The launch post on Instagram
A self-published author is planning her release-day post. The paperback by the cup of tea gets more attention than the flat cover, and she reuses it as a story on the day.
Make a book mockup with AI
Your cover as a photo of a real book: a paperback on a table by a cup of tea, and a hardcover held in a bookshop. Workflow visible here, no account needed.
Real workflow: the cover of the made-up novel "North of Silence", then the paperback lying at an angle on a wooden table with a cup of tea and a blanket, and the same book as a hardcover held up in front of blurred shelves.
At a glance
- You provide
- 1 photo · a text or a brief
- What the workflow produces
- 2 images in 4:3
- Canvas structure
- 6 nodes wired by 4 connections
- Models wired in
- Nano Banana 2.1
- Cost of one full run
- about 14 credits, roughly $0.17
- Account
- The demo is visible without an account; generating requires a free account, trial credits included
A flat cover doesn't sell a launch: it looks like a file, not a book. Free mockups mean Photoshop and smart objects, and every book in them sits on the same marble desk. This workflow starts from YOUR cover and hands you two photos: a paperback on a table, and a hardcover held in a bookshop.
The hard part is staying faithful. An image model left to itself redraws the artwork or rewrites the title, and the book in the photo isn't yours any more. The prompt demands the same illustration and quotes the title and author. Nano Banana 2.1 takes the cover you supply and sets it in perspective, with real thickness and a spine.
For the back of the book, see the back cover tool; for a bookshop event, the book signing poster. Both photos cost fourteen credits.
Actual renders from the demo
These are the files of the workflow above, exactly as the models produced them, unretouched. The starting point is shown when there is one.
Starting point
Render
Who it is for
Self-published authors announcing a release, novelists opening preorders, small presses preparing title sheets.
Which files to provide
The front cover alone, the title and author name copied in quotes, and the scene you want.
How it works
- 1
Upload the front
The final cover, with no bleed or crop marks. A JPEG or PNG at least 1000 pixels wide is enough.
- 2
Copy title and author
Letter for letter, in quotes, in the prompt. That's what stops the model rewriting the title its own way.
- 3
Pick the scene
Table, bed, beach, shelf, hand: choose a setting your readers recognise. A thriller sits better on a dark desk than on a floral tablecloth.
- 4
Check the cover
Compare the photo with your file: title, name, artwork details, spine text. Run it again if anything moved.
Variations and use cases
The same canvas, tuned for different needs: each variation is two or three lines of prompt away.
The preorder page
The author opens preorders before the author copies arrive. The mockup shows a finished object on the sales page until there are real photos of the printed book.
Amazon A+ content
The main image on the product page stays the flat cover. The mockups go into the A+ modules and the ads, where a book photographed in a setting stands out more.
The reader newsletter
A novelist announces book two to his subscribers. The hardcover held up in a bookshop sits next to the preorder link and gives readers a feel for the object.
The sell-in sheet for booksellers
A small press sends booksellers the sheet for an upcoming title. The mockup on the table makes the new release feel real next to the blurb and the publication date.
Choosing between two covers
The author can't decide between two covers and polls her readers. Two photos of a real book, same setting and angle, make for a fairer vote than two flat files.
Common mistakes
Uploading the full wrap
Back, spine and front in one file, with bleed: the model no longer knows which part goes on the front. Upload the front alone, cropped to trim size.
Not quoting the title
Without the title in quotes, the model may rewrite it, change a letter or the font. Quote title and author exactly as they appear on the cover.
Showing a hardcover you don't sell
If the book only exists in paperback, a hardcover photo misleads readers. Stick to the formats you actually sell, paperback, hardcover or both.
Skipping the side-by-side check
A mockup that changes one detail of the artwork slips by at first and shows next to the real book. Put the photo and your file side by side before posting.
Recommended models
Nano Banana 2.1
Flux Kontext
GPT Image 2.5 SunburstFrequently asked questions
Is the cover reproduced exactly?
In the demo, yes for everything that matters: the lighthouse, both characters, the boat, the title and the name are faithful. Small details soften a little with perspective, as they would in a real photo.
What does the model put on the spine?
On the demo paperback, it wrote the title there unprompted. If your real spine is different, give its text in quotes in the prompt.
Can I show an e-reader or an audiobook?
Yes: ask for "an e-reader held in one hand showing the cover" or "a phone with the square cover in a listening app".
How much do the two photos cost?
Fourteen credits, seven per render on Nano Banana 2.1. A third scene, a beach or a bedside table for instance, costs seven more.
Why Nano Banana 2.1?
Because it uses the cover you supply instead of inventing one, and sets it in perspective with believable thickness and a spine. In the demo, title and name are exact on both photos.
Can I use these photos to sell my book?
Yes, to present your own book on social media, your website or in ads. Check each platform's rules and read the rules on commercial use.
Does a mockup replace photos of the printed book?
For a launch, yes. Once your copies arrive, a real photo also shows the paper and the finish, matte or gloss, which a mockup can't promise.
What output format?
4:3 landscape, 1200 x 896 pixels in the demo. For a vertical story, ask for 9:16 or crop around the book.
Make a book mockup with AI
Use this workflowFree account, no card required. The workflow opens pre-filled in your canvas.