04-19-2021, 08:17 AM
BOOK COVER DESIGN OPTIONS
You've Got Plenty of Choices for Designing Top-Notch Book Covers; Even If
You Don't Have Mad Skills (Or The Fancy Design Software) To Do It!
You Don't Have Mad Skills (Or The Fancy Design Software) To Do It!
![[Image: LWR_Recording.png]](https://content.screencast.com/users/layna61524/folders/Capture/media/ad22e368-8938-40e8-8420-e0c5594314cc/LWR_Recording.png)
There's a saying:
You can't always tell --- but you can surely sell --- a book by its cover.
Let's be real. It's human nature. People do judge a book (and often, other people) by what they first see on the outside. Psychology Today has a blog post about that...
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That being said, you want your book covers to represent well; get attention and make potential buyers thirst for what's between the covers.
But what if you don't have the skills to design a fabulous cover? Or the high-end design software usually needed to do so?
Just yesterday, I got a PM asking me for ebook design suggestions if one doesn't have Photoshop on their computer. This person said his computer system couldn't handle Photoshop. These programs boast a full range of creative design features that makes them pure resource hogs and not every computer can hang with them.
On the other hand, some people don't have Photoshop or Illustrator because they can't afford these programs.
Then, too, you need some level of skill to get the best results from these fancy design programs. Just having it installed is no help if you've never used it.
So you need to consider your situation in order to decide on the best book cover design options for you.
If you have no (or very little) design experience, you need a basic program that offers creative features; something easy to use with a quick start that renders a decent design in little time.
If you know your way around programs like Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft PowerPoint, or others, then that's the most logical place to start.
If you don't have these programs installed on your computer, you have other options. Being a member of BBHF, you can search the forum for these programs to see if they are being shared.
And if you've got an older version of a design program installed, you can find YouTube and Udemy tutorials on how to use them to get your book cover designs done.
If you are open to using some alternative to a program you wish you had, that, too, is an option. In fact, with a little tutorial help, sometimes an alternative to a high-end design program can be easier to use and produce a faster and very similar result.
There are online design platforms, either free to use or at-cost but with a free trial period. If you are only trying to design a couple of covers, you can use the program to do that within the trial period and cancel before you are due to pay. But, consider that free isn't always what it's cracked up to be and that a free trial may give you access to only the basic, rudimentary features of the program to design a so-so looking ebook cover.
Many online design platforms offer pre-made ebook templates you can either download and customize or design online and save to your online account. All that's left, then, is to upload the design to your KDP, CreateSpace or other account.
OPTIONS FOR DESIGNING YOUR
EBOOK COVER
EBOOK COVER
Here are some options for creating your ebook cover designs:
* Canva - Canva is an online graphic design tool used to create social media graphics, posters, documents, presentations and other visual content. It is fairly interactive and easy to navigate so, unlike the complex user interface of high-end programs like Adobe Photoshop or InDesign, Canva is easier to use. Canva is free to use but offers paid subscriptions to products like Canva Pro and Canva for Enterprise. NOTE: There may be offers on BBHF to get a Canva account at a discounted rate for an extended period of time. Please search the forum with the keywords: Canva account to check see if there are any current offers.
Here is a link where you can investigate Canva's pricing plans:
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* Illustrator - this high-end Adobe program offers many features and you can be as creative as your skillset allows but unless you have some experience, it's not for the beginner. There are free online tutorials to help with using this program if you decide you want to tackle it.
* Illustrator Alternatives - you have plenty of options in lieu of using Adobe Illustrator. They include: Inkscape, MyPaint, Affinity Designer, Vectornator, Sketch, Gravit Designer, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, Procreate and more. Just do a search for alternatives to Adobe Illustrator and you can read more about these programs; in some cases, you can get a free or trial download. Also, search BBHF to see if any of the products are being shared. Another place you can check is any of the Persian (Iranian) download sites that often provide download links to fully operational premium software products. Try bitdownload.ir or search for Persian download sites + (name of the program you want).
* InDesign - this is another Adobe program and like Illustrator, requires some level of skill. There are free online tutorials to help with using this program if you decide you want to tackle it.
* InDesign Alternatives - you have plenty of options in lieu of using Adobe InDesign. They include: Scribus, Canva, Microsoft Office Publisher, Affinity Publisher, Lucidpress, Desygner, Crello and more. Just do a search for alternatives to Adobe InDesign and you can read more about these programs; in some cases, you can get a free or trial download.
* Online Design Options - when it comes to online websites you can go to for designing a book cover, there are too many to mention. Most offer pre-designed book cover templates you can modify as you wish. The sites may be free or have a limited trial after which time, you must decide on a subscription plan. Canva is the most popular online design platform at the moment but there are tons more. I mentioned Crello earlier and the link to that site can be found below.
I will share a few links below to some that I found in my searches but do your own search for online book cover design platforms. Then follow the links to take a closer look. When you find a site you like, be sure to read their terms of service for any limitations or restrictions before you venture into creating your book covers there.
And remember, free isn't always what it's cracked up to be. You don't want to mess around when it comes to your book cover designs. If you plan to make money with your ebooks, you want them to look good and attract customers. Don't skimp on a good book cover design option; the first thing potential buyers see is your book's cover and your subscription will pay for itself 100x over.
Here are a few:
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* Photoshop - another Adobe program, it is full of creative features but some level of skill is needed. There are free online tutorials to help with using this program if you decide you want to tackle it.
* Photoshop Alternatives - you have plenty of options in lieu of Photoshop. They include: Gimp, Paint.net, Pixlr, Affinity Designer, MyPaint and more. Just do a search for alternatives to Photoshop and you can read more about these programs; in some cases, you can get a free or trial download.
* PowerPoint - this Microsoft slide-maker/presentation program is fairly easy to use and can serve as a reasonable substitute for Photoshop; especially for simple designs. It lacks a lot of the fancy options for text manipulation and other effects that Photoshop and similar programs offer but if all you need is a basic design tool, PowerPoint is a reliable option.
* PowerPoint Alternatives - you have plenty of options in lieu of PowerPoint. They include: Prezi, LibreOffice-Impress, Keynote, Google Slides, Sozi and more. Just do a search for alternatives to PowerPoint and you can read more about these programs; in some cases, you can get a free or trial download.
* Scribus - this is a free program that has features similar to InDesign. So if you have the skills to use Adobe InDesign but can't afford (or install) it, check out Scribus here:
Scribus:
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* Word - this Microsoft program is primarily used as a document creation tool but with a little creativity, you can manage to make a halfway decent looking e-book cover. Word will not give you the flexibility that image editing tools will so it takes a little finesse to manipulate it for that purpose and you won't be able to create the same type of covers you can in Canva, PowerPoint or Photoshop but if you need a book cover in a hurry, using Microsoft Word can be an option.
HIRING A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST
Another option is to outsource the design but I'd be very careful working with anyone except a pro. Or at the very least, someone on Fiverr, for example, who can provide visual samples or some social proof of client satisfaction. You don't want to mess around with the "face" of your product (e-book).
If you've got the money to hire a pro book cover artist, that's the best bet. And here is some advice from experienced self-published writer Mark Dawson on how authors can work with a book cover designer...
HOW TO WORK WITH A COVER DESIGNER
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BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE...!
Here are links to a few sites for extra help with book cover design using a number of tools from Canva to InDesign, from Photoshop to PowerPoint or from a variety of online websites.
BOOK COVER DESIGN RESOURCES Please use the slider arm in the opened window to see all the links.
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BOOK COVER DESIGN TEMPLATES - You can set up a free or paid account here. Remember that, usually, you get what you pay for so there will be more features available with a paid account. You can pay monthly or one year up front.
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There are plenty of options for using ebook cover templates, too. If the site I provided above is not to your liking, do a web search for: ebook cover templates free and follow the links to take a closer look. One of the sites I mentioned above as an alternative (Desygner) showed up in my search.
I found these sites on the first page search results:
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EBOOK TEMPLATES FROM
GRAPHICS DOWNLOAD SITES
GRAPHICS DOWNLOAD SITES
![[Image: LWR_Recording.png]](https://content.screencast.com/users/layna61524/folders/Capture/media/8e02472d-a47e-49d3-9781-4e52c5ce42ac/LWR_Recording.png)
One last resource I'd like to remind you of is graphics download sites. You can find lots of pre-made templates for pretty much any design program there. The bigger issue will be whether you can download from the premium file share sites like Nitroflare, [Reported by Members as premium hosting that SUCK! Use MEDIAFIRE or MEGA.NZ :) !!!] and such. Occasionally, you will find a working Zippyshare link but these sites mostly use premium links.
You can find downloads of book cover templates and template bundles from any of the many graphics download sites. You can then edit the templates in any of the popular programs I just talked about from Canva to InDesign to Photoshop to PowerPoint.
STEP 1: You will need to visit the graphics download sites to search for and browse the available downloads. If you aren't familiar with graphics download sites, here is a small list to get you started:
GRAPHICS DOWNLOAD SITES: Please use the slider arm in the opened window below to see all of the links. Bookmark the sites you like.
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STEP 2: Do a search inside the site for the type of template you want. For example, if you are looking for a book cover design for a cookbook you're publishing and you plan to use PowerPoint to edit it, search for PowerPoint recipe book template or PowerPoint recipe e-book template.
You may not always get what you want at one site so you can search another of the sites. Similarly, if you find a download you like but the link(s) are dead or you can't use premium links (ex: Nitroflare, [Reported by Members as premium hosting that SUCK! Use MEDIAFIRE or MEGA.NZ :) !!!], etc.) you can search another site for the same item by using the exact file name because many of the downloads can be found from one graphics site to another and you may get lucky and find a zippyshare link that is still live.
NOTE: When I say to use "the exact file name" when searching for the file at another graphics site or in the search engines, take a look at the image at DOWNLOAD #2 below (Spiral Book Mock-Up 5212814). I placed a bright red arrow to point to the exact file name for that download. Be sure to use file names and associated numbers when you search for the files you want.
One last thing you can do is perform a general search engine search for the file using the exact file name and "zippyshare.com" to find it. Based on my personal experience in finding stuff, I find more working zippyshare links in a general search engine search than from directly within a graphics site search.
STEP 3: When you find a template you like, click the title link to be taken to the download page. You can read the file description (ex: it tells you the file size, design and color options, number of pages in the template for the ebook or cover size options, which programs the file can be edited with, etc.) and scroll to the end of the description to see the download options. Most of the links will be premium ones but if you're lucky, you will find a zippyshare link.
I highly suggest you get a subscription to a premium link converter app like Deepbrid or Real Debrid so that you can use links from file share servers like Prefiles, [Reported by Members as premium hosting that SUCK! Use MEDIAFIRE or MEGA.NZ :) !!!], [Reported by Members as premium hosting that SUCK! Use MEDIAFIRE or MEGA.NZ :) !!!] and others. Many times, the zippyshare link is no longer functioning and some of the premium links may also be dead on the server; that leaves you stranded for a file you may really need. Having Deepbrid or Real-Debrid (or other converter tool) gives you other options to find a link that works.
And to help you with getting a template you can use, I found two very nice book cover template files I'm sharing below. I had to convert the Prefiles links to generic ones to get the download so I practice what I preach when I say having a premium link converter comes in handy.
If you like, you can see, read more about and download the two book cover template files below:
#1 - PEACH OMBRE CANVA PINTEREST TEMPLATE - See image above.
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#2 - SPIRAL BOOK MOCK-UP 5212814
![[Image: LWR_Recording.png]](https://content.screencast.com/users/layna61524/folders/Capture/media/38377b78-6de8-4923-be18-5557b357800b/LWR_Recording.png)
![[Image: LWR_Recording.png]](https://content.screencast.com/users/layna61524/folders/Capture/media/ce9cc377-9999-4abe-99f2-f5c66db27b9b/LWR_Recording.png)
![[Image: LWR_Recording.png]](https://content.screencast.com/users/layna61524/folders/Capture/media/63586ab1-db7d-4498-937c-f015f5270e04/LWR_Recording.png)
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To show you that you will find working zippyshare links on these graphics sites, here are some I located when I searched using: low content books...
#3 - FINANCE DAILY PLANNER BOOK 3981667 - GRAPHICEX.COM.RAR
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#4 - GRAPHICEX.COM - COOK-BOOK-RECIPE-BOOK-15308304.RAR
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#5 - 12009813 - POPUP-BOOK-MAKER.RAR
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FREE COURSES AND TUTORIALS
ON BOOK COVER DESIGN
ON BOOK COVER DESIGN
LIMIT TIME OFFER - ENROLL IN THIS UDEMY COURSE
BECOME A PROFESSIONAL BOOK COVER DESIGNER
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I just signed up for the course and after answering a few questions, I was in. So take advantage of this while you can.
HOW TO DESIGN A BOOK COVER - FREE YOUTUBE TUTORIAL
FROM ENVATO TUTS+
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CREATING A BOOK COVER WITH CANVA TEMPLATES - QUICK AND EASY!
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CREATE COLORING BOOK COVER FOR KDP
USING CANVA
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HOW TO CREATE BOOK COVERS IN CANVA ... FOR FREE!
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HOW TO CREATE BOOK COVER MOCKUPS IN CANVA - NO
PHOTOSHOP NEEDED!
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CANVA TUTORIAL: HOW TO DESIGN BEAUTIFUL
LOW AND NO CONTENT BOOK COVERS USING CANVA
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MORE BOOK COVER IN CANVA TUTORIALS
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GIMP TUTORIALS: HOW TO DESIGN A SIMPLE BOOK COVER
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HOW TO MAKE A PATTERNED KDP COVER DESIGN
IN ILLUSTRATOR FAST!
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PHOTOSHOP TUTORIAL: HOW TO DESIGN A COVER
FOR A CHILDREN'S BOOK
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KDP COVERS FOR LOW CONTENT BOOKS: OVER-THE-SHOULDER
PHOTOSHOP PDF TUTORIAL WITH ISAAC GONZALEZ
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HOW TO MAKE FULL PDF BOOK COVERS FOR KDP ON PHOTOSHOP
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CREATE A REUSABLE KDP COVER TEMPLATE IN PHOTOSHOP
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HOW TO CREATE A KDP BOOK COVER
USING PHOTOSHOP
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USING STOCK SEAMLESS PATTERNS IN
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP - HIGH-QUALITY LOW CONTENT
BOOK COVER DESIGN
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HOW TO MAKE A BOOK COVER IN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CC
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CREATING BOOK COVERS IN POWERPOINT
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HOW TO DESIGN AN AMAZING BOOK COVER IN POWERPOINT
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DESIGN BOOK COVER WITH PICTURE PLACE HOLDERS - POWERPOINT SLIDE DESIGN
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HOW TO TURN A POWERPOINT INTO AN EBOOK
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HOW TO CREATE A CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK WITH BLEED
IN POWERPOINT
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HOW TO DESIGN A STUNNING BOOK COVER
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MORE BOOK COVER DESIGN WITH POWERPOINT
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HOW TO CREATE AND EXPORT A BOOK COVER IN ADOBE INDESIGN
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MICROSOFT WORD TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE A
BOOK COVER IN MS WORD 2013
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HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN BOOK COVER USING MS WORD
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HOW TO CREATE COLORING BOOK COVERS FAST
WITH NO DESIGN SKILLS! [LOW CONTENT PUBLISHING]
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CREATE WITH ME: DESIGNING AND UPLOADING A
LOW-CONTENT BOOK FOR KDP
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HOW TO DESIGN AND CREATE A BOOK COVER FOR
AMAZON KDP - 3 SIMPLE WAYS (NO PHOTOSHOP REQUIRED)
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CREATE POPULAR ACTIVITY LOW CONTENT BOOK COVER
TO MAKE MONEY
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HOW TO MAKE JOURNAL INTERIORS FOR KPD
LOW CONTENT BOOKS - MULTI-PAGE PDF INTERIORS
IN PHOTOSHOP
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UPLOADING YOUR FIRST LOW CONTENT BOOK ON KDP
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HOW TO UPLOAD A LOW-CONTENT JOURNAL OR BOOK TO
KDP (KINDLE DIRECT PUBLISHING) FOR BEGINNERS
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HOW TO CREATE FUN COLORING BOOK INTERIORS - NO CONTENT AND
KDP LOW CONTENT BOOKS
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CREATE FUN COLOR-BY-NUMBER BOOK INTERIORS THAT SELL!
LOW CONTENT BOOKS
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COVER DESIGN + FREE CREATESPACE/KDP
COVER TEMPLATE CREATOR TOOL
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REMOVING COLOR FROM IMAGES IN POWERPOINT - CREATE KDP
LOW CONTENT BOOKS IN POWERPOINT
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HOW TO CREATE LOW CONTENT BOOKS
TO SELL ON AMAZON
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MORE TUTORIALS
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You can do your own search for more of these kinds of templates. Here are some keywords to get you started...
Canva ebook templates graphicsite.com zippyshare
- Substitute the keyword: Canva with InDesign, PowerPoint or any program (or leave it out completely);
- Substitute the keyword: "graphicsite.com" with the actual graphics download site you want to browse;
- Substitute the keyword: "zippyshare.com" with another popular but free file share site. I sometimes try mediafire (or you can leave it out completely).
NOTE: If you don't have a paid subscription to a premium link converter (like Deepbrid or Real-Debrid) you can try some of the premium links on graphics sites in a free account on Multishare. Set up a free account at: https://multishare.cz/en. But keep in mind that this site supports a very limited (less than 40) number of premium links. Without a premium link converter, you are at the mercy of zippy links that are usually dead on arrival.
LAYNA'S LAGNIAPPE
And to close out this share, you get a little Layna's Lagniappe... a collection of very helpful books on designing in general, creating powerful book covers in particular, and how to use a few of the programs we talked about earlier to edit them.
LAYNA'S LIBRARY OF E-BOOKS
ON BOOK COVER DESIGN
ON BOOK COVER DESIGN
![[Image: LWR_Recording.png]](https://content.screencast.com/users/layna61524/folders/Capture/media/aff06460-88b8-4c33-983f-0a43b05647b0/LWR_Recording.png)
![[Image: LWR_Recording.png]](https://content.screencast.com/users/layna61524/folders/Capture/media/da81da31-cddc-4d73-8c43-f3496c3d3d5a/LWR_Recording.png)
Here is a link to download the 12 books shown above plus 2 extras I decided to toss in at the last minute.
Your AIO download includes:
* 5 Secret Strategies of Kindle Publishing: Earn Passive Income With Non-Fiction Books
* Book Cover Design Formula: Complete DIY Book Cover Design
* Book Cover Design Secrets Bestselling Authors Use to Sell More Books
* Create Ebook Covers in PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Ebook Covers in 2D, 3D and Boxed Set Formats
* Graphic Design for Beginners: Fundamental Graphic Design Principles That Underlie Every Design Project
* How to Design Your Book Cover Free: Kindle, CreateSpace, and ACX Covers in Minutes
* How to Make a Book Cover: A Fast, Easy Way to Create An Ebook Cover Using Microsoft PowerPoint or Open Office Impress
* PowerPoint for Beginners 2020
* PowerPoint Made Easy: Presenting Your Ideas With Style
* Publisher Made Easy: Making Your Ideas Come to Life
* Quick and Easy Vector Graphics: Learn the 5 Basic Skills That Will Have You Creating Icons, Logos, Illustrations and UI in Minutes
* The Author's Guide to Cover Design
* The Importance of Book Cover Design and Formatting For Self-Published Authors
BOOK COVER DESIGN LIBRARY:
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VIRUS TOTAL:
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/baa0.../detection
File name: Book Cover Library.rar
File size: 81.91 MB
Detection ratio: 0 / 57
Analysis date: 2021-04-17 23:46:58 UTC
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I know this is a lot to digest, so please take it slow. Don't let this post overwhelm you. My whole point in doing this is to show you, you've got plenty of options so don't let the lack of skill or not having a high-end design program stand in your way of making attention-getting book covers.
Enjoy the share!
Layna61524
