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Writer's pictureKaecey McCormick

NaNoWriMo: Create-a-Book-Cover Tutorial


It's October. Which means next month is November. And for many writers, November = NaNoWriMo, or for the uninitiated, National Novel Writing Month.


This year, I'm busy as usual. I'm hosting a write-in every Friday on top of my weekly Shut Up and Write meeting. I'm also serving as Cupertino Poet Laureate, which means I'm teaching several workshops and attending various events... on top of my usual freelance writing work and my work at the local community college.


Did I mention I have four kids and a husband? And am hosting Thanksgiving?


So with this busy schedule, I need all the help I can get ... and that extends to writing motivation. Little things can get me pumped when I'm feeling intimidated, so this morning instead of focusing on the writing, I thought I'd focus on something easier:


Creating a book cover for NaNoWriMo.


I have no plan when it comes to NaNo. I don't plot - as much as I want to be the writer with the outline, character sketches, and full-blown plan for novel writing, I am a pantser through and through. In fact, I don't have a clue as to what this year's NaNo book will be about. Or at least I didn't until I started making a cover. It's one of my tricks up my very tricksy sleeves. I force myself to complete the first step, and the rest follows. Eventually. And if I change my mind or the Muses gift me with another story? I'll change the cover. Easy as Thanksgiving pie.


So for anyone who would like a nudge in the pants(er), here is a quick and painless way to create a NaNoWriMo book cover to display with pride (or any other emotion you choose) on your dashboard...


(1) Log in to Canva.


Canva is a free, online site that comes fully loaded with easy-to-use tools that make it possible for everyone (well, maybe not my mother but she still can't figure out her email) to design graphics, presentations, social media bling, headers, buttons, and yes, NaNo book covers. For free. Just register with your email address and you're good to go!


(2) From your Canva dashboard, click "Use custom dimensions" and enter 230 x 300 pixels. It will look something like this:

You'll then end up on the layout page with a blank slate, like this:





(3) From here, you can get as creative as you'd like OR keep it as simple as you like.

Simple cover - For a crisp, clean cover, simply add a background color and lettering, like so:




All I did here was to select existing text from the left sidebar and edit it. For the author's name, I used "Add a little bit of body text." You can change the colors, size, etc., by simply selecting the element. Playing around and experimenting is the best way to find what you like.


Fancier cover - Or add photos (choose from free stock photos, pay $1 to use protected images, or upload your own photos), graphics, fancy fonts from your personal library, and other elements. Here's an example using a free stock photo:


I selected "Elements" from the left menu bar, picked "Free photos," then entered "train" in the search box. To make the photo fit the cover, I dragged the corners until the image filled the 230 x 300-pixel template. Then I added text as above.


(4) After you've played around and are happy with the cover, click "Download" from the top menu bar and save the file as a JPG or PNG, the forms compatible with NaNo.




(5) Finally, all that's left is to visit your author dashboard over at NaNoWriMo and upload the cover!


I promise this is a very easy process and was actually faster than the time it took to write this post! I created my 2018 NaNoWriMo (working) cover this morning. And while I didn't know going in what my book would be about, the creative process got the juices flowing and an idea sparked. Now let's hope it catches!


Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Let me know if you create a NaNoWriMo cover! And if you have a different technique or use different software, please feel free to share in the comment section!

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