The cover design for your new ebook is very important. Take your time and do not be afraid to ask for opinions. I recently make three mock ups of an ebook cover and the one several friends chose was not my first choice. So, get some opinions but follow these tips to get the best start.
*Your book will be judged by the cover. Fair or not, that is the way the book sells. You need your eBook to appeal to your target audience. Think about your audience as you chose a cover. For instance, if your book will appeal to women of faith you will want to consider modesty. I know many women who would be offended by a cover with a women showing bare shoulders or even slight cleavage. Sounds silly? I know of more than one woman who regretted an image based on what she thought was minor. Think about your audience.
*Please understand that your imagery may not reflect that of your audience. Make simple connections so everyone can connect the dots. Otherwise you risk a reader being turned off because they had the wrong impression. Your book’s cover needs to reflect the subject matter of the book. That could mean giving up on more imaginative photos or ones that have meaning to you. Think about the person with the vanity plate that no one understands. If someone is buying a book they will pass over what looks odd or what they do not understand. Stay way from imagery that may evoke other feelings or controversy that has nothing to do with your book.
*Avoid copyright issues on your cover image. Make sure you chose an image with a license that allows you to use it for commercial reasons. Istockphoto is a common place to purchase images for use on an eBook cover. Pay attention to license. If your book sells over 500,000 copies you will need to purchase the extended license.
*Avoid cookie cutter covers. You need to make your ebook cover unique. If your image is widely used or one similar is widely used then your book may be widely ignored. Look up other ebooks in genre to see the covers so you know what to avoid. Recently, I downloaded an image for a unit study I am writing and found out someone else used the same image on a unit study with the same theme. That would have been a disaster.
*Do not be afraid of color. You want your book to stand out and inspire many to read. If you do not want bright colors than chose rich colors to highlight your book. If the cover is too dark it may not show up right or turn people off. Simple white backgrounds are fine if the primary image stands out.