The all-inclusive book cover design program for printed books.
Links
Templates
Images / Bkgds
eBook Covers
Affiliate Program
“I love, love, love your product!!! I'm an active member of the Women's National Book Association and award winning member of the National Federation of Press Women, and I'll definitely pass the word of your company along. Especially at my book tables for future book signings with your book covers!”
— Brenda Ervin
www.barndoorpublishing.com
“First of all I just want to say your program is fantastic. I will be using it for all of my publishing design needs, thank you for making it all so simple. I especially love the little extras like the ISBN generator. I used to pay $40 for a barcode, so the software will pay for itself on that basis alone in just a few titles.”
— Dax Fiddes
Director, Mercury Publishing
“We are so excited about using BookCoverPro in our publishing business. It is fun and easy to work with, plus it allows us to work faster and with more flexibility in our publishing schedule. We especially love all the updates that are included, the fact that you don't have to be connected to the internet to use it, as well as the great customer support.”
— Anthony and Crystal Obey
www.DollarMakersUSA.com
“Forget the expensive book cover artists. BookCoverPro is the perfect program to make everyone a 'pro.' Thoroughly adaptable and user-friendly, it enabled me (a graphics art butterfingers) to create the perfect cover for my first fictional romance. When I needed assistance, [BookCoverPro support] answered all of my questions and offered honest, invaluable advice with absolutely the best customer service.
BookCoverPro and you — an amazing concept team!”
— Mari Leoné
Spirit of Thunder Hawk (Iktomi’s Prophecy)
“Everything is going great. This program is better than I even imagined. Thanks again.”
— Jay Gordon
“Thanks to your software....
ALL my authors have received 5 star ratings for their covers as well as interiors. I talked about your product on URBAN LITERARY REVIEW (a blogtalk radio station) that has over thousands of authors tuning in. My interviewer asked me how do I manage to do it all, from edits, to formatting and cover design. From there...the talk was about book cover pro! Thanks for all you do!”
— Londa B.
Author of My Souls Desire and Who's Loving Me?
Editor/ Publisher of Purposeful Literary Publications
Owner of Aminia Books and Publishing
Radio Show Host and Poet
www.londab.com
www.aminiabooksandpublishing.com
“Great and easy-to-use, even for a non-technical dummy like me. I was amazed the first time I created a book cover with BookCoverPro. It took only a few minutes to start on my way, and I didn't have to learn things like filters and all that gobby-gulk one has to learn when using other software to create bookcovers. Watch out competitors, this one is going to take the lead. Buy it. You'll be creating great looking bookcovers in less than an hour. I did.”
— Shirleen Sando, President of Ozark Marketing and Publishing and Executive Director, “Diggin”
“I am very pleased at the flexibility offered by Book Cover Pro. I was easily able to try dozens of iterations before settling on this one. In fact, my graphic artist "offered" (for a fee of course) to do the entire cover layout and to generate the bar code. I declined (to his surprise) and he was astonished when I sent him a final copy of the layout. He said he didn't realize I "had such skills." Little did he know, I cheated....I had Book Cover Pro! LOL!”
— Dean Sault
Space Chronicles: The Last Human War
Frequently Asked Questions
General >>
Templates / Image >>
eBook Covers (eCovers) >>
Custom Cover Design >>
PrePress / Printing >>
What's the difference between Standard version and Deluxe version?
What does your program offer that other general graphic design programs don't?
Do you offer a trial version?
If I purchase the software, will I be able to use the cover I made in my trial version?
Is this program hard to learn?
Is the software available in the UK (or any other country)? How can I get this program?
Can the software be installed on more than one computer without extra cost?
I’m not an artist. Any suggestions on how to begin?
Will I be able to create my own design from scratch?
If I use one of your templates, won't my cover look the same as someone else's who has used the same template?
Does the Standard version have all the elements for me to design a book cover?
Do I need any other publishing programs to create my cover?
Do I own the rights to my book cover? In other words, if my book were to become successful, can someone from your company claim the right of your book cover template that I altered?
What do I need to have on my computer in order to run the software?
Once you complete the cover, is there a way to save a view of just the front cover?
What resolution does the image have to be to get a excellent picture at printing? On your trial version I downloaded a photo from my pictures file and when I enlarge it, it looks terrible.
If I purchase the software, will I be able to use the cover I made in my trial version?
Your site says compatible with Mac and Windows. Which operating systems?
Is BookCoverPro in layered format like Photoshop or Illustrator?
What's the difference between RGB and CMYK formats?
Can I manipulate my images and text?
What image formats does BookCoverPro support for importing?
Does the software allow me to design post or greeting or business cards or brochures, etc.?
If the items I design are to be sold can I still use this software?
Can I get BookCoverPro on CD?
Can you send a CD to another country?
What if I don't know my spine width?
Is this ISBN-13 compliant?
In what format is my final cover?
How do I create a 3D ebook cover from my finished file?
Can I go back at a later date and change my cover design?
Will you be adding more images to the downloads page?
If my computer crashes, or I get a new computer, how do I get the program again?
How do I receive new updates?
How do I become an affiliate?
Do you offer a return policy?
How do I uncompress the zipped files?
How do the backgrounds work?
How do the templates work?
Can I create my own eBook cover with your program?
How does your 3D eBook cover service work?
Custom Cover Design
I don't have the time to design my own cover. Do you offer full customized design?
Is your program compatible with Lightning Source?
How does BookCoverPro work with the Lightning Source cover template?
Does BookCoverPro support Postscript and/or OTF fonts?
Do I need to embed my fonts?
I will be using Adobe Acrobat to upload my book text. Can I include my cover design in the same upload?
Do I have to have Adobe to finish/upload my cover?
General
Q. What's the difference between Standard version and Deluxe version?
The Standard comes with the full program, access to our full basic images library, and one template — additional templates are available at an extra cost.
The Deluxe comes with the full program, full verison of PrintMarketingPro, access to our entire templates library and images libraries, including our new Eclectic collection.
Both versions also come with a new ebook cover generator — so you can take your cover and convert it into an ebook cover -- any size, any resolution, and you can select to view the front, back, spine, or a combination of the three.
PrintMarketingPro is our other program that specializes in creating promotional materials — bookmarks, flyers, business cards, mailers, posters, cd covers and more. You can import your book cover into this program to promote your book.
Both versions come with our user guide.Q. What does your program offer that other general graphic design programs don't?
BookCoverPro was designed with a lot of thought, time, and attention to the specific design needs of a bookwriter. Sure, anyone can use those big name programs to create their cover...if they want to spend $800 and up, and take the extra time to learn and apply a program that can be quite daunting, not to mention frustrating at times, to master. On the other hand, a professional (and good!) book cover designer can easily charge $1000 and higher. BookCoverPro was created for the busy self-publisher who wants quality design and complete control of his/her project, while maintaining an often tight budget and deadline. This program allows the user to either create a custom cover from scratch, or select one of our templates and/or backgrounds – using their own images, fonts, and other elements.
Q. Do you offer a trial version?
Yes we do! Click here to access the trial downloads of both BookCoverPro and PrintMarketingPro. The trial versions are fully functional; the only limitation is that the file cannot be generated into a final format. However, you can design a complete book cover (or other promo material) and save your files to generate in the full version.
Q. If I purchase the software, will I be able to use the cover I made in my trial version?
Yes. You will be able to create an entire cover design in the trial version and save it as a .bcv file for editing and generating later in the full version.Is the software available in the UK (or any other country)? How can I get it?
BookCoverPro is available and used just about anywhere in the world. If you have a PayPal or Google Checkout account, you can receive our program as an instant download. Or, you can order a mailed CD if you prefer. We also accept money orders and wire transfers through Western Union.
Q. Can the software be installed on more than one computer without extra cost?
Our software licensing is good for one computer and one backup computer. Additional licenses for BookCoverPro can be purchased here. If you need additional licenses for our other products, contact us.
Q. I’m not an artist. Any suggestions on how to begin?
We include a handy starter’s guide that provides tips on placement, fonts to use, colors, and inside “tricks” that will give you the polished edge. Fun to read, easy to learn, and best of all, it’s free to our customers. And, we have over 40 professionally created covertemplates to give you a fun and easy head start on creating. Customers can download both from our Members area.
Q. Will I be able to create my own design from scratch?
BookCoverPro lets you create a cover design in two ways: From a blank canvas set to your own specifications; or, from one of our pre-designed templates. You can also create your own cover templates to use — in a book series, for example.
Q. If I use one of your templates, won't my cover look the same as someone else's who has used the same template?
This is a great question that we've heard by many people. A common concern is that people associate templates with a cheap and copied look – which may be true with subsidy publishers who offer a limited style of templates in their publishing package. After all, each subsidy book inevitably goes through a similar design process that results in a cookie cutter look. But unlike subsidy publishers who control the look of your book, our original templates are designed to be customized by the user. They provide a fun head start to the design process, and you take it from there. Fonts, images, layout, and of course text will be completely different from other books. Plus, we provide some great tips for getting started in our cover guide, included with your order.
Q. Is this program hard to learn?
Not at all. We've designed this as a simple "plug & go" program to learn and apply. As a step-by-step resource, you'll find our online User Help guide very handy.
Q. Does the Standard version have all the elements for me to design a book cover?
Yes. BookCoverPro Standard version is the same program as the Deluxe version — only without the full templates library or the full version of PrintMarketingPro.
Q. Do I need any other publishing programs to create my cover?
Nope. BookCoverPro is all-inclusive, allowing you to create a cover from concept to print.
Q. Do I own the rights to my book cover? In other words, if my book were to become successful, can someone from your company claim the right of your book cover template that I altered?
You own the entire rights to your cover. Our templates are royalty-free (as long as they are used for creating a book cover through BookCoverPro) and were designed for this purpose.Q. What do I need to have on my computer in order to run the software?
You will need 4-6 mb of free space, and the latest version of Java (most computers have this already) which you can download free at http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
Q. Once you complete the cover, is there a way to save a view of just the front cover?
Yes. Select Menu>Export to E-Book, and you will be able to generate a front cover image as you desire, saved in JPEG or PNG format.
Q. What resolution does the image have to be to get a excellent picture at printing? On your trial version I downloaded a photo from my pictures file and when I enlarge it, it looks fuzzy.
You probably imported an image that was 72 dpi (or something less than 300 dpi). The resolution in BookCoverPro is set to either 300 or 600 dpi. 300 dpi is the minimum requirement for book printers. Any image less than a 300 dpi resolution will appear smaller in the document (a good rule of thumb if in doubt to its resolution), and when enlarged, it will appear very pixelly and of poor quality. For example, images taken directly from the web are 72 dpi.
Q. If I purchase the software, will I be able to use the cover I made in my trial version?
Absolutely. You will be able to save your trial document in .bcv format, and then you can open and edit your cover document in the full version.
Q. Your site says compatible with Mac and Windows. Which operating systems?
BookCoverPro is compatible with Windows Vista, Windows ME, Windows 2003, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows 95, MacOS X 10.2 and up, Linux, some of the BSDs (FreeBSD, etc.) and Solaris.
Q. Is BookCoverPro in a layered format like Photoshop or Illustrator?
Yes. Each element is placed on its own layer and is easily manipulated with complete freedom of placement. You can also move layers up or down, or remove them.
Q. What's the difference between RGB and CMYK formats?
These are color schemes. RGB stands for Red-Green-Blue; CMYK stands for Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black. When RGB is selected, the final cover can be saved in PDF, PNG, or JPEG formats. Selecting CMYK will allow saving in PDF or TIFF formats. You can also select RGB or CMYK in the color chart. Many printers prefer a CMYK formatted PDF; please check with your printer for their preference.
Our program now has the capability to switch back and forth between platforms, meaning if you design your cover in RGB format, then find out you need it in CMYK, simply go to Cover>Properties and switch the platform.Q. Can I manipulate my images and text?
There are several things you can apply to your images and/or text: For the images you can resize, rotate, apply a transparency, group images, and copy. For text you can resize, set text to left, right, center, or justify, style with bold, shadow, or outline, choose from thousands (millions?) of colors, group and copy, adjust the tracking and the leading, and set the orientation to horizontal or vertical.
Q. What image formats does BookCoverPro support for importing?
BookCoverPro supports JPEG, TIF, PNG, BMP, and GIF images.
Q. Does the software allow me to design greeting cards or business cards, brochures, etc.?
Our PrintMarketingPro program (free with Deluxe version) allows you to create and customize a multitude of promotional materials, in high resolution, ready to print or send on to the printer.
Read more about PrintMarketingProQ. If the items I design are to be sold, can I still use this software?
Yes. You purchase the license to use commercially. The license is limited to one computer.
Q. Can I get BookCoverPro on CD?
Yes! Be sure to select the CD option when ordering. The CD option also includes your own private login for accessing our downloads page anytime. Please allow 7-10 days for delivery.
Q. Can you send a CD to another country?
We can mail a CD to just about anywhere in the world for a nominal shipping fee. Just select the International Orders button to place an order. Allow 10-14 days for delivery.
Q. What if I don't know my spine width?
No worries. Just enter your total page count and the spine width generator calculates the correct spine width.
Yes. Enter your 10 or 13 digit ISBN and BookCoverPro generates an ISBN-13 barcode with the correct check number. For price, enter a 5 digit code; e.g.; ISBN price code begins with a 5 for $(US) and 0 for £(GBP). For a barcode with no price, enter 90000 – the industry code for no price.
For more information about ISBN's, go to
http://www.bisg.org/isbn-13/faq.html
To see how a check digit is calculated, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number
#Check_digit_in_ISBN-13
To test your check digit, visit this link: http://www.morovia.com/education/utility/upc-ean.aspQ. In what format is my final cover?
When your design is complete, BookCoverPro gives you the option of generating your cover into four different 300 dpi formats: PDF, PNG, TIFF, OR JPEG (JPG). PDF or TIFF are preferred formats for most book printers; PNG and JPEG are commonly used for web & print images.
Q. How do I create a 3D ebook cover from my finished file?
We can take your final cover and turn it into a professional 3D ebook cover image, correctly formatted for displaying on websites. Choose from three different views. Order information is on our Member's page.
Q. Can I go back at a later date and change my cover design?
Yes. When you save, your cover design is preserved in the native BookCoverPro format (.bcv).
Q. Will you be adding more images to the downloads page?
Absolutely! Users can check our Members page for periodic download additions.
Q. If my computer crashes, or I get a new computer, how do I get the program again?
Simply login to the Member's Area and download again. You're allowed to have the program on 2 systems with the Standard Edition and up to 3 systems with the Deluxe Edition. If you forgot your login, just email us with your receipt# or the name you used to order and we can look up your info.
Q. How do I receive new updates?
Whenever a new release is ready, you will receive a message the next time you launch BookCoverPro prompting you to select the update button, and explaining what has been added/changed. Simply select the button and your program will be updated automatically.
Q. How do I become an affiliate?
Sign up free here to become our affiliate, then place our link into your website. That’s all! Your affiliate code is embedded into the ad, so when someone clicks on your ad and purchases BookCoverPro software, you will earn 25% of that sale. There is no limit to what you can earn as an affiliate. Each month's earnings will be paid via PayPal within 15 days of month end. We have many customers who have earned back their investment by being an affiliate. : )
Q. Do you offer a return policy?
Yes -- for any technical reasons only; please read our Guarantee. We cannot offer refunds for non-technical reasons.
Templates / ImagesHow do I uncompress the zipped files?
Our templates are saved as a .bct file, then placed in a folder, and zipped. For uncompressing a template ZIP package, use programs like WinZip 9+ (Windows) or Stuffit Expander 10+ (Mac). Our images are not saved in a folder, but are zipped as individual .jpg or .tif files.
Q. How do the backgrounds work?
Download a background image from our Members page (available to members), open up BookCoverPro, and select Image. A window pops up where you can select the image from the browser window. Backgrounds / images are 300 DPI and adjustable in size. You can select one to fit a part of the cover, or one or more backgrounds to fit the entire cover.
The templates library contains dozens of professionally designed covers that were created in Photoshop and converted into BookCoverPro format. Fully editable, just download the templates from the Members page, unzip, and select Menu>Open Template from BookCoverPro. Please note that you may not have the same fonts in your system as what is in the template, so there could be some overflow. Simply change to the fonts and sizes you desire. Note: Templates cannot be opened by double-clicking. They have to be selected from the Open Templates command.
eBook Covers (eCovers)
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Yes, you can! When you're finished designing your cover, select Menu>Export to E-Book (see image shown). You'll then be able to select your desired resolution or size, which parts of your cover you want generated, where to save, and either as a JPEG or PNG file. This will save your cover as a 2D image ideal for website display. This generator is in both versions.
Q. How does your 3D eBook cover service work?
We can take your finished cover and turn it into a nicely rendered 3D image, showing your front cover and spine at different angles, with shadow and reflection. This includes 3 different sizes, all saved in JPEG format. This service is provided free of charge to our Deluxe version customers for the first 3 titles; then $9.95 thereafter. A nominal fee is applyed for our standard customers and non-customers. Expect a 1-3 day turnaround. To learn more, visit our eBook Covers page.
Custom Cover Design
Q. I don't have the time to design my own cover. Do you offer full customized design?
Yes we do! We can take your ideas and turn them into a stunning design that sells. Even if you're at a loss of ideas, we work wonders. The owner of BookCoverPro has been a professional book cover designer for over 10 years. Contact Angie for more information and a free quotation.
PrePress / Printing
Q. Is your program compatible with Lightning Source?
Yes. As long as your file is created in CMYK format, and saved as a PDF, it is compliant with LSI cover requirements.
Q. How does BookCoverPro work with the Lightning Source Cover template?
We convert their PDF template into a TIFF image that is placed right on your cover document to design as normal. More on this is explained in our User Guide.
Q. Does BookCoverPro support Postscript fonts?
In most systems, Postscript fonts are supported in both Java 5 and 6. Mac systems support OTF (OpenType) fonts.
Q. Do I need to embed my fonts?
When you save your file as a PDF, the fonts and images are automatically embedded.
Q. I will be using Adobe Acrobat to upload my book text. Can I include my cover design in the same upload?
Yes. In Acrobat, select Document>Pages>Insert to insert your cover or another file.
Q. Do I have to have Adobe to finish/upload my cover?
No. BookCoverPro will generate your finished cover to a high quality, industry-compliant PDF file that is ready for print.