Happy Weekend, WG2E-Land!
New Ebook Cover Requirements are Coming Soon to Smashwords and Apple as well as Amazon too!
An email I received this past week from Smashwords gave some of the details:
1. The changes go into effect on or around July 15th.
2. The requirement will be for larger covers for new Premium Catalog titles, and the Smashwords Styleguide and FAQs show the new standards. (minimum width 1400 pixels with height greater than width)
3. The change has been made due to Apple’s new requirements which go into effect in August. Also, the new standard meets Amazon’s latest cover recommendations.
4. For those titles already accepted in the Premium Catalog, no change is required unless a new cover is uploaded for that Ebook.
You can read more about this on the Smashwords Blog:
New Ebook Cover Image Requirements Coming to Satisfy Higher Resolution Ereading Devices
It’s Your Turn WG2E-Land: How many of you will be re-doing all your covers to meet these new requirements?
The Best of Ebook Cover Size Wishes — D. D. Scott
P.S. Be sure to send the link to the Smashwords’ article to your own Ebook Cover Designers in case they’re not aware of these changes!!!
i’ve begun making my new covers fit the new requirements, but the old covers will have to wait awhile
the new changes reflect, i think, the increasingly high level of visual data ereaders and tablets are able to show, with, i’m guessing, apple’s ipad leading the way (desktops and laptops could of course be configured for hi-res already)
since i do photopoems also, i think this is ultimately a good thing, though providing more than the cover in the new higher dimensions opens up all those images for easy taking in a form where they can be used without permission
artists have for years had to contend with huge groups of factory artists that are given images from here (u.s.) and around the world, copied, and used for profit there, and not to an advantageous way the free-drm seems to be for writers
so technology, and challenges, continue to advance, i’m glad
thanks for the overall update reminder d.d.
I do think you’re right on, Adan, that because we’re moving into a tablet era, image requirements will change to optimize the look of what we’ve got on these larger, higher resolution screens. For example, with Kindle 8, my Format Guru Rob Siders of 52 Novels is doing a ton of cool stuff with the images in my books and the graphics too!
I’ve been keeping an eye on this. Thanks for the update! I only have one cover to update, but I had to scale it down, so I think I can just go back to the original dimensions.
Now where’d I put that To Do list…
I’m going to go back eventually and have all my covers updated too, Greg, but for sure, will be doing ‘em all this new way from now on!
What would we do without our To Do and Done Did Lists?!
Good to know, D.D. Thanks!
U betchya, Theresa! Cheers, my friend!
Great info DD:)
Glad you found it informative, Lois! Cheers!
Great info. I’m sure the higher res versions are for more than the hi-res iPad. I’m betting Apple, Amazon, Goolge Books (aka Nexus7) and others will be offering a higher priced, higher profile listing for books.
Oh, I hadn’t thought of a higher priced-higher profiled listing, Seeley. Interesting…
I think I speak for all of us when I thank you, D.D., for keeping us informed about stuff like this.
U betchya, Dean! I’m glad I can help!!!
As a non-techie, this is good to know …. thank you for the update
xx, Lauren
I’m a total Techno Dunce too, Lauren…so I’ll be forwarding this to my wonderful cover designer Laura Morrigan and letting her work her magic!