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FAQ

Book design software and consultation expressly for authors, self-publishers, and graphic artists.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does your program offer that other general graphic design programs don’t?

BookCreative was designed with a lot of thought, time, and attention to the specific design needs of a book writer. Sure, anyone can use those big name programs to create their cover…if they want to spend $800 and up, and take the extra time to learn and apply a program that can be quite daunting, not to mention frustrating at times, to master. On the other hand, a professional (code: good) book cover designer charges anywhere from $300 and up – even into the thousands. BookCreative was created for the busy self-publisher who wants quality design and complete control of his or her project without maxing out their budget. This program allows the user to either create a custom cover from scratch, or select one of our templates and/or backgrounds – using their own images, fonts, and other elements.

What operating system do I need to run this program?

You will need to have a Windows 7 + newer or Mac OS X (10.9 Mavericks and newer) platform.

Is this program hard to learn?

Not at all. We’ve designed this as a simple “plug & go” program to learn and apply. The Quick Start guide is very helpful in providing step-by-step instruction on how to apply your design. Feel free to contact us or email us at bookcreativepro@gmail.com if you have any questions. We’re happy to assist!

What’s the difference between the standard version and the deluxe version?

Standard includes the BookCreative program and Quick Start guide.
Deluxe includes the BookCreative program, Quick Start guide, plus full access to our private page with templates, images, tutorials, and more. Deluxe users can also join our private Facebook Users Group for tips, articles, more templates, and networking with other users.

How do I include a trim area in my cover for my printer?

1. Add .125″ to both the height and widths of your size specifications, and set your trim size to “0”.
2. Double-click the ruler to bring up the gridline (guides) box, and set your guides to .125″ in from the edges. You may also want to add another .125 for the “safety” area in which to place your cover elements.
When you convert to PDF, the trim area remains intact for your printer.

How do I insert my manuscript?

1. Select New > Book Pages, set your page specifications (size, margins, trim area, header/footer, page # position)
2. Copy your manuscript, select text (no need to position the text box)
3. Select the correct font, size and alignment
4. Right-click Paste. This will generate pages with your pre-filled copy.

Please note – depending on the size of your manuscript, this could take some time. Make sure all other applications are closed.

You can also manually paste in text one page at a time. This works best with unformatted text.

Help! My Mac won’t let me open BookCreative. What do I do?

No worries; this is due to your security settings. It used to be that you could simply go into your Gatekeeper and select System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General, set Allow apps downloaded fromAnywhere:

But in Sierra, this option has been removed. Luckily, there is a simple workaround:

  1. After downloading an app from an unidentified developer, drag it to the Applications folder.
  2. Select the app and right or control-click.
  3. Click on Open.
  4. Click on Open again to confirm you want to complete the action.

I’m getting a “Cannot create file “/private/var/folders…. Read-only file system” Error when trying to launch the program. What does this mean?

Essentially it means that right now your BookCreative application is in a place where it does not have appropriate permissions. You need to move your application to a folder which allows writing, like your Applications folder, Documents folder, or desktop. This should resolve your problem.

What are the ISBN country price codes?

5    $ US
6    $ Canada
4    $ New Zealand
3    $ Australia
0 & 1    British pounds

Ex: 51995 = $19.95USD | 61450 = $14.50CAN