Do you include the ebook cover in the actual PDF?

9 replies
Hey guys,

Do you include the book cover in 2d inside the PDF for your ebooks? I have my ebook cover in 3d but not sure whether to include it, include it in 3D only, or not include it.

For what is worth, this ebook is relatively expensive (250 pages long) in a unique hobby niche. I've also provided a 20+ pages long sales letter with all the details of the book and provide some free bonuses too to reward them for their purchase, so it is a "quality" purchase for them.

What do you do?
#actual #cover #ebook #include #pdf
  • Profile picture of the author mike gregory
    Hey, I spend so much time on content and what's actually in the ebook itself, covers often do not come to mind lol. Once complete I outsource it to a guy I use to proof read and format he often adds a page template makes it a little easier on the eye.

    Personally covers are never a big deal to me and not something I would lose sleep over, just as long as it's well formatted and has great content that's all I would worry about.
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
    I am assuming that you are not referring to the Kindle since it's a PDF (and you shouldn't publish a PDF to the Kindle) but just in case, you do not include your book cover inside your book file when publishing on the Kindle.

    If I am correct and it's not for the Kindle, I would definitely have the book cover in the PDF because it looks good.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bisturi
      Originally Posted by mike gregory View Post

      Hey, I spend so much time on content and what's actually in the ebook itself, covers often do not come to mind lol. Once complete I outsource it to a guy I use to proof read and format he often adds a page template makes it a little easier on the eye.

      Personally covers are never a big deal to me and not something I would lose sleep over, just as long as it's well formatted and has great content that's all I would worry about.
      Yep, I outsourced the cover too and it's in 3d. What I'm wondering is if the consumer, when he buys a PDF that is priced 40+, does he expect to have the ebook cover inside?

      I've never bought a high-priced PDF and I've seen that most guys don't include it, so I'm curious to know if any of you do include it.


      Originally Posted by Paul Gram View Post

      I am assuming that you are not referring to the Kindle since it's a PDF (and you shouldn't publish a PDF to the Kindle) but just in case, you do not include your book cover inside your book file when publishing on the Kindle.

      If I am correct and it's not for the Kindle, I would definitely have the book cover in the PDF because it looks good.
      Yes, it's a PDF ebook, not a Kindle. Would you have the cover as it was advertised (3d) or would you have it 2d (like in Kindles).
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  • Profile picture of the author shabit87
    I do...sometimes. It just depends. I usually do it when I feel that the ebook is bland. Maybe I don't have a lot of pics in this particular guide. No charts, just text. In that case I will put it in.

    Also it helps when folks open my PDF. A lot of times we save and name a PDF something other than the product name so we forget what it is until we open it. Having the ebook on that first page helps readers connect what they've saved, even if not saved under the correct name.
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  • Profile picture of the author LillySage
    I often do...sometimes I don't...it really couldn't possibly matter. They're only going to see it after they've bought it from you, right?
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    • Profile picture of the author Bisturi
      Originally Posted by shabit87 View Post

      I do...sometimes. It just depends. I usually do it when I feel that the ebook is bland. Maybe I don't have a lot of pics in this particular guide. No charts, just text. In that case I will put it in.

      Also it helps when folks open my PDF. A lot of times we save and name a PDF something other than the product name so we forget what it is until we open it. Having the ebook on that first page helps readers connect what they've saved, even if not saved under the correct name.
      That's actually a smart move, and I agree! I think I'm going to leave it on.
      Question is, 2d or 3d?

      Originally Posted by LillySage View Post

      I often do...sometimes I don't...it really couldn't possibly matter. They're only going to see it after they've bought it from you, right?
      Yep, which one do you put? 2d or 3d?

      I'm just wary of stealing the book cover. I've put a lot of effort into the cover too, and it has different images that were made by a graphic designer and that could potentially be stolen. Placing a big enough cover on a page means that the book cover will be high quality if the images are cut.

      I actually heard the above ebook-cover-worrying stuff from an IMer, however, I'm not quite sure how spread is the whole bothering to cut images from a book cover, then photoshopping them to remove the background etc
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      • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
        Bisturi, you're overthinking this. It's simply a design preference issue.

        If your content is good and professionally laid out, your readers won't care whether you include a reproduction of the sleeve within the document. Do what you think looks best.

        For what it's worth, if I were to include an image of the cover, it would be in 2D.


        Frank
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  • Profile picture of the author thatjc
    I usually include the cover as the first page of each of my ebooks. It's easy for me, because as a digital artist, I make my own "3D" covers. But I'd recommend doing it in any case.

    That is, I make the cover in Adobe Photoshop, then use that 2D image in both my 3D program and ebook PDF first page. In my 3D program, I texture my book 3D model with it, then make a 2D render of my 3D book scene (see below). That same Adobe Photoshop cover is my ebook's first page in MS-Word - which I convert to PDF (Word 2010 has a built-in PDF convertor, saving me the expense of buying and updating Adobe Acrobat).


    Since my "Natural Environment" 3D program is very versatile (used by a few Hollywood special effects companies, for instance) I can include rainbows, pots of gold, flowers, photo-realistic human figures, etc. (really anything) in my 3D cover scenes.

    By the way, by "3D book cover, I mean the one shown above. And by "2D" book cover I mean the flat picture pasted onto the front of the book shown above - which is also the first page of my ebook.

    Hope this helps...
    _jim coe
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  • Profile picture of the author ByEdvin
    I put the cover at the first page in my e books, its totally up to you how you want it but I think it gives the reader a better experience. I usually have the cover in 2D but it is totally fine to have a 3D cover if it looks good.
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