5 Steps to Stunning Book Covers with Canva [Tutorial]

As a stay-at-home moms, I seldom have the opportunity to sit down at my laptop, so I limit my creative side gigs to those I can do from my phone, usually while nursing the baby or on the rare occasion that both my littles nap at the same time. 

That’s why I love selling no- to low-content books on Amazon KDP. No- to low content books include lined notebooks, sketchbooks, journals, planners, and logbooks — basically books that the buyer fills in. 

Amazon KDP, or Kindle Direct Publishing, is a print-on-demand platform that allows you to self-publish e-books, paperback, and hardcover books to Amazon for free. 

Using Canva, either through your mobile’s web browser or the mobile app, you can create your own books and even publish them on Amazon KDP without ever needing a laptop. Here’s how:

Step 1: Visit Bookow.com

Decide on the size you’d like your finished book to be. Common sizes include 6” x 9”, 8” x 10”, and 8.5” x 11”. 

Next, visit Bookow.com, scroll down and select “KDP Cover Template Generator.”

Insert the width, height, and page count of your book, as well as your email address, where the image will be sent. 

Step 2: Check Your Email

Scroll to the bottom of the email you received from Bookow and download the book cover template, which you’ll find as an attached image (.png).

For this tutorial, I’m creating a 6” x 9” book. 

Step 3: Begin a New Project in Canva

Open Canva and begin a new project with a custom size. Change the measurement from pixels (px) to inches (in) and plug in the measurements of “the full cover size including bleed,” found at the upper-left hand corner of your template from Bookow.

Step 4: Prepare Your Cover Template

Next, upload the cover template from Bookow and insert this image into your project. Enlarge to fit the entire cover. 

Decrease the transparency of the book cover template (I set my transparency to 5) so that you can still make out the borders.

Step 5: Design Your Cover

Begin designing the front and back of your book cover using design elements, patterns, images, text, and more. Add a logo or text to the back, if you’d like. 

Note: if you’re using the free version of Canva, avoid using elements with the crown symbol in the corner, which are for premium members. 

Note: The only text you’re required to add to your cover is a descriptive word from your listing title (such as notebook, journal, logbook). This word must appear somewhere on the front cover or spine. You’ll see, in my example, I have “notebook” on the spine, since I will list this on Amazon KDP as a blank lined notebook. 

Now you can delete the transparent cover template and choose your background pattern, image, or color, as well as change things around as you see fit. 

Save as a “PDF to Print.” Leave all optional boxes unchecked. 

Congratulations! Your book cover is complete!