npx skills add ...
npx skills add inference-sh/skills --skill book-cover-design
Book cover design with genre-specific conventions, typography rules, and AI image generation. Covers fiction and non-fiction genres, sizing, thumbnail testing, and iteration workflows. Use for: self-publishing, ebook covers, print covers, audiobook covers, cover mockups. Triggers: book cover, cover design, ebook cover, book art, novel cover, self publishing cover, kindle cover, audiobook cover, book jacket, cover illustration, fiction cover, nonfiction cover
npx skills add inference-sh/skills --skill book-cover-design
Install the belt CLI skill:
npx skills add belt-sh/cli
Create genre-appropriate book covers with AI image generation via inference.sh CLI.
Requires inference.sh CLI (
belt). Install instructions
Readers judge books by covers. Matching genre expectations is critical — a romance reader will skip a cover that looks like sci-fi, regardless of content.
| Genre | Palette | Imagery | Typography | Mood |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thriller/Mystery | Dark (black, navy, blood red) | Lone figure, urban scenes, shadows | Bold sans-serif, all caps | Tense, ominous |
| Romance | Warm (pink, red, gold, soft purple) | Couples, flowers, scenic backdrops | Script/cursive, elegant serif | Passionate, dreamy |
| Sci-Fi | Cool (blue, teal, purple, silver) | Space, tech, geometric shapes | Clean sans-serif, futuristic | Vast, technological |
| Fantasy | Rich saturated (emerald, crimson, gold) | Swords, magic, landscapes, creatures | Decorative serif, ornamental | Epic, magical |
| Literary Fiction | Muted, sophisticated | Abstract, minimal, symbolic | Elegant serif, understated | Thoughtful, artistic |
| Horror | Dark with high contrast pops | Faces, shadows, isolation, decay | Distressed, bold, dripping | Dread, unease |
| Historical | Sepia, muted period-accurate | Period clothing, architecture, artifacts | Classical serif | Nostalgic, authentic |
| Category | Style | Imagery | Typography |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Self-help | Clean, bold, 2-3 colors | Minimal or none, icon optional | Large bold sans-serif title |
| Memoir | Personal, warm | Author photo or atmospheric scene | Mix of serif and sans |
| Science/Academic | Professional, structured | Diagrams, abstract visuals | Clean serif, structured layout |
| Cookbook | Appetizing, bright | Hero food photograph | Warm, inviting fonts |
| Travel | Vibrant, aspirational | Destination photography | Adventure-style fonts |
| Format | Dimensions | Common For |
|---|---|---|
| Mass market paperback | 4.25 x 6.87" | Genre fiction |
| Trade paperback | 5.5 x 8.5" | Most fiction/non-fiction |
| Standard | 6 x 9" | Non-fiction, textbooks |
| Large format | 7 x 10" | Coffee table, art books |
| Platform | Cover Size | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Kindle | 2560 x 1600 px (min 1000 x 625) | 1.6:1 |
| Apple Books | 1400 x 1873 px minimum | ~3:4 |
| General ebook | 2500 x 3750 px | 2:3 |
Approximate: page count / 400 = spine width in inches (varies by paper stock).
Your cover will be seen at 80x120px on Amazon, 60x90px in search results, and ~40x60px on mobile grids.
At thumbnail size, readers must be able to identify:
Test: shrink your cover to 80px wide. If you can't read the title or identify the genre, redesign.
AI cannot render text reliably. Generate the cover art/background with AI, then add typography in a design tool.
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong genre signals | Readers skip it | Study bestsellers in your genre |
| Title too small | Invisible at thumbnail | Title should fill top 1/3 |
| Too much detail | Muddy at small sizes | Simplify, use negative space |
| AI-generated text | Garbled letters | Add text in design tool |
| Centered everything | Static, boring | Use asymmetry intentionally |
| Following trends blindly | Dates quickly | Classic genre conventions endure |
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