You create content and design elements for your business or you make low content books for Amazon KDP. If so, you will have heard that we should ‘modify’ our images and book interiors. But what does that mean exactly? How do you modify your images?
Using ready-made elements for your content
Using stock images, graphics, illustrations, and even ready-made book interiors for KDP, is a great way to create your own content.
There are some great tools and websites out there that supply design elements for you to use for your business, often for free! Take a look at Creative Fabrica, Gum Road, or search for ‘free stock images’ online. Make sure that you are allowed to use any elements you purchase by having the correct licence for commercial use.
It’s important to keep in mind that when we use elements available to the public, we run the risk of creating the same or similar as somebody else. Our content should be unique. For Amazon KDP creators, we actually risk our accounts if we don’t modify our creations. So how exactly do we modify the elements that we purchase?
The best ways to modify ready-made elements for your content
Here are some useful tips:
1. Combine, combine, combine
You want to modify any designs, images, illustrations, etc, by making them different. This doesn’t mean you have to change the colours of photographs, or change the shapes of illustrations. You can leave these design elements as they are, but add in multiple images to combine and therefore create a new design. By combining different elements, you create a unique new image.
2. Add a background
Add in a background photograph or pattern to any design element, to create something new.
3. Add text
For example, if you’re creating a book cover, overlay your image with a title. You could also add extra information, like quotes, to your book interiors to modify them.
4. Add decorative elements
like an illustration of flowers and leaves to create a floral border, make it relevant to what you’re creating.
5. Change font types to any text files that you’ve purchased
This is particularly relevant for modifying book interiors.
6. Change the layout
Again, this works great for modifying book interiors. Swap pages around. Combine multiple interiors to create something more unique.
I hope this has helped you in understanding what we mean when we talk about ‘modifying’ content.
Play around with your designs and have fun with it. I know this can be a complicated subject to grasp at first. That’s why I am here! Reach out to me if you have any questions on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.
Ps. Have you joined the Facebook group? I’ve created a space for us to talk about producing low content books, as well as creating multiple income streams from home. Everybody is welcome, so if you are looking to create likeminded connections with some truly lovely people, ask questions and share your thoughts, head over and join us there.
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