative effort we make should come 100% from our own imagination with no outside influence. We justify it to ourselves by saying things like “it’s not ethical to use other people’s ideas,” “my clients will notice if I’m copying someone else,” and my personal favourite, “what if the artist I’m imitating finds out and takes legal action?”

(Okay, I’ve only heard that last one once, but it was funny enough for me to want to mention it here.)

I used to think the same way until I read an amazing book that completely shifted my perspective. The book is titled Steal Like An Artist and while it’s an amazing resource and I definitely recommend you go out and buy it, I’ll give you a quick summary of the most important lesson I learned from the author:

The creative process does not exist in a vacuum. Everything ever made is an imitation of something the artist liked from someone else – with their own flavour added to it. Art, like science, is a field that moves forward by building upon itself.

Pretty wild, right?

That goes hand-in-hand with a marketing concept that I feel is worth mentioning as well:

If something’s working, don’t change it.

So when it comes to your cover page, here’s what you should do:

• Find the top sellers in your niche and pick a design you really like.
• Look through the titles and find the strongest trends.
• Repeat the last step with the subtitles.

When you’ve found your inspiration, it’s time to move into step 2… 

Step 2 – Come Up With Some Awful Ideas

Here’s another absolute lie you totally believe: Geniuses are people who only ever create amazing ideas.

While most of that sentence is true, there are two words that you have to remove to give yourself the chance to make it empowering: Geniuses are people who only ever create amazing ideas.

Geniuses, whether in business, science, or art, are not people who strike gold every time they touch a pickaxe – rather, they’re people who spend more time hammering away than anyone else. Then, with that experience compounded over time, they have what everybody else can be envious of.

So start thinking like a genius.

Use your stream of consciousness to write out designs, titles, and subtitles that you think could work. Do it freely and without judgement. Experience a pure creative flow and eventually, you’ll land on a couple you think are pretty alright. Let them incubate, and the next time you shower, you’ll realize exactly what’s missing to make your ideas great.

Step 3 – Put It All Together

Now that you have everything laid out, it’s just a matter of finding the right tools to put everything into a cohesive format for your purposes. There are three tools I recommend: 

• First, if you need a stock photo, head over to Unsplash. Spend a good 30-60 minutes playing around with keywords and scrolling through the tens-of-thousands of images that could fit your aesthetic.
• Next, open up Canva and play around with the design elements until you get a cover that you can be proud to show off. Remember, you just have to imitate the cover you used for inspiration. Don’t bog yourself down in the creative process. (Pro Tip: Use the A4 dimensions if you’re going to be publishing a PDF.)
• Finally, if you need to make a 3D mockup of your cover, navigate to BookBrush. All you need to do is make an account and you can create an instant mockup to use as a model on your sales page.

Now you have the forbidden knowledge that’ll allow you to effortlessly create a beautiful cover for your next ebook. Just follow the step-by-step above and you’ll be done within a few hours. Keep up the good work.