How to Create an eBook in Canva (and Sell It!)

Everyone has a book to write, whether it be a story or a skill to share with others, and making an eBook is a great way to try out your novel idea. 

Canva is the ideal digital platform to create an eBook. Like everything on this digital graphic platform, not only is it possible but it’s also easy and free.

Follow this guide on how to create an eBook in Canva below and get ready to publish your virtual book.

How to Create an eBook in Canva 

Before you dive in and start creating your eBook, you’ll want to have a few things in order.

Firstly, you want a professional-looking eBook – you don’t just want to pump out one that looks cheap or amateurish.

Make sure you have captivating written content, and hire a professional editor to edit it.

Then, you need to organize the content and design the layout of the book.

Use a style guide to help draw together the components of your eBook and create a cohesive look. 

Once you have your book planned out, you’re ready to go. So, let’s get started.

Canva Templates

You’ll first want to find a template that suits your eBook theme and layout.

Head into your Canva account and enter a search in the search bar for an eBook template.

When you have hit search, Canva will open up its incredibly huge library of eBook templates.

With currently 186,374 templates you might feel a little overwhelmed.

An easy way to refine your search is by entering extra keywords, such as the topic of your book.

If you’re creating a cookbook, for example, enter a term like “cookbook” or “cooking” in the search.

You can also search by style – for example, if you want the book to look retro, type in “retro”.

Canva will do the work for you and present you with suitable templates.

Click on one and take a look at the layout. 

If you have a free account you will only be able to use the free templates. Templates with a crown icon are restricted to Canva Pro accounts.

When clicked, you will be able to see the layout of the Ebook cover and pages.

If you’re unsure, you can scroll below and more template options will be displayed.

If you’re happy with the layout, click the “Customize this template” button.

Another option is to hit the star icon beside that button. This will save the eBook template in the starred folder in the left-hand panel under Brand Templates. 

When you click the “Customize this template” button, a workspace will open. 

Scroll down the workspace. Here you will find the cover as the first page, then more page templates.

Ebook Cover Page

To make life easier, you can use one of Canva’s free book cover templates. 

Alternatively, you can hire a professional graphic designer to design your book cover and upload it into Canva.

To customize the cover page, double-click on the first page in your workspace, the eBook cover.

The page will open and you can now edit the eBook template’s cover image.

Either upload your own image using the upload option or create an image by adding Canva elements.

You can also draw on the eBook cover page or add text. 

In the left-hand panel beside your workspace, more eBook cover page templates will be offered.

You can click on one to swap over to a new eBook cover image. 

To edit the text, click on it to select it. When it is surrounded by a blue bounding box the text options bar will open above your workspace – use this to edit the color, position, font type and font size.

Type in your text and title.

If you are happy with the final product, click the lock icon above the image. This will ensure that no unexpected and unwanted edits happen.

While the old adage is true – you can’t judge a book by its cover – people often do, so make sure yours stands out. 

eBook Pages

Scroll down below the eBook cover page to find the content page templates.

The template we’ve chosen for our example has three page layouts to choose from. 

All of these can be edited and adapted like the ebook cover page. 

Canva makes life easy by giving you design layouts. You can use them or trash them, but they’re great for giving you a kickstart in the right direction.

To make pages with text content, simply click on the “Add page” button and use an empty template. 

Select the text option in the left-hand panel and copy and paste your text into the template. 

Adding Pages

You will also have the option to create a page from scratch by clicking the “Add page” button at the bottom of the workspace.

The order you add the pages is the order they will appear in the eBook.

At the top of the page, there’s also the option to duplicate the current page or add a new blank page. 

You can delete a page at any time by clicking on the trash icon.

Move the pages up or down and reposition them by clicking on the arrows at the top of the page template. 

Using Canva you can create up to a 50-page eBook, which is perfect as the average length of an eBook is 20-50 pages.

If your eBook is more than 50 pages, you will unfortunately have to find another platform to create your eBook.

• Want to make your own table of contents? Follow this guide on how to make tables in Canva.

Download and Save

When you’ve finished creating your eBook in Canva, you can download and save it ready to share with the world.

Head to the File button in the menu bar at the top left of your workspace.

In the dropdown menu that appears, you will find the option to download. 

Click Download.

A window will pop up in the top left-hand corner of your workspace. 

Check the box for “Flatten PDF” but leave “Include notes” unchecked.

Select the pages you want to include and press download.

You have now learned how to create an eBook in Canva.

The option to become a novelist, tutor, or general writer is now open to you.

Sell your eBook

Now you’ve created an eBook, you have the option to sell it or give it away.

Giving it away will be a cinch, just flick through an email to your friends and family, or pop it up on your blog to download.

If you want to sell it, find an online platform that suits your book. 

You can sell it through your website, blog, or social media, or use an online store such as Amazon, Google Play or Gumroad. 

You won’t have to worry about publishers or printers, just get in touch with a marketer and promote, promote, promote. 

Can I make an eBook on Canva and sell it?

Yes, you can create an eBook on Canva and sell it.

The only thing to watch out for is that all the design material you have sourced from Canva is labeled “Permitted Uses”.

Check out Canva’s Content License Agreement for more details. 

Also, ensure that you’ve checked the copyright licensing of all the material you have sourced elsewhere.

When you have the all-clear on the copyright front, you can go ahead and sell your eBook anywhere you wish.

We hope you enjoyed this Canva tutorial. Next, why not check out this guide on how to print your Canva designs?