What Should a Complete Book Cover Package Include?

Last updated: October 18, 2026

A complete book cover design package should include an ebook cover, a full-wrap print cover with spine and back sized to your printer's specifications, and the final files you need for publishing and marketing. Some packages also include a hardcover jacket, 3D mockups and social media graphics. Always check exactly what is included before you book, because "cover design" can mean anything from a front image only to a full set of files.

Key takeaways

  • An ebook cover is the front only. A print cover wraps around the front, spine and back.
  • Spine width depends on page count and paper type, so the print cover is finalized after the interior.
  • Ask for every format you plan to publish, and for marketing images if you need them.
  • Make sure the agreement says you can use the cover on all editions and in marketing.

What is included in an ebook cover?

An ebook cover is a single front-cover image. For Amazon KDP, the recommended size is 2,560 by 1,600 pixels, a 1.6:1 height-to-width ratio, in RGB, saved as JPEG or TIFF and under 50 MB (Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, n.d.-b). Your designer should also make sure it reads clearly at thumbnail size. See book cover thumbnail readability.

What makes a print wrap different?

A print cover is one continuous file covering:

  • Back cover: blurb, author bio or photo, review quotes and space for the barcode.
  • Spine: title, author name and sometimes a logo or series number.
  • Front cover: the main design.
  • Bleed: extra image area around the edges that is trimmed off. KDP requires 0.125 inch on all sides (Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, n.d.-a).

Print covers also need to account for safe zones, so important text is not trimmed, and for how colors print, which can be darker than on screen.

How is spine width calculated?

Spine width depends on page count and paper. KDP lists the per-page thickness as 0.002252 inch for white paper, 0.0025 inch for cream paper and 0.002347 inch for premium color paper. Multiply by your page count to get the spine width. KDP also requires a book to have more than 79 pages before text can appear on the spine (Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, n.d.-a).

For example, a 300-page book on cream paper has a spine of about 0.75 inch (300 × 0.0025). That is why the print cover is usually finished after the interior is typeset and the page count is final.

Which final files should you request?

File Use
Ebook cover (JPEG or TIFF) Uploading to ebook retailers
Print cover PDF (full wrap) Paperback printing on your chosen platform
Hardcover cover or jacket PDF Hardcover editions, if published
Flat front cover, high resolution Website, press, ads
3D mockups and social graphics Marketing, if included
Audiobook cover (square) Audiobook retailers, if needed

If you publish on both KDP and IngramSpark, you may need a print cover file for each, built on each platform's template.

What should the agreement say?

  • Which files and formats are included.
  • How many concepts and revision rounds are included.
  • Whether adjustments for future editions or page count changes cost extra.
  • Which rights you receive, such as use on all editions and in marketing.
  • Image and font licensing, if stock assets are used.

At Cihaiyura, once a design project is paid in full, the final cover, interior and assets are yours to use on every edition and in your marketing.

Which Cihaiyura package fits?

For collector editions, see special edition book design. For interiors, see book typesetting services and our ebook formatting. Book a free consultation to find the right package.

References

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. (n.d.-a). Create a paperback cover. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201953020

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. (n.d.-b). Create an eBook cover. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200645690

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