The biggest stores (including Apple iBooks) currently require at least 1400 pixels or more for the shorter side Kobo recommends 1600px, however, so better go with that. (The “It looks approximately the same” approach never works out well.) It is really easy to calculate ratio: just divide the longer side with the shorter one then you can multiply the length of the shorter side of your cover with the number you got to get the length of the longer side. If your genre is not fiction, go to your favourite webshop and check the top list for trends and inspiration on book cover size. (Or the sides don’t get cut off by the store.) Although the shops won’t enforce an exact ratio, you are advised to go for something like this, so your book won’t look out of place (just like Helter Skelter does on Amazon) among all the other books. For a detailed article by genres, see The Book Designer.Īs long as you stick to digital, the only thing you actually need to worry about is how your cover looks like. If you are not only interested in ebooks but would like to design your cover with a future print edition in mind, you can still follow our guide below, as the process is very similar. Your cover won’t look silly on any reader independently from book cover size the phones and e-readers won’t resize it and display it disproportionately, but merely display it at the center. It is impossible to follow, right? Don’t worry, you don’t have to.
IPads currently have a ratio of 1:1.33, and most android phones(independently from the size) have a ratio of 1:1.5. Currently the most popular e-readers have a screen size of 6 inches, but various resolutions: while the classic Kindle and the Nook Simple displays 600×800 pixels (giving you a ratio of 1:1.33), Nook GlowLight goes with 758×1024, resulting in a ratio of 1:1.35. You don’t need to worry about your cover looking odd on the screen for the same reason, as every reader or phone screen is a bit different.
You as an ebook author, however, are in a fantastic position, because your cover dimensions don’t have to match the page proportion: you don’t have to think about your book being too thick or difficult to handle, since everyone is going to display it on a gadget. We have terrifying news: there is no golden rule for cover dimensions.
Sign Up Free How large should my cover be? (Guide for dimensions)