ePub and Front Cover

[ARIYA]

Should the front cover of an ePub be separate from file? 

Have one published on Lulu just about to pass Distribution check and the file includes the front cover. Image of book looks wider than normal on Lulu Spotlight but hasn't been listed as an issue to be remedied.

Any advice on this one welcome.

[Ken Anderson]

You can have a cover as the first page of an EPUB. But you must also have a marketing image that may have a different perspective.

[David-K]

That is correct you can add an image manually if you would like, but don't forget the ebook converter automatically adds your marketing image as the first page in your ebook. If you add one in addition to the automatically added one, it could result in an ncx error if not done properly. The publishing tool only adds the marketing image to the ebook once the publishing process is fully completed. For this reason, the cover image will only show up in the final ebook file as the first page and not in the test file you download for review during publishing. Hope this helps.

Kind Regards,

David K.

[ARIYA · Accepted solution]

Thank you very much Ken - confirmation welcomed. 

Thank you also David. It was a revision with issues remedied so past the ebook converter stage but helpful info all the same.

The ePub was accepted by Lulu - extra cover image was not added at this stage to avoid error. Might Lulu improve book image when ePub passes distribution?  Link following (hope it works!) - does this image need modified ?

With best wishes

AN OUTSTANDING READ!   CENTRE

[ARIYA]

Ken - just to let you know that I checked the Project and Marketing image and the author had downloaded the right image but had ticked an option 'STRETCH IMAGE'. I removed the tick - and that solved the problem. Image now normal on website. Thanks again for all your help!

[Ken Anderson]

Always a pleasure to help real people.

[ARIYA]

Ken - it's back to square one! Can you help again with this issue please?

The ePub book in question was accepted by ibookstore and was featured there for several weeks but on their site the marketing title had two white strips on either side. It looked odd but no one had rejected it - then finally it was rejected and we received a message from Lulu to stretch the cover. The cover does not look right stretched.

The author has several Lulu epubs on ibooks and none of the marketing images have had to be stretched and the images are the rato of the actual book cover. 

In trying to solve the problem short term - a new cover image was designed to fit the marketing size which is still in draft but it is hoped that the preferred original image can be used.

I thought to check out possible solutions again before going any further. 

With kind regards.

Independent Publisher Universal Octopus

[Ken Anderson]

Send me the cover image. I'll attend to it immediately before siesta.

support@kenandglen.com 

[ARIYA]

What a helpful and generous response Ken, thank you!

The images you returned are first class and superior to any I have made, and the epub was successfully completed. 

Thank you again - flowers from this Cornish cliff for you!

Visit  Universal Octopus

[RPThead]

Also having an issue with this. My marketing photo uploaded fine - I can see it. It's the same as the cover. 

Let me elaborate. I am able to attach and insert the cover into the ePub file on my desktop software, and it views correctly in Adobe Digitial Editions. But Lulu will not let me upload that epub file. It will only accept the file WITHOUT the image.

Someone mentioned that "you can add an image manually if you would like, but don't forget the ebook converter automatically adds your marketing image as the first page in your ebook".

Is this correct? I just submitted my files for approval, so I don't know yet, but I am trying to address this issue.

Thank you!