Author Topic: Please help me if you can re: fitting PDF to conform to Amazon paperback size  (Read 2379 times)

lorio

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Hello, Everybody,

How can I fit a pdf of my five year old jpeg cover to fit my Amazon paperback size? I don't see where Adobe lets me change the size to my specifics (11.605 x 8.750 for an 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 cover per Amazon). I see only choices like A4, etc.

I would be so grateful if anyone can give me a solution.

Thank you a zillion.

Lorio

Back story:

Before my three-year hiatus, I paid someone to do my covers and had no problem uploading them.

Hiatus ended, I'm trying to get my act together and get back in the business. I tried several times to go into CreateSpace and move my stuff over, but it won't let me in when I try to input my email (it won't let me input any key on my laptop.)

Evidently, my paperback descriptions are slightly different than my eBook descriptions since Amazon won't link them naturally.

I wrote Amazon and asked them to link my paperbacks and I got back a weak response about them understanding I want them linked and they're looking into it.

I haven't heard back, so I've been trying to resubmit everything from my old files. Except for my last two books, I only have jpegs.

Bill Hiatt

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To be clear, you're asking about resizing a pdf, not a jpeg, right? Jpegs you can resize in any decent photo software. Your first paragraph makes me think you mean the whole pdf cover, though you only mention jpegs in the last sentence.

If you're trying to resize a pdf paperback cover, I don't think that can be done. When I searched for resizing pdfs, all I got was how to change the file size, not the physical dimensions. You can crop a pdf, but that's not what you want.

Best bets (in order of easiness):

First choice--wait for a definitive response from Amazon. You just got the generic response. That doesn't mean Amazon can't do it; it just means the first-level responder can't do it. Chances are you can get the problem fixed without resubmitting anything. The linking issue has nothing to do with your files. If, as you say, it's the description, you can change that if needed without reuploading anything.

Second choice--contact the cover designer for a revised cover. Typically, designers will do this for you for free, but it might be worth paying a small fee if you absolutely must have a new file.

Third choice--(requires Acrobat, which I'm not sure you have) Follow the directions under "Export Images to Another Format" https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/exporting-pdfs-file-formats.html That lets you extract the image from the file and resize it as needed.

Don't overcomplicate the problem. The resolution may be simpler than you think.


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Post-Crisis D

If the PDF is a print-quality PDF, it's possible to change the size by opening it in something like Adobe Illustrator or possibly even Photoshop.  Also depends on what the designer used to create the PDF.

The caveat though is that if you need to enlarge the images within, the embedded images may be the right resolution for the size the PDF was originally set up for but not a high enough resolution for a larger size.

If all you have are JPEGs, the same problem will apply.  It'll be fine if the new size is smaller but if the new size is larger, you will lose resolution and, consequently, print quality.
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lorio

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Dear Bill and Solitary Dan,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such thorough and thoughtful responses. You guys are the greatest!

I think I will first go with Bill's idea to see if Amazon won't put my old CreateSpace stuff through to Amazon. That would be easiest.

Just FYI, the cover was originally done five years ago and the artist has gone off the map. Or any map I can find anyway, so I can't ask for a change.

Thank you again.

Lorio

She-la-te-da

Your books should have been switched over to KDP, though they may be hard to access since you didn't do it yourself. I've heard that if the account name and email are the same, it would be there on your Bookshelf.

As to the cover issue, is it a jpeg of a full POD cover? If so, I don't know that there's much that can be done with that, since you have to upload a PDF for a cover. If it's just the front cover, you should be able to put it in the right spot on a cover template, but then you'd have to make the spine and back cover yourself. There still could be quality issues unless the jpeg is 300 dpi, and it doesn't need to be larger.
I write various flavors of speculative fiction. This is my main pen name.

 

lorio

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Thank you so much for your reply, She-la-te-da.

On my Bookshelf, it gives me the message to link my paperback to my eBook, but it's not possible. Amazon's automatic linking doesn't recognize the paperback I've had for sale for four years (when it was with CreateSpace).

At one point, I remember reading that if the book description of the paperback didn't match the eBook description word for word, Amazon would not automatically link the two and in that event we should write and give them the ASIN and ISBN and they'd link them.

They didn't the first time, but I wrote again and hope for a better reply.

Re: the cover, it was originally from 99Designs. I created a pdf from the jpeg, but it's not quite big enough to fit the template.

Fingers crossed, Amazon will link my old paperback(s).

Thanks again!

She-la-te-da

I think the title, author name and other meta data needs to be the same, not sure about the description. Amazon should be able to link them, since they're on your Bookshelf.
I write various flavors of speculative fiction. This is my main pen name.

 
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