An ebook cover has one job above all others: to be clear at a very small size. Most readers meet an ebook as a thumbnail the width of a thumbnail, in a row of other thumbnails, on a phone. At that size, fine detail vanishes. A cover that looks lovely at full size can be a grey smudge in a search result. Ebook cover design is the craft of making a cover that reads at a glance: a bold focal image, a title that can be read at 100 pixels wide and a colour scheme that stands out from its neighbours.
Ebook Cover Design · from $279
Ebook cover design that earns the click at thumbnail size
Ebook cover design is the craft of making a cover that works as a tiny image on a store page and as a full-size image on a device, in the exact pixel sizes that each retailer requires. Our ebook cover design services create the cover, test it at thumbnail size and deliver files for Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo and Google Play at a fixed price. Choose a package to see what an ebook cover for your own book costs.
View Pricing
Most ebook covers are delivered in about seven working days.
- Designed for thumbnail size
- Correct pixel sizes for every store
- Fixed price and clear revisions
Key facts
- $279Starting price for the ebook cover, with licensed imagery included
- 2 roundsOf revisions included with every ebook cover package
- 5 to 7 daysTypical delivery for a first concept of the ebook cover
Overview
What an ebook cover actually involves
The technical requirements are simple. The recommended size for Kindle is 2,560 pixels high by 1,600 pixels wide, a ratio of 1.6 to 1, with a minimum of 1,000 pixels on the longest side. Apple Books suggests at least 1,400 pixels wide. Kobo recommends at least 1,400 pixels on the shortest side. The file is a JPEG or PNG in RGB colour, with a file size below the platform's limit, commonly 50 megabytes. There is no bleed, no spine and no barcode. The cover often doubles as the image in advertisements, in social media and on the author's website, so it should work in a square crop and in black and white.
Our ebook cover design service creates covers for self-published authors in every genre. We research the category, design concepts, test them at thumbnail size and deliver a final cover at the right size for Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books and other stores. We also make a square version for social media and a 3D mockup if you want one. If you later publish in print, we can extend the design into a full wrap. With your ebook cover, the price is fixed, and the calculator shows it.
We start every ebook cover design project with a creative brief, not a template. We ask about the book, the three published titles it most resembles, the reader and the promise of the story, then write a one-page brief for you to approve in this ebook cover order. The brief is why our first concepts are usually close, and why revision rounds tend to be about taste instead of starting again in this ebook cover order. It also tells us which of thumbnail legibility and store size and ratio will matter most to the result.
Why it matters
Why your ebook cover matters
Ebook cover design shapes the reading experience
Most ebook buyers see the cover only as a thumbnail in a search result or an also-bought strip. Readers rarely name the cause, but they feel the difference between careful and careless ebook cover design work.
The details carry the quality
Stores recommend specific sizes and ratios, and covers outside them are cropped or rejected. Each detail in ebook cover design has a tolerance, and a professional knows where it lies and how to check it.
Doing it once, properly, saves time
An ebook cover is also your main ad creative, so it has to work in feeds. Getting ebook cover design right at the start also keeps later edits, reprints and new editions inexpensive. It is far easier to get ebook cover design right while the book is still a working file than to repair it after publication.
Ebook cover design size and format
Sizes that stores accept
The ebook cover design size that Kindle recommends is 2,560 pixels high by 1,600 pixels wide, a ratio of 1.6 to 1, and KDP sets minimums for the shortest and longest sides. An ebook cover design size in pixels of this scale covers all the main stores, and we deliver smaller copies for listings and promotion.
Many authors search for an ebook cover design template, an ebook cover design generator, ebook cover design free options or an ebook cover design template free of charge. These tools can produce a draft quickly, and a custom design is stronger because it is made for your genre, and has custom type and licensed imagery. We also provide ebook cover design ideas in a short brief so that you can see where the design is heading.
A Kindle ebook cover size is the same file that you upload to the KDP dashboard, and the cover also appears inside the book. We make a custom ebook cover for kdp that is sharp on a Paperwhite, readable in a thumbnail and consistent with your paperback if you add a print edition later. A cover that sells at thumbnail size is the standard we design to.
- 2,560 by 1,600 pixel master with store-specific copies
- A thumbnail test at 100 pixels wide
- A design that carries over to print later
Choose the right cover
The first decision in any ebook cover
Single ebook cover
A custom cover for one book. We choose this route when the book leans on thumbnail legibility, and we show a sample before the whole ebook cover design job proceeds. We show a sample of each route where it helps, so you can choose from evidence rather than from a description on this ebook cover project.
Ebook series covers
A system and covers for several books. We choose this route when store size and ratio are central to how the book is used, and we explain the cost and schedule consequences before you commit.
Specification
The ebook cover specification we design to
These are the decisions we make on every ebook cover job, and the reason for each one.
Cover element
How we design it
Why it matters
Ratio
About 1.6 to 1, such as 2,560 by 1,600 pixels. We confirm the value with you before building, and record it in the specification for your ebook cover design job.
Matches store display. Getting this right early avoids rework once the ebook cover design pages have been proofed.
Format
RGB JPG, under the store's size limit. We apply it through a defined style or setting, so it holds across the whole ebook cover design file.
Stores accept and display it. For your ebook cover, readers and reviewers notice when it is wrong, even when they cannot say what is wrong.
Thumbnail
Tested at 100 pixels wide. We verify it again in the final proof, because it is easy to disturb during late edits in this ebook cover order.
Where most buyers first see it. Platforms and printers check it automatically, and a failure delays the launch with your ebook cover.
Series
A shared layout and type scale. Where your platform sets a different rule, we follow the platform and tell you why with your ebook cover.
Readers spot the next book. It also keeps later editions of the ebook cover design work consistent with the first.
Files
An ebook cover JPG, a small ad version and a social image set, named consistently and delivered with a short specification.
For your ebook cover, a clear package prevents mix-ups between versions and speeds up any later change. Getting this right early avoids rework once the ebook cover design pages have been proofed.
Checks
Preflight or validation run on every deliverable, with the report supplied on this ebook cover project. We apply it through a defined style or setting, so it holds across the whole ebook cover design file.
On this ebook cover job, evidence of a clean pass is what separates a checked file from a hopeful one. For your ebook cover, readers and reviewers notice when it is wrong, even when they cannot say what is wrong.
See what it costs
See the price of your ebook cover in a minute
Pick a package to see what an ebook cover for your own book costs, with the delivery estimate and extras shown before you decide.
Build my priceProcess
How an ebook cover project runs
Brief
You tell us about the book, its category and the titles you admire, and we write a one-page brief for your approval in this ebook cover order. You are never left guessing what comes next, because we confirm each stage of the ebook cover design job in writing.
Day 1
Research
We study the current bestsellers in your category and note where a distinct ebook cover design result can stand out. If something unexpected turns up at this stage, we tell you at once and agree the fix before continuing on this ebook cover project.
Days 1 to 2
Concepts
We present two or three directions as mockups beside rival titles, each with a note explaining the choices with your ebook cover. This stage is where most questions arise, so we leave time for them in the schedule with your ebook cover.
Days 3 to 6
Revisions
You choose a direction and we refine it against your notes through the included revision rounds with your ebook cover. You are never left guessing what comes next, because we confirm each stage of the ebook cover design job in writing.
Days 7 to 10
Finalise
With your ebook cover, we build the final files to the printer's or store's specification and run the previewers. If something unexpected turns up at this stage, we tell you at once and agree the fix before continuing on this ebook cover project.
Days 11 to 12
Deliver
For a ebook cover, you receive every file with upload notes, and we fix any upload problem within the guarantee period. This stage is where most questions arise, so we leave time for them in the schedule with your ebook cover. You are never left guessing what comes next, because we confirm each stage of the ebook cover design job in writing.
Day 13
Before and after
An ebook cover before and after design
The same book with a quick cover and a designed one. The title is the same, and only the second can be read in a list.
123Before
- 1A thin title that vanishes at thumbnail size
- 2A cover with a ratio that the store crops
- 3A look that does not suggest the genre
123After
- 1A bold title with strong contrast
- 2A cover at the 1.6 to 1 ratio that stores expect
- 3Colour and imagery that signal the genre
- 3problems found in the first review
- 3fixes checked in the final review
- 1named specialist owning every fix
- Fixedprice confirmed in the calculator before you order
More clicks
The cover reads in a crowded list.
Store-ready files
Sizes and ratios are correct.
A consistent brand
Social images match the cover.
Pricing calculator
Build your ebook cover price
An ebook cover is judged at the size of a postage stamp on a phone, so every element must survive shrinking. Tell us how many directions you want, where it will sell and what artwork it needs, and the fixed price builds below.
Beyond our online packages? Let us quote it properly.
A series of covers, a custom illustration commission or an unusual format is priced individually. Send us your ebook cover brief and a specialist replies with a fixed price and delivery date.
The price covers design and the stated revisions. Printing, ISBN purchase, commissioned illustration beyond the art option and extra stock imagery are not included.
Price guide
Ebook Cover Design cost at a glance
The table shows the cost of ebook cover design for each package, with the base price, delivery time and the kind of book that fits. The calculator adds extras to your ebook cover for an exact total.
Package
Base price
Standard delivery
Typical book
Front cover
$279
5-7 working days
Front cover
Front, spine and back
$449
7-10 working days
Front, spine and back
Every format
$679
9-13 working days
Every format
A series or custom illustration commission
Custom quote
Agreed with your quote
A series or custom illustration commission
Comparison
Ebook Cover Design compared with the alternatives
What you compare
A template ebook cover design
A custom ebook cover design project
Approach
For your ebook cover, a quick template treats every book alike and ignores the category. That approach saves effort at the start and tends to cost more in repairs once the ebook cover design job is live.
A researched ebook cover design project starts from the book and the readers it needs.
Consistency
Each file is made separately, so a series drifts apart for the ebook cover. On this ebook cover job, it leaves the cause in place, so the same fault tends to return when the text changes.
One documented system carries across every ebook cover design deliverable. It is built to be repeated, so later editions cost less and match the first for the ebook cover.
Testing
Judged on a large screen, so the design fails at thumbnail size in this ebook cover order. For your ebook cover, it is hard to check, so faults are usually found by readers instead of by the author.
For a ebook cover, judged at 100 pixels wide beside real competitors before you see it. It is checked by a person and by software before it reaches you, so problems are found early on this ebook cover project.
Files
Built to a generic size and often rejected for bleed or spine errors in this ebook cover order. That approach saves effort at the start and tends to cost more in repairs once the ebook cover design job is live.
Built to the current template and checked in the previewer in this ebook cover order. We do this as standard on every ebook cover design job, and the evidence comes with your files.
Revisions
Extra rounds are charged one by one with your ebook cover. On this ebook cover job, it leaves the cause in place, so the same fault tends to return when the text changes.
Revision rounds are included in every package for the ebook cover. It is built to be repeated, so later editions cost less and match the first for the ebook cover.
Support
You are on your own when a store flags a file for the ebook cover. For your ebook cover, it is hard to check, so faults are usually found by readers instead of by the author.
We fix upload problems within the guarantee period at no charge on this ebook cover project. It is checked by a person and by software before it reaches you, so problems are found early on this ebook cover project.
Portfolio
Ebook cover design portfolio
Finished examples of Ebook Cover Design work from our portfolio, each one built for a real book.
Literary Fiction
A finished Literary Fiction example from our Ebook Cover Design work.
Business Nonfiction
A finished Business Nonfiction example from our Ebook Cover Design work.
Self Help
A finished Self Help example from our Ebook Cover Design work.
Historical Mystery
A finished Historical Mystery example from our Ebook Cover Design work.
Science Fiction
A finished Science Fiction example from our Ebook Cover Design work.
Personal Growth
A finished Personal Growth example from our Ebook Cover Design work.
Our standard
The standard we hold every ebook cover to
Fix causes, not symptoms
Our ebook cover design work corrects the underlying structure, so the same problem does not return when the text changes. It is a standard we hold on every ebook cover design job, whatever the price of the package or the length of the book.
Evidence over assurance
With your ebook cover, we supply the validation or preflight report with your files, so a clean result is something you can see. For your ebook cover, you can check it for yourself, because the evidence comes with your files. Holding to it costs us time, and it saves you the cost of repairs later with your ebook cover.
Plain communication
For a ebook cover, we explain what we found and what we did in plain language, and we tell you honestly when something is outside what the file can support. Holding to it costs us time, and it saves you the cost of repairs later with your ebook cover.
Checklist
The pre-delivery checklist for an ebook cover
Every item below is verified on your ebook cover before it leaves our desk.
- Audit completed and agreed with you
- Thumbnail legibility checked and corrected
- Store size and ratio checked and corrected
- Focal image checked and corrected
- Series consistency checked and corrected
- Validation or preflight run with the report supplied
- Previewer and device checks completed
- Text compared with the approved manuscript
- Specification and change log delivered
How we design
How we think about your ebook cover
Structure first
In ebook cover design, thumbnail legibility and store size and ratio are built into the file, not painted on top. On this ebook cover job, we treat structure as the foundation and appearance as the finish, because structure is what survives edits and platform changes.
Checked, not hoped
With your ebook cover, a file is not finished because it looks right on our screen. It is finished when the validator, the preflight and real devices agree, and when we can show you the evidence with your ebook cover. It is the principle behind most of what we do on ebook cover design, and the reason we prefer to explain our choices rather than hide them.
Your files stay yours
We deliver source files and a specification, and we never lock your ebook cover design work inside a proprietary format. If you hire someone else later, they can pick up where we stopped on this ebook cover project. It is the principle behind most of what we do on ebook cover design, and the reason we prefer to explain our choices rather than hide them.
Client reviews
What authors say about our ebook cover design
Verified reviews from authors whose ebook covers we designed.
My thriller needed a cover that was unsettling without being gratuitous. The designer found exactly the right tone. The typography treatment adds to the unease in a subtle, effective way.
My cover finally looks like it belongs on a bookstore shelf alongside traditionally published titles. The design captures the tone of my book perfectly and my click-through rate on Amazon has increased significantly.
Business book covers need to convey authority and insight without being dull. The design found exactly the right balance. My corporate clients commented that the book looks as credible as any major publisher's management title.
The cover redesign transformed how potential readers perceive my book. The previous version looked amateur. This one looks like it was published by a major house. My sales doubled in the month after the new cover launched.
Excellent cover concept. One colour palette revision was needed — I wanted warmer tones — and the designer responded quickly with three alternatives. The final version is exactly right for my readership.
Really good cover design. The atmospheric quality matched my book's tone well. I requested one colour adjustment in revisions which was done quickly. The final cover looks exactly like a major publisher's release.
The cover honours the cultural themes of my book while appealing to an international readership. The imagery, colour palette, and typography choices were all discussed through a genuinely collaborative process.
The cover communicates tension and danger without revealing too much of the plot. The design is original rather than using standard genre conventions. It stands out distinctively on Amazon search pages.
My nonfiction cover needed to convey authority and accessibility at the same time. The design achieves both. The colour palette and typography feel credible and professional without being intimidating.
The romantic atmosphere of the cover design is exactly right for my readership. The colour temperature, the typography, and the visual composition all signal the genre clearly without being generic.
Literary fiction covers require a completely different approach from genre fiction. The design is elegant, restrained, and communicates the literary quality of the book. I am genuinely proud to show it to readers.
Fantasy covers need to evoke a world without showing too much. The balance between atmosphere and intrigue is exactly right. My advance readers commented on the cover before I even asked for their feedback.
The cover is playful, bright, and immediately communicates the tone of the story. My target age group — children aged 6 to 9 — responded exactly as I had hoped when I showed them the design.
The 3D mockup of my hardcover looked so real that several readers asked where they could buy it before the book was even available. The render quality was exceptional and delivery was fast.
The interior layout of my self-help book supports how readers actually use the content. The journaling prompts, key insight boxes, and chapter summaries all flow naturally. Beautifully structured throughout.
The EPUB renders perfectly on my Kindle, Apple Books, and Kobo. The clickable table of contents works exactly as it should. Clean, standards-compliant, and ready to distribute everywhere.
Good quality work. The interior looked professional and the file passed KDP without issues. One revision round was needed for some heading spacing but it was fixed quickly and without any fuss.
My YA book needed a layout that felt contemporary without being gimmicky. The chapter openers, font choices, and spacing all work for the target age group. My teen readers said it felt like a real published novel.
FAQ
Ebook Cover Design: questions answered
These are the questions authors ask most about ebook cover design, including sizes, free tools and cost. If your question about the ebook cover is missing, request a quote and a specialist will reply.
Is there an ebook cover design free option?
Free tools exist, and a custom design is more distinctive. For ebook cover design, we check the result against the platform's own rules before you see it.
What are ebook cover design ideas?
Bold focal images, genre colour schemes and large clear titles. With your ebook cover, we keep a record of what we changed so that you can review the work.
What is ebook cover design size?
2,560 by 1,600 pixels is recommended for Kindle. For a ebook cover, the calculator on this page shows the fixed price for each package before you commit.
Is there an ebook cover design template?
Yes, and a custom cover fits your book better. If you are unsure, send the file and we will tell you what the job involves on this ebook cover project.
Do you offer ebook cover design services?
Yes. Revision rounds are included, so the first delivery does not have to be perfect with your ebook cover.
Is there an ebook cover design template free?
Yes, though free templates are widely used. For ebook cover design, we check the result against the platform's own rules before you see it.
Where do I find ebook cover design Pinterest ideas?
Pinterest shows ideas, and our research shows what sells in your category. With your ebook cover, we keep a record of what we changed so that you can review the work.
Is there an ebook cover design generator?
Generators exist, and they produce generic results. For a ebook cover, the calculator on this page shows the fixed price for each package before you commit.
What is ebook cover design size in pixels?
2,560 by 1,600 pixels, ratio 1.6. If you are unsure, send the file and we will tell you what the job involves on this ebook cover project.
Do you offer an ebook cover design service?
Yes. Revision rounds are included, so the first delivery does not have to be perfect with your ebook cover.
What is the Kindle ebook cover size?
2,560 pixels high by 1,600 wide is recommended, with a minimum of 1,000 on the longest side. For ebook cover design, we check the result against the platform's own rules before you see it.
What is ebook cover design cost?
The calculator on this page shows a fixed price for each package for the ebook cover. With your ebook cover, we keep a record of what we changed so that you can review the work.
Do you do a custom ebook cover for KDP?
Yes. For a ebook cover, the calculator on this page shows the fixed price for each package before you commit.
Can I get an ebook cover that sells at thumbnail size?
Yes. We design and test at thumbnail size. If you are unsure, send the file and we will tell you what the job involves on this ebook cover project.
Do you do ebook cover design for self-published authors?
Yes. Revision rounds are included, so the first delivery does not have to be perfect with your ebook cover.
Is there an ebook cover design free option?
Free tools exist, but they produce template looks. We design custom covers at fixed prices. For ebook cover design, we check the result against the platform's own rules before you see it.
What is the best ebook cover design size?
2,560 by 1,600 pixels is widely recommended for Kindle and works for other stores. With your ebook cover, we keep a record of what we changed so that you can review the work.
Do you provide an ebook cover design template?
We build a series template for your books rather than selling generic ones. For a ebook cover, the calculator on this page shows the fixed price for each package before you commit.
How much does ebook cover design cost?
The ebook cover design cost starts at $279 for an ebook cover and rises to $679 for a complete cover set. An ebook cover design service of this kind is priced by package, and the calculator shows the exact total for self-published authors.
How long does ebook cover design take?
Most ebook covers are delivered in about seven working days. For your ebook cover, priority and Express options shorten the schedule, and the calculator shows an estimate.
How is the price worked out?
Covers are priced by design complexity, not by the length of the book, because the style of the cover is what drives the work. A typographic cover, a photo-composite and a fully custom illustration sit at different tiers. Your genre context, deliverables, art direction depth and imagery each adjust the figure, shown live in the calculator.
Will my cover be legally cleared to sell?
Yes. Any image on your cover is licensed for commercial cover use before delivery. We do not pull images from a search or use anything we do not have the right to sell a book with, because a rights problem after publication is far more expensive than doing it correctly the first time.
Can you rebrand a cover that is not selling?
Yes, and it is a large part of what we do. We diagnose why the current cover under-performs — a weak thumbnail read, no genre signal, an amateur tell — and rebuild it to stop the scroll it was missing, often extending the life of a book you had written off.
Do you design typographic covers with no image?
Yes. A type-driven cover, where a bold display treatment, deliberate spacing and colour do the work, can be as striking as any photographic one, and for many nonfiction and literary titles it is the strongest choice. It is our entry complexity tier.
Ready when you are
Ready to start your ebook cover?
A cover that reads at thumbnail size is the first step to a sale. Get your ebook cover price in a minute, or send a series and we will quote it.
- Fixed price shown before you pay
- Revision rounds included
- One named specialist, brief to upload