The document outlines 10 common design mistakes non-designers make when creating ebooks, emphasizing issues like inconsistency in design, redundancy in fonts and colors, and the use of unnecessary elements. It provides tips on how to fix these mistakes to improve the overall quality and reader perception of the ebook. The key takeaway is to prioritize functionality and consistency in design while also utilizing accessible design tools effectively.

1. 10 Mistakes Non-Designers
Make When Creating eBooks
That Cost Them Leads
And How To Fix Them (Illustrative Guide)

2. “Perfection is achieved, not when there is
nothing more to add, but when there is
nothing left to take away.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Airman's Odyssey

3. You Want to Design an eBook, But…
You Fear
Burning
Leads/fans
You Don’t
Have
Budget
You’re in the beginning and don’t have the
budget to hire great designers
Readers stop reading when the design is poor
Your readers have (2.6 seconds to have an initial
impression of the quality of your content)

4. Design Tools Are Getting More Accessible
Tools like Canva make design easier.
You can add your content and apply your branding to the
pre-designed template and you have a great design.
You can also use AI tools like Midjourney or Leonardo
AI to help you create the eBook Cover

5. But You’re Unsure About The
Quality of the Final Design

6. Although design tools are accessible, you
don’t have the design knowledge to
create a visually compelling eBook

7. But You Don’t Have To Be Skeptical…
Here are the common 10 design mistakes
I look for when redesigning eBooks

8. Inconsistency Design Mistakes (4)

9. Inconsistent Design — Layout
Headline 01 Headline 01
Notice the place of the headline
on the page and the body copy.
Pick one layout and be
consistent with it.
Notice the place of the headline
on the page and the body copy.
Pick one layout and be
consistent with it.
Page 01 Page 02

10. Inconsistent Design — Typography
Headline 01
Inconsistency in layouts happens when
you make slight changes to each page.
Headline 02
Inconsistency in layouts happens when
you make slight changes to each page.
Headline 03
Have you noticed that we’re using the
same font settings?
Headline 01
Inconsistency in layouts happens when
you make slight changes to each page.
Headline 02
Inconsistency in layouts happens when
you make slight changes to each page.
Headline 03
Inconsistency in layouts happens when
you make slight changes to each page.
Correct Wrong

11. Inconsistent Design — Design Elements
Correct
Wrong

12. Inconsistent Design — Design Elements
Correct
Wrong

13. Inconsistent Design — Design Elements
Correct
Wrong

14. Inconsistent Design — Overall Style
Inconsistency in the overall style happens when you change the color palette or its
usage, the layout, the typographic style, and the design elements on almost every page.
• This is the first item
• This is the second item
• This is the third item
• This is the fourth item
• This is the first item
• This is the second item
• This is the third item
• This is the first item
• This is the second item
Have you noticed the change in the bullet points on each page?

15. Redundancy Design Mistakes (6)

16. Redundancy—Too Many Fonts
TOO MANY
FONTS
PLEASE,
DON’T MAKE
THIS MISTAKE
TOO MANY
FONTS
PLEASE,
DON’T MAKE
THIS MISTAKE
Right
(2 fonts)
Wrong
(+2 fonts)

17. Color redundancy happens when
you communicate your message
with more colors than necessary.
Colors group your thoughts,
separate them, and direct your
attention. Let’s look at this
example:
Every time you add a font, you
increase the chances of making the
overall design messy and cheap.
Even if you intend to use many
fonts only on the cover, like
magazines, you still need a
disciplined design eye.
Most of you have the urge to keep
adding to the design thinking that
you're serving your readers. The reality
is adding borders distracts your
readers from the content. The
Solution: White Space > Artistic
Border
Color redundancy happens when
you communicate your message
with more colors than necessary.
Colors group your thoughts,
separate them, and direct your
attention. Let’s look at this
example:
Every time you add a font, you
increase the chances of making the
overall design messy and cheap.
Even if you intend to use many
fonts only on the cover, like
magazines, you still need a
disciplined design eye.
Most of you have the urge to keep
adding to the design thinking that
you're serving your readers. The reality
is adding borders distracts your
readers from the content. The
Solution: White Space > Artistic
Border
Redundancy—Too Many Colors

18. Redundancy—Too Many Emphasis
Don’t change any point size, line space,
weight, or any typographic properties.
If not, here’s how to define your own
typographic usage:
•Never alternate between body font and
display fonts. Display fonts are designed
from the beginning to use them in large
sizes. i.e. headlines, subheadings, eye-
catching parts. Even if you reduce the font
size, they’ll still seem uncomfortable for
the eyes when you read them.
Body text is designed from the get-go to
use in small sizes. Any attempt to use it as
a headline often backfires unless you’re an
expert in dealing with type.
Don’t change any point size, line space,
weight, or any typographic properties.
If not, here’s how to define your own
typographic usage:
•Never alternate between body font and
display fonts. Display fonts are designed
from the beginning to use them in large
sizes. i.e. headlines, subheadings, eye-
catching parts. Even if you reduce the font
size, they’ll still seem uncomfortable for
the eyes when you read them.
Body text is designed from the get-go to
use in small sizes. Any attempt to use it as
a headline often backfires unless you’re an
expert in dealing with type.
Correct Wrong

19. Redundancy—Unnecessary Borders
Inconsistency in typography happens when you make slight changes in typography.
For example, you created the title in bold style, but on the next page, you decided to make it extra bold.
You change the type size or the line space on some pages because they have more content than other
pages. You expand or shrink the type area depending on the content on the page. You change the
placement of the type area for some pages.
These minor changes, especially with typography, confuse the reader. They’re unable to reason why this
change happened to this particular page. Their reading speed suffers, their comprehension gets lower, and
they have to spend more effort to understand.
The Solution: If you’re using a ready template, which I’d recommend in the beginning, pick a style and
stick with it. Don’t change any point size, line space, weight, or any typographic properties.
If not, here’s how to define your own typographic usage
Tell me how this border helped you to read and understand better

20. Redundancy—Useless Elements Repetition
Non-Essential Elements
Ask yourself, does this element have
value to the reader? If the answer is
no, remove it. If the answer is, I don't
know, remove it.
Non-Essential Elements
Ask yourself, does this element have
value to the reader? If the answer is
no, remove it. If the answer is, I don't
know, remove it.
Correct
Wrong

21. Redundancy—Useless Imagery
Would these images be helpful for you in the previous slides?

22. TL;DR
Inconsistency in the usage of design elements and redundancy ruin the
quality of your eBook and the reader’s perception of the work
38% of website visitors will leave a page if the content/layout is unattractive [Source: HubSpot blog on Website Design Statistics]. This highlights how poor design can immediately turn readers away.
• Too Many Fonts
• Too Many Colors
• Too Many Emphasis
• Layout
• Typography
Inconsistency Design Mistakes Redundancy Design Mistakes
• Unnecessary Borders
• Useless Elements Repetition
• Useless Imagery
• Design Elements
• Overall Style

23. Start with the reader in mind
Functionality > Aesthetics
My final message to you is…

24. Thank You
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