Your book is written.
You have a text file ready to be formatted for print.
All you need now is a cover and your book is complete! Your tight budget makes it impossible to have custom art designed for your cover, yet you want it to capture the reader's interest.
You want it to be noticeable among all the other books on the shelf, or among all the other ebooks in a cyber store.
What is an author to do? It sounds like a tough situation, but it has an easy solution -- the photo background.
Choose the right background and your book will look professional, despite its reasonable price tag.
Tailor your choice based on your book topic.
Pick a bold flower background for a gardening book, a beach background for a travel book, or even dollar bills for a book on finance.
Your choice will vary by how you want to use the photo on your cover.
Let's take a look at your options.
First, let's consider the wraparound cover.
This will make use of a horizontal photograph which utilizes the right side of the photo for the cover front.
The photo then wraps around the book spine, leaving the left side of the picture for the back cover.
You then place your type on the photo, making sure the type is legible.
Take advantage of blank space in the photo for clarity; use bold type if necessary.
You also may want to edit the photo so it will print at less than full ink saturation, leaving you with a pastel background which does not compete with your text.
You also can place white or light type over dark spots in your image.
A second option relies on a vertical photo which is used for the front cover.
The spine and back cover can be a solid color which matches your color scheme.
Then simply add your type.
Photo backgrounds can give your book a professional look at a fraction of the cost of an original book cover design.
But choose carefully, a poor photograph may save your wallet -- but not your credibility as a professional.
Be sure your photo is larger than your actual book cover surface and that it will print at 300 dots per inch.
Your printer will need to trim the finished book to the designated dimensions.