Essential Steps for Self-Publishing Success Part 3 - How to Develop a Beautiful Book Cover

By Jessica Scullino

When it comes to self-publishing your book—especially a children’s book—your cover is everything.

It’s your first impression. It’s what makes someone stop scrolling on Amazon or pull your book off the shelf at a library. And while writing may come naturally to you, designing your cover can feel… overwhelming.

Don’t worry—you don’t need to be a graphic designer to create something beautiful and professional. In this post, I’ll walk you through the exact steps I followed when designing The Paper Heart That Couldn’t Break and give you tools to help you along the way.

Step 1: Understand Your Genre

Start by looking at other books in your category. For children’s books, the cover should be vibrant, clear, and emotionally engaging. Think about the age group you’re writing for and what kinds of images or fonts appeal to them (and their parents!).

Tip: Create a mood board on Pinterest with covers you love—it’ll help guide your design choices later.

Step 2: Choose the Right Design Tool

Here are a few beginner-friendly (and budget-friendly) options:

• Canva Pro – Perfect for mockups and initial design work

• BookBrush – Great for realistic previews and social media graphics

• Vellum – More for formatting, but helpful for interior design

• Fiverr or Reedsy – Ideal if you want a custom professional illustration

Personally, I used Canva Pro to design my first drafts and currently I am working with an illustrator to bring the story to life.

Step 3: Cover Design Essentials

Your cover should include:

• A strong, readable title

• A matching font that fits your tone (playful, soft, bold, etc.)

• Your name as the author

• A main image or illustration that connects emotionally with your story

  
  

Keep it clean. A cluttered cover is harder for readers to connect with—especially at thumbnail size!

Step 4: Don’t Forget the Back Cover

If you’re publishing a print edition, your back cover matters just as much. Make sure to include:

• A short blurb or teaser about the story

• Your author photo

• Website or social links

• ISBN and barcode (check out Part 1 of the series for a full walkthrough!)

  
  

Step 5: Get Honest Feedback

Once you’ve got a draft, don’t go live just yet. Ask for feedback from fellow authors, educators, readers—and kids! Their insights are priceless when it comes to making sure your book appeals to the right audience.

Final Thoughts

Designing your book cover can be an empowering and creative part of the publishing process. Whether you go DIY or hire help, what matters most is that your cover reflects the heart of your story.

I hope this guide helps you take that next step with confidence. You’ve got this.

And stay tuned for Part 4 in this series: Marketing Your Self-Published Book: Tips and Strategies (Next Wednesday)

Check out my Youtube video on this topic: Essential Steps for Self-Publishing Success: How to Develop a Beautiful Book Cover.

Related Blog Posts:

• Essential Steps for Self-Publishing Success: ISBN, Copywrites and Barcodes For Canadian Authors

• Essential Steps for Self Publishing Success: Formatting Your Manuscript

• Essential Steps for Self Publishing Success: Marketing Your Book

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How to Develop a Beautiful Book Cover