📐 Cover sizes

• eBook (Kindle): 1600×2560 (1.6:1)
• POD print: 1410×2250 (A5 base)
• Thumbnail display: Amazon shows 200×320 small

Title must read at thumbnail size. Make the title 30–50% of the cover area.

🎨 Genre design codes

Each genre signals "this is a XYZ book". Break the code, lose sales.

• Self-help: simple + big text + red/blue accents
• Fiction: mood illustration + hand-lettered font
• Tech books: animal illustration (O'Reilly parody) or minimal
• Romance: pink/purple gradient + character silhouettes
• Thriller: black background + red accents

🛠 Tool combo

• Background: Mesh Gradient (fiction, self-help) or Gradient Blur (modern)
• Title: Text Stroke for impact
• Author / subtitle: simple font
• Accents: Starburst for "Bestseller" badge
• Series: Curved Text for "Book 1 of 3"

⚠️ Common pitfalls

1. Low resolution: 72dpi blurs on print. 300dpi required
2. RGB design: print needs CMYK. Reds go brown
3. Insufficient bleed: edges can get trimmed
4. Copyrighted images: use Unsplash or generate your own

💡 Pro tip: shrink to 200×320 thumbnail and check. If the title is unreadable, redo.