Do you want to write an eBook and publish it for eReaders like the Kindle? I receive many questions from my students about the writings that will be published on these platforms. The most common concerns are about the eBook cover and the length of the eBook.

In this article, I’ll focus on Amazon’s Kindle platform, because it’s the most popular. The other platforms are similar. You should read the help and support files of each website before uploading your ebook.

First, let’s discuss the cover of the eBook.

Create a cover image for your ebook

When you create a cover, you need an image: Amazon calls this a Catalog/Cover Image. That is the picture shown on the Amazon site.

Your actual eBook, the file that customers download, may or may not have a “cover” image. If you choose to include one, it’s part of the file you upload, it’s an embedded image. Just add the image to your file before converting the document file to HTML.

Amazon has a minimum size requirement for its catalog image: it must be at least 500 x 800 pixels.

For my own eBooks, I create only one main image. They are 600 x 800 pixels. I use it for the catalog image and also embed it in the file, as a cover/title page. I resize the image to fit inside MS Word.

A couple of years ago, you would create this image in grayscale. Today, with eBook readers capable of displaying colors, create a color image.

For most of my covers, I first choose a royalty-free image. I then add the image to the cover design, leaving some white space at the top and bottom. The book title goes at the top and the author at the bottom of the design.

While I create cover images, I also like to create some ad images: a couple of banner ads and other image ads. I already have my image editor open, with the photo loaded, so creating these additional images takes only a moment or two.

The length of your ebook

Your eBook can be any length you choose to cover your topic to the satisfaction of the reader.

Keep in mind, though, that the sample of eBooks Amazon allows customers to download for free is around ten percent. This means that if your ebook is very short, the sample will be too.

It is advisable to give your readers an idea of ​​the length of your ebook in the description of your book. For example: “15,000 words” if you are writing a short nonfiction book. Or if you’re writing fiction: “300 printed pages.”

Now that you know how to create your cover and can choose the length of your eBook, I hope this article helps you write your Kindle eBook.