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What is the best book design software for self-publishing?

What is the best book design software for self-publishing?

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More and more authors are choosing self-publishing, creating a growing demand for competitive book design that rivals traditional publishing. Fortunately, there are many book design software options available to help create professional-looking covers and typesetting. In this article, we’ll explore top book design software for independent authors managing their book production.

Contents

1. Decide on your illustration style
2. Practice illustrating your characters
3. Make every element count
4. Storyboard your illustrations
5. Hire a professional children’s picture book illustrator

1. The importance of book design software for self-publishers

Self-publishing allows aspiring writers to share their work. But successful book publishing requires more than just writing. Book design plays a crucial role in the success of any book, but this often gets underestimated. Your book cover draws the first attention of potential readers, so it must be eye-catching, effective, and reflect your content in a way that a reader can understand without too much effort. Additionally, poor typesetting and design can damage the reading experience, no matter how well you write, so designing the content of your book is just as important.

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2. Factors to consider when choosing book design software

The best book design software should be most if not all of the following:

  • User-friendly
  • Affordable
  • Feature-rich

You want intuitive software that doesn’t take weeks to learn, fits your budget, and includes tools to make your design exceptional. Effective design tools for self-publishers looking to design their own books can include templates, cover design options, and built-in typography and typesetting tools. As we’re not all graphic designers, these tools can help immensely and are key components of professional book design.

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3. Comparison of top book design software options

3.1 Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign is a powerful tool for your typesetting and book layout, perfect for creating professional-grade books that stand up to the industry quality standards when done right. Whether you’re an experienced graphic designer or a beginner, Adobe InDesign offers an intuitive interface and features that cater to all skill levels, and there is plenty of resources available to help you learn the tricks and tools you’ll need for your project.

InDesign’s advanced typesetting capabilities provide control over text and layout for a polished final product. Its preflight feature ensures error-free designs before printing. InDesign excels in book design, allowing you to create stunning covers and easy-to-manage page layouts.

InDesign’s flexibility shines in book cover design, allowing for complex creations with multiple layers and effects. If you’re committed to producing standout book interiors and covers, Adobe InDesign is a top choice.

  • Features and Pricing: Adobe InDesign is a powerful typesetting tool ideal for book designers. It offers extensive features for creating stunning book covers and layouts, captivating readers with visually appealing designs. With flexible pricing options, Adobe InDesign is accessible to both professionals and personal users, making it the perfect software for elevating book design projects.
  • Pros and cons: Adobe InDesign excels in creating stunning book layouts, precise typesetting, and vibrant covers, making it highly regarded in the publishing industry. It’s accessible and mostly affordable for self-published authors, though mastering its features can be challenging. While it may not fit every budget, investing in Adobe InDesign is worthwhile for high-quality book designs.

3.2 Canva

Canva is a user-friendly online graphic design tool lets you create a wide variety of designs for free. With its intuitive interface and extensive design templates, Canva simplifies creating professional-looking book layouts for print and digital publishing. A standout feature is Canva’s book cover design capabilities, allowing self-publishing authors to easily create great book covers in any size that you require and export them as images, PDFs, and more.

  • Features and Pricing: Canva offers customisable features for both book covers, including its free graphic design tool, a variety of templates and customisation options, and its user-friendly interface and responsive support. A basic account Canva is free, but there is an affordable premium option available that gives access to more features and graphics.
  • Pros and cons: Canva is a popular choice for designing book covers due to its user-friendly interface and variety of templates, making it accessible for those without a design background. It offers affordability compared to hiring a professional designer, but this may come at the cost of creative control and uniqueness as Canvas graphic assets are available to everyone for anything.

3.3 Vellum

Vellum is a user-friendly program that simplifies the typesetting process of your book, delivering professional-quality results. The software’s intuitive interface helps you to create templated book layouts that will impress readers. Vellum also ensures perfect formatting for e-readers and print-on-demand services.

  • Features and Pricing: Vellum boasts intuitive tools and features that allow you to enhance your book’s appearance and prepare it for publication without needing advanced design skills. Easily typeset professional-quality books through their templated design options. This software has affordable pricing for all budget levels.
  • Pros and cons: Vellum software is an excellent, cost-effective tool for self-published authors that simplifies the typesetting process, allowing the creation of professional-looking books without expensive graphic design software, but it’s only compatible with Apple Macs. While it has limited customisation options for typesetting, its user-friendly interface makes it accessible for those with limited tech skills.

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4. Tips for beginners on how to effectively use book design software

If you’re new to book design, you might wonder where to start. Before diving into book design software, it’s crucial to do some research. Check out online tutorials or read blog posts from experienced designers to grasp the basics. Start by familiarising yourself with the software’s features and play around a bit to learn how to use them. In self-publishing, the layout and design of your book significantly impact its reception by readers and how your book will fair in the book market, so spending your time learning the fundamentals will contribute to the success of your book.

Remember, book design includes more than just the cover; effective typesetting can elevate your book. With practice and patience, you’ll create beautiful and engaging designs for your books. Mastering book design software may seem intimidating for beginners, but with the right research and tutorials, anyone can craft professional-looking designs.

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5. Conclusion

When self-publishing, book design is crucial to attract readers. Tools like Adobe InDesign, Canva, and Vellum cater to various needs and budgets. Prioritise ease of use, features, and cost to find the best fit for your project and skills.

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How to hire a book cover designer

How to hire a book cover designer

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You’ve written the book and had it edited and polished up. Now, comes the next step: making a book cover. If you’re not a professionally trained book cover designer, this can seem like an impossible task. How do you know just the right fonts to use? Where do you find the right images and graphics without infringing on copyright? How do you create a harmonious layout that will make your target audience want to pick up your book and read it?

Simple: you forgo DIY and hire a book cover designer.

But now the question: how do I hire a book cover designer? Stick around and we’ll tell you the ins-and-outs of how you can prepare for, research, decide on, and hire the right book cover designer for you.

Contents

1. Why are book covers important?
2. How much do book cover designers charge?
3. Who owns the rights to the book cover: the author or the designer?
4. Deciding between illustrated book covers vs stock image book covers
5. Finding the right book cover designer for you

 

1. Why are book covers important?

Book covers are an integral part of any book, regardless of how you plan to distribute (globally or to friends, family, etc.). Hiring a book cover designer will ensure that your book looks professional and is up to the same standards as your competitors. This in turn will help increase your sales and heighten the credibility and authority of your author brand.

Everyone says not to judge a book by its cover, but that is the first thing a potential reader will do to your book. Your book cover is the first tool in your marketing arsenal, so you need to ensure you get it right. A potential reader will see your spine or front cover first before they decide if they’re interested or just put it back on the shelf. So, your cover is the first deciding factor on whether your book is purchased or not.

You want your book to stand out on the shelf and interest readers, but you also need it to look like it belongs there. This means that you book needs to adhere to the following:

  • Display the genre clearly and effectively.
  • Give an indication of the plot without giving away too much.
  • Be appropriate for your target audience.
  • Keep with current styles and trends.

Your cover needs to work for you, not against you. Therefore, hiring a professional book designer will help ensure your cover is piquing readers’ interests while adhering to genre and market conventions.

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2. How much do book cover designers charge?

The cost of hiring a book cover designer can vary widely depending on several factors, such as:

  • The designer’s experience level
  • Design complexity
  • Project length

Freelance book cover designers typically charge either by the hour or by the project. Hourly rates can range from $25 to $150 or more per hour. Project rates can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.

Design agencies may charge higher rates than freelance designers, but they also offer a wider range of services and a team of designers. Prices for a book cover design vary but can reach up to $5,000 or more.

Getting a book cover designed through Green Hill is included in the publishing package for your entire publishing process. Have a look through our publishing package options to see if something fits your project and get in touch today to receive a tailored proposal.

It’s important to keep in mind that the cost of a book cover design should not be the only consideration when hiring a designer. It’s important to consider the designer’s level of experience, portfolio, and communication skills. A more expensive designer may produce a higher quality and more effective design. This in turn can help your book to stand out among the competition and generate more sales.

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3. Who owns the rights to the book cover: the author or the designer?

The copyright for a book cover is typically owned by the person or entity that created the cover design. This means if you hire a book cover designer, they will typically own the copyright to the cover design unless otherwise specified in a contract.

The rights for book covers designed by Green Hill are signed over to the author after the relevant project payments have been received. This means that you own the book design and can use it however you like. However, we do maintain the right to use the book covers to promote our business on our social media and other promotional graphics.

In many cases, book cover designers will grant the author limited usage rights. Often, this will allow the author to use the design for their book and related promotional materials (such as promotional graphics directly related to the book). However, the designer may retain the rights to the design. This means the author cannot alter the cover without the designer’s permission or sell merchandise featuring the design.

Sometimes, the designer may transfer the copyright to the author for a fee. Or the agreement may specify that the copyright will be shared between the designer and the author.

It’s important to get the agreement in writing and have a clear understanding of the arrangement before starting the project. A clear agreement can help avoid any misunderstandings and ensure that the project runs smoothly and successfully.

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4. Deciding between illustrated book covers vs stock image book covers

The first thing that you need to figure out before looking for any book cover designers is whether you want your book cover to be illustrated or to use stock imagery.

Stock image book covers

Stock image book covers are very common and can be designed to look unique to your book by creating a composite image or using image editing software. Green Hill Publishing book cover designers are skilled in using stock images and use this technique to create the majority of our book covers. To see our books, head over to our Australian Authors Store website.

Many stock image websites, such as Shutterstock, iStock, Getty Images, and Envato offer a wide variety of high-quality photos and graphics that can be used to create a book cover. Stock image book covers are very commonly used in fiction and non-fiction as it is very easy to source high-quality images in a range of different styles, themes, and subjects.

When hiring a book cover designer who using stock images, it’s important to convey the theme, genre, and your vision for the book succinctly and effectively to your designer. They will need to know:

  • whether you want photographs, and how many;
  • whether you want visual graphics, and of what style;
  • what is your focus subject (people, landscapes, objects, etc.);
  • what mood will best reflect your book; and
  • what style you want (minimalistic, typographic, etc.).

If you can convey these things to your book cover designer, you will be able to get a book cover that you are happy with while cutting down on the time it takes, and the images that are purchased (all stock imagery used will need to be purchased individually, though for concepts the book cover designer can just use previews with watermarks).

Stock image cover example: After you came
Stock image cover example: The Ancestral Ring of Hope
Stock graphics cover example: Storytelling the disciple making path

Illustrated book covers

Illustrated book covers feature original artwork that is created specifically and uniquely for your book. The artwork can take many forms, such as hand-drawn illustrations or digital illustrations. They are a popular choice for children’s books, picture books, and graphic novels, but can also be used for other types of books such as fiction and non-fiction. An illustrated book cover can help to convey the tone and theme of the book and can also make the book visually appealing to potential readers.

When working with the illustrator, it’s important to provide feedback and make revisions as needed to ensure the final illustration meets your vision and expectations. Remember: be a big picture thinker; neither the illustrators patience nor your budget are endless, so make sure that you are only asking for alterations on the book cover when it is needed. Once the illustration is complete, you will receive the final files in a format that can be used for the book cover, such as a high-resolution JPEG or PNG.

Keep in mind that Illustrated book covers tend to be more expensive than stock image book covers as they require a longer timeline to create.

Illustrated childrens cover: My Strong Heart
Illustrated childrens cover: My promise

Which is better: illustrated book covers or stock image book covers?

Whether you should get an illustrated book cover or a stock image book cover depends on your specific needs and goals for the book. Here are some factors to consider when making your decision:

  • Budget: Illustrated book covers tend to be more expensive than stock image book covers. Stock image book covers can be a more cost-effective option, but the license fee for the stock image can be a considerable expense.
  • Time: Custom illustrated book covers can take longer to create as the illustrator will need time to create the design and make revisions. Stock image book covers can take less time as they can source their visuals fairly quickly.
  • Audience: If you are targeting younger readers, illustrated covers can be very effective in catching their attention. If your book is a childrens book, you will likely use the same childrens book illustrator for your cover to ensure consistency. Stock image book covers can also be effective for adult fiction or non-fiction books.

Ultimately, the decision should be based on your budget, your timeline, your target audience, and also your own personal preferences. Do what is right for you and your book.

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5. Finding the right book cover designer for you

Green Hill Publishing specialises in bespoke book cover design. Our designers know the market and are skilled at working to a brief from the author. Head over to our Australian Authors Store website, or have a look at our publishing packages and see if we are the right solution for you!

If you’d like to shop around instead, there are many book cover designers out there who have very different styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Ask yourself a few questions before you start researching:

  1. What is the genre of my book?
  2. What is the target audience of my book?

Start compiling book covers that fall into the same categories as inspiration and figure what you like the best. From here you can start to look for book cover designers who do the things that you like. Go to online marketplaces such as Upwork and Freelancer, or social media platforms like Behance and Dribbble and search for book cover designers who create covers you like. They will have portfolios of all of their work available to look at—be sure to save your favourites for later reference.

Look at their reviews and testimonials, too. Book cover designing is like any job, past clients will likely have left reviews of their professionalism, service, and artwork to help other potential clients feel confident in the book cover designer that they’ve chosen.

Once you’ve made a list of potential designers, go back through and narrow down a short-list. Now, you’re ready to start contacting.

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The Little Book of
Big Publishing Tips.

 

In just a quick 8,000 words, this little book will equip you with the knowledge you need to successfully publish your book.

The Little Book of Big Publishing tips goes into the essentials of self-publishing a book, outlining the business and financial side of publishing, legal issues, design, editing, sales and marketing. There's even a section on how to identify a vanity-publishing scam.

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Everything you need to know about casebound books

Everything you need to know about casebound books

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There are a few different kinds of printed books available for readers and one is the casebound book. What exactly is involved in the making of a casebound book and is there any benefit to it? Read through this post and find out.

Contents

  1. What are casebound books
  2. How are casebound books made?
  3. What are the benefits?
  4. What are the downfalls?
  5. What kind of books should be casebound?
  6. Is case binding viable for my book?
  7. Do casebound books do well in the book market?
  8. How much do casebound books cost to print?

1. What are casebound books?

Casebound, often referred to as hardcover, is a very common format for a book to be made in. How to identify a casebound book is by its cover, which will be hard and sturdy. This differs from the other common format, paperback (or softcover), as they have soft and flexible covers.

Some casebound books also come with dust jackets, which are made from a higher GSM paper than the interior pages and feature the same cover design as its paperback version. In instances like this, the casebound cover would have a more simplified design or be left almost blank and only have detail on the spine.

In traditional publishing, books are often first released in a casebound version before they transition over to paperback.

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2. How are casebound books made?

Firstly, the book blocks are created. This begins with printing, then moves to guillotining, and then binding. The binding style can differ but is usually limited to one of the standard processes: section sewn or glued. Once bound, cloth spines are added and the book blocks are complete.

Next, the cases are made. The process depends on the style of case (paper- or material-covered), as they require different steps and machines to complete. For paper-covered casebound books, the covers are first printed and cut to shape, then glued to and folded around the three pieces of board (front, spine, and back), before the book blocks are glued in place. For material-covered casebound books, a dedicated machine is used to attach and wrap cloth/imitation cloth around the three pieces of board (front, spine, and back) before they are glued to the book blocks.

Casebound books (either material- or paper-covered) can include the following extras:

  • Endpapers
  • Ribbon
  • Head- and tailbands
  • Dust jacket

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Ribbon in a casebound book

Ribbon in a casebound book

Head- and tailbands in a casebound book

Head- and tailbands in a casebound book

Jacket over a casebound book

Jacket over a casebound book

3. What are the benefits?

There are pros and cons to any book format. Casebound books have some great benefits over the other formats you could print your book in:

  • Strength and durability: Casebound books are capable of withstanding more rough-handling and lasting a lot longer than their paperback counterparts. This means that they are great for archives and for collectors who are wanting their books to last many years.
  • Professional-looking product: Having your book casebound brings an element of sophistication, gravitas, and importance. It makes your book like a higher quality than other binding types, especially if it has some print finishes like foiling, em- and debossing, etc.
  • Stands out to readers: Casebound books have an eye-drawing presence on bookshelves that draw a reader’s eye. This is especially the case as they usually incorporate print finishes (like previously mentioned).
  • Set RRP higher: Because casebound books have a status of being a higher quality book than other formats with more processes put into their production, they retail for a higher price. If you print savvy, this can mean authors turning a better profit from their sales.

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4. What are the downfalls?

As with any book, casebound books do have their issues for readers and authors alike. It’s up to you to decide if the pros outweigh the cons:

  • Heavier and bulkier: On average, a casebound version of a book will be weightier and larger than its paperback counterpart. This can effect a couple of different things. The first is that it will bump up the shipping prices during the print phase, in turn effecting the RRP and an author’s profit margin. The second is that some readers—especially the older among us—have trouble holding the book for a long period of time, effecting the reading experience for some. Another is that it makes it harder to travel with a book.
  • More expensive: While a high RRP might be useful for authors, it can be a deterrent for readers who can’t afford to spend $30 – $60 on each of their books. The print cost of casebound books is also higher as the production process is more complicated—especially for books with numerous print finishes.

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5. What kind of books should be casebound?

Having a casebound version of a book is especially useful for publications that need to last a long time or have a high capacity for durability, but really any book can be casebound. It is very common for most genres of fiction and non-fiction to have a casebound version as traditional publishers release a casebound version of their books first to help maximise their profits.

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6. Is case binding viable for my book?

If you are publishing your book traditionally, it’s likely that your book will have a casebound version as it is a standard procedure for these publishers. On the other hand, self-publishing authors need to be aware of the costs of printing casebound books and decided whether it is worth the cost (discussed a little later).

Otherwise, as a general rule, a book can be casebound if it has more than 30-80 pages. If your book doesn’t fit these specifications, check with your publisher or printer to see if your book is able to be casebound or have a think about other strategies, like making your book size smaller or adding more content.

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7. Do casebound books do well in the book market?

As a general rule, paperback books sell more copies than casebound books. Paperback books are almost always cheaper for customers than their casebound counterpart and many readers prefer their lightweight nature. Casebound books, on the other hand, generally do not sell in as large of quantities, but they do generate higher returns on sale. This means that you don’t have to sell as many books to be profitable compared to paperback.

Many readers have their preferences for the kind of book format they like, and there are certainly a lot of them who will opt for a casebound book when given the decision.

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8. How much do casebound books cost to print?

The cost of any printing venture is highly personal and varies from project to project. This is because the cost of printing a book depends on many different variables, such as the quality of the print, the size of the book, and even the printer itself.

8.1 Specialty print finishes

This includes embossing/debossing, foiling, spot-gloss, printed ends, and more. Applying one or more print finish will increase the cost of your book as it adds extra material and processes.

High-end Print finish holographic foil   High-end print finish foiling and debossing   

8.2 Binding

Certain types of binding are cheaper than others. Casebound books are more expensive than other binding types because the materials used in the production costs more to source. There are also additional processes undertaken by printers create casebound books.

8.3 Paper type

The quality of the paper will dictate both how much the paper costs (higher quality = higher cost and vice versa), but it can also have an impact on freight costs as higher GSM paper is thicker and therefore weighs more.

8.4 Page count

Books with a smaller page count require less paper and are lighter, meaning they cost less both in the printing process and when it comes to freight.

Difference in page count between casebound books

8.5 Individual printers

No two printers will give you identical quotes for a print run. This is because printers differ in factory (capacity) size, stock type and availability, and profit margins.

8.6 Printer location

The location of a printer factors into the cost of printing for a few different reasons. Often, printing in countries like China will mean a cheaper price, but you’ll have to print in bulk and then pay for freight, which can also be quote costly. For our Australian authors, printing locally in Australia can cost more per book, but freight is often more affordable, and smaller print runs are available from most printers.

8.7 Number of books printed

Organising a large (or bulk) print run will make the cost of printing a book cheaper per unit than they would be on a small print run. Choosing to print in bulk, however, means committing to a greater up-front cost.

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Interested in publishing your book but unsure where to start or what is even involved? Tell us about your project and we will post you a copy of our:

 

The Little Book of
Big Publishing Tips.

 

In just a quick 8,000 words, this little book will equip you with the knowledge you need to successfully publish your book.

The Little Book of Big Publishing tips goes into the essentials of self-publishing a book, outlining the business and financial side of publishing, legal issues, design, editing, sales and marketing. There's even a section on how to identify a vanity-publishing scam.

submit your project details