Amazon KDP Book Cover Design: 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Beginners

Since 2021, I've made over $160K publishing low and medium content books on Amazon.

The biggest lesson? 

Your book cover is your most important marketing tool.

Here's why:

Before a single reader clicks on your listing, reads your description, or checks your reviews, they see your cover.

And in a marketplace full of competing titles, you have about two seconds to make an impression.

When it comes to Amazon KDP book cover design, the most important things to get right are readability, audience alignment, and thumbnail visibility. A great cover doesn't need to be complicated.  It needs to be clear, professional, and designed with your target reader in mind.

Ready to make yours stand out? 

In this post, let's break down exactly what to do, what to avoid, and the tools I recommend for designing covers that actually convert.

Why Your KDP Cover Design Matters More Than You Think

A poorly designed cover tells a potential buyer one thing:

That the inside of the book probably looks the same way. Even if your content is incredible, a bad cover will cost you sales every single time.

On the flip side?

A well designed cover builds instant trust, attracts the right reader, and makes your book look like it belongs on a bestseller list.

Sound good? Let's get into it.

The Dos of Amazon KDP Book Cover Design

1. DO Design for Your Target Audience

Your graphics, colors, and fonts should immediately signal who the book is for.

A senior focused puzzle book and a kids' activity book should never look remotely similar.

Bottom line:

If your cover doesn't speak to your reader at a glance, they'll keep scrolling.

Before you design your cover ask yourself this question: 

If my target reader scrolled past this cover on Amazon, would they immediately know this book was made for them?

2. Do make your title large and readable

Even from a distance, even on a tiny screen, your title needs to be instantly legible. 

Here's a quick gut check:

Could your grandma read your title from across the room? If not, size it up.

3. Do design for thumbnail size first

Here's a trick that changes everything:

Shrink your cover down to thumbnail size before you call it done. If you can't read it, neither can your buyer.

This one step alone will save you from one of the most common (and costly) beginner mistakes.

4. Do keep your color palette simple

Stick to 2 to 3 colors max. Less really is more here.

Want your cover to feel polished instead of chaotic? This is the easiest fix

5. Do keep the design clean and focused

Every single element on your cover should earn its place. If it's not adding value, cut it out of your design.

Ready for the don'ts? Let's flip it around.

The 5 Don'ts for Amazon KDP Book Cover Design

1. Don't use graphics that don't match your niche

Mismatched visuals confuse buyers about what the book actually is, and confused buyers don't click "buy."

Think about it this way:

Your graphics are doing the talking before you ever get a chance to so if they don't match the audience your book is for, it will turn buyers off.

2. Don't use fonts that are too small

This one's huge (pun intended). If it's hard to read at thumbnail size, it's costing you sales right now.

Here's the wake up call:

Most buyers won't squint to figure out your title. They'll just move on to another book that has a title that is easier to read.

3. Don't ignore how your cover looks as a thumbnail

Most buyers are shopping on mobile.

If you're only checking your cover at full size, you're missing the whole picture, literally.

Pull up your cover on your phone right now.

What does it look like at a glance? 

If it looks too small then you probably need to revamp the cover using some of the tips that I mentioned in the "book cover design do's" section of this post.

4. Don't use too many distracting colors

Busy palettes overwhelm and look unprofessional.

And here's the kicker:

They make your cover harder to read, not more eye catching. So when you are designing your book covers, again its best to use 2-3 colors max.

5. Don't overcomplicate with too many elements

Clutter buries your title and your message.

Keep it simple, and watch how much more your cover stands out.

Only use elements tied closely to the type of audience you want to sell to and nothing more.

For example:

Designing a kids book, use kid fonts and elements. Designing for seniors, use fonts and elements that work with that audience.

Now let's talk about how to actually make this happen.

My Recommended Tools for KDP Cover Design

Now that you know the dos and don'ts, let's talk tools. Because having the right one makes all the difference.

1. Canva

Canva is my top recommendation for KDP cover design, especially for beginners.

It's free to use, incredibly intuitive, and has thousands of templates you can customize for your book niche.

You can set up your exact KDP trim size as a custom canvas and design your full cover from scratch without any design experience.

2. ChatGPT AI

AI tools like ChatGPT can be a great starting point for cover design ideas.

I love using this tool so much that I created the Easy AI Book Design course that shows how easy it is to use AI for book cover design.

You can use it to brainstorm color palettes, design concepts, and visual styles for your niche before you start designing.

It's especially useful if you're feeling stuck or not sure what direction to take your cover.

3. Templates

Using a pre-made template is one of the fastest ways to get a professional looking cover without starting from scratch.

Templates give you a solid design foundation that you can customize with your title, colors, and graphics.

Just make sure you're customizing enough that your cover doesn't look identical to other books using the same template.

Ready for the cheat sheet version? Here it is.

Quick Reference: KDP Cover Design Dos and Don'ts

Ready to Publish Your First Book?

Now that you know how to design a cover that converts, the next step is getting your book live on Amazon.

And here's the good news:

You don't have to start from scratch. If you want profitable niches already researched and done-for-you templates ready to go, my Jumpstart Kits have everything you need.

Publishing a gratitude journal?

The Gratitude Journal Jumpstart Kit includes done-for-you templates, profitable pre-researched niches, and a step-by-step guide to get your journal live fast. You can check out the Gratitude Journal Jumpstart Kit here.

Publishing a puzzle or activity book?

The Puzzle Book Jumpstart Kit includes everything you need to publish your first puzzle book:

Profitable niches already researched, templates at the correct dimensions, and a clear roadmap to follow. You can checkout the Puzzle Book Jumpstart Kit here.

Final Thoughts

A great Amazon KDP book cover doesn't need to be complicated. It needs to be clear, professional, and designed with your reader in mind.

Use the dos and don'ts in this post as your checklist every time you sit down to design a new cover, and you'll be ahead of most publishers on the platform.

And if you're just getting started and figuring out what to publish first, check out 200+ Low Content Book Ideas for inspiration.

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