What Makes an Ebook Cover Sell: 9 Rules That Work

The 9 rules

1. Readable at thumbnail size. If you can’t read the title at 150 pixels wide, it’s too small or too fancy.
2. Short title, big type. Put the long explanation in the subtitle.
3. High contrast. Light text on dark, or dark on light. Avoid mid-tones on mid-tones.
4. One focal point. A single image, icon or number, not a collage.
5. Match your genre. Business books look bold and clean; wellness looks soft and calm; cookbooks look warm.
6. Stand out in the grid. Look at the top books in your category and choose a colour none of them use.
7. Promise on the cover. “7 Mistakes…” or “in 30 Days” tells readers what they get.
8. Your name, small. Unless you’re famous, the title sells the book, not the author.
9. Test it. Put your cover next to competitors and ask a friend which one they’d click.

Why numbers work so well

Titles with a number (“7 Mistakes”, “30 Days”, “5 Clients”) set a clear expectation and look great in large type. If your book has a natural number in it, put it front and centre.

Generate, compare, regenerate

In 1MinEbook every book gets a designed cover, and you can generate a completely new direction whenever you like. Try two or three, then pick the one that pops in a thumbnail.