How to design 3D book mockups and promo graphics with Google Slides (FREE TEMPLATES)

UPDATE: after several months of work, we just launched a brand new 3D book cover mockup tool, and it’s amazing. Scroll down for the direct link (it’s free).

 

I’ve been trying to find a way for authors to make better graphics for a long time – for book covers mostly, but also for book promotion graphics and 3D mockups. I’m still trying to find the *perfect* online design solution, but one thing I’m excited about is using Google Slides for design – there’s a lot of functionality, tons of fonts and colors, and it’s free and easy to use.

3D Book Promotion Graphic Templates

Just for fun, I used Google Slides to make some 3D promotional graphics authors can use for their free or 99cent deals – you don’t need any special software. Just add your book cover, change the text and download your design. Here’s what they look like (there are 21 of them though, lots of choices). The cool thing is that they look like 3D mockups, but you can actually just use your flat cover.

Click here to check out the slide deck

Remember to make a copy before you start editing.

You might want to watch this quick video on how to use them before you start…

Here are two more samples… I made some holiday-themed graphics since it’s that time of year, but it’s easy to change the background.

>Click here to get the slides.<<

Let me know what you think in the comments. Would you like to see more templates like this? Maybe book covers for specific genres?

3D Cover Creator & Social Media Tool

I’ve spent about $20K and 10 years building an online cover creator tool and it’s never quite been finished. I *hope* that not only will it let authors design their own amazing covers (because they can blend layers like in photoshop, but it’s a free online tool…) – but it’ll also be able to make great social media graphics and promo templates, similar to my slidedeck but way better.

UPDATE: the new cover creator tool is live!

It’s a little tricky to understand *why* this is the best online book cover creator in the universe… but basically it’s like photoshop and canva, with the ability to blend layers and tons of appropriate fonts and text styles. But the tool is just the basic platform – the important this will be all the book cover templates I can make with this tool, that you can just open and edit with your own text and art. You can play with it for now, but sign up if you want first crack at the new bundle of templates!

PS you can also make social media graphics, facebook headers and other stuff inside the tool; I plan to make “genre” packages with matching social media bundles; and maybe blog and facebook headers.

Review Quotes & Testimonial Templates Maker

In the meantime I just set up a fun and simple tool for making social media graphics to feature book reviews and testimonials.

PRO package + book marketing course

People are having so much fun with these slides that I decide to make another, more professional batch with 50 different slides for all types of paid and free promotion.

These ones, however, are only available in my Epic Book Design package. If you join today, you’ll get a whole bunch of awesome book design templates, AND my first course on book marketing Reach Your Readers ($197 value)…. for just $37.

Here are some of the slides.

Get these amazing 3D book promotion templates now!

PS: by the way, I know people charging $300 for a course on book cover design… but I like to price things low for people who can’t afford to work with me directly. And you’re not only getting a course on book cover design, but a ton of great templates too. However; once I finish all my new templates, I’ll definitely be raising the prices and removing this discount link (I’m thinking $37 per template, instead of $37 for 100+… so get in early if you can!)

NEW animated 3D book cover mockup

Just for fun I recently acquired a nifty 3D book cover mockup tool you can embed on your website. It’s super awesome, looks great and is free. Check it out by clicking the image.

But I have a bunch of stuff in the works – if you want access to those when they’re ready, make sure you sign up below for my free guide to book design, and I’ll let you know when the new tools are available!

3D book mockup maker

Don’t forget to check out the 3D book cover mockup tool; it’s super popular already, but new with the new cover creator tool, you’ll be able to add your 3D mockups straight into a banner, ad, or header graphic for book promotion. It’ll all be smooth and seamless soon, I promise, but you discovered it early.

7 Must have qualities for a book cover that sells

Your book cover is a huge part of your publishing and marketing plan. No matter what you need a 3D mockup for, make sure it actually looks professional and well-designed. There are rules to book cover design, and a tacky premade or salesy cover template that looks like crap will not help you achieve your goals. I’ve designed a number of bestsellers and my work has hit the WSJ, USA today and even Oprah’s magazine. I’m not the best book cover designer, but I can help you understand the basics of WHY one cover will perform better than another.

Your cover is the #1 thing that will make a difference in book sales, so take the time to get it right: here’s a free masterclass to publishing and book cover design, based on publishing conferences I’ve been invited to speak at.

Follow up with this post:

• 7 foolproof tips to crush your book cover design

Insider cover design secrets that sell books

If you need help, make sure to download my free guide!

I’ve helped design over 1000 book covers, including hundreds of bestsellers – download my free book to learn all the insider secrets I use to sell more books. Click here to get it now. I’ll also share some of the advanced book marketing tactics I’ve used to make a full-time income with my writing.

Midjourney AI art for book cover design

Things are changing fast. New AI text to image generators might replace stock photography altogether, and make it a lot easier for authors to get super high quality art and illustration, especially in tricky genres. I was on a podcast recently and said we may not need cover designers in another year – and that’s not quite true. But the days of searching for stock photos, and spending tedious hours blending layers together in photoshop to create a realistic scene… those might be behind us.

AI art can produce pretty amazing stuff already, and it’s only going to get better. So it’s worth checking out, and also making sure you understand the legal risks and limitations:

You can learn more about using AI art for book cover design here.
I’ll also be building new templates and tutorials over at diybookcovers.com.

PS. I’m working on the first huge batch of templates now; sign up HERE and get a free package of book design templates.

More book cover design resources:

• Here’s an updated article on cover design
• And if you want to print booklets or promo materials

• 300+ Fool-Proof Fonts to use for your Book Cover Design
• Where to find royalty-free stock images for your book cover
• Cover design secrets that sell books
• 3D book cover creator

The 3 secrets to book marketing, and a haunted castle tour. Totally free. Get it here.

Derek Murphy

I’m a philosophy dropout with a PhD in Literature. I covet a cabin full of cats, where I can write fantasy novels to pay for my cake addiction. Sometimes I live in castles.