Introduction

Should I add a cover?

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should."

This statement should be the first ting you think of when considering adding a front cover to your document. Generally speaking, if your document is less than 3 pages long, don't even think about adding a front cover to it. Sure, you may have a super sexy image already in mind, but it just doesn't add any value to your document if it's only a couple pages long.

Do consider that adding a front cover does have drawbacks. First, it's going to set an expectation that the content is top notch and polished. If it's not, your readers are going to be let down.

Second, typically a good looking cover page is going to have a nice looking image, and that image is going to have a large file size. This will slow down your readers loading your document. Mobile users could be particularly impacted by this (nearly 50% of GM Binder's views are from mobile).

Here's a quick guide to deciding if you should add a front cover based on pages in your document:

Should I add a back cover?

Back covers are a different story. Back covers are an excellent option for cleaning up the loose ends of your homebrew. In particular, a back cover can be great for a quick little message to your readers thanking them for reading it, and telling them where they can find more of your work. Additionally, back covers are a perfect place for giving credit to your various sources of inspiration (other homebrews, artists, books, videos, etc....)

So when is it ideal to add a back cover? Well, ultimately, there's not really a bad time. Would I add one to a 1 page homebrew? Probably not. To a two page? More than likely. Three plus? Yeah, it needs one for sure.

How to add a front cover

Adding a cover page to your document couldn't be any easier in GM Binder. Simply click the "Snippets" button (magic wand) in the tool bar above and select "Cover - Front".

Once you've added the code to your document, now all you need to do is provide a title, a sub title, and some super sweet image for your cover background image.

How to add a back cover

Adding a back cover is just as simple. Use the Snippets buton to select "Cover - Back". This will insert a new page into your document with some stubbed in content for you to swap out.

The back cover is a great place for you to close out your document and give credit to those who's works you used to build your homebrew. Image credits, other homebrews, etc can all be linked here.