BOOK COVER RECOMMENDATIONS
Every week, I receive several questions from authors about publishing and marketing.
One of the most common requests is recommendations for book covers.
I designed all of my own covers until I met Melissa Stevens. She can pull off some amazing effects that I can’t, and she is very knowledgeable about PhotoShop and cover design. Melissa has designed my recent covers.
But hiring an illustrator for a custom cover isn’t easy. First, you have to find a capable illustrator who meets your budget.
A more affordable option is to browse for ready-made covers. But it’s not easy to find the right cover pre-made.
And in either case, you want assurances about quality and you want to make sure you have the rights to use the images as you intend.
So what many authors search for are recommendations from other authors.
There is only one designer who I have firsthand experience with. Yet I would like to help authors explore options in multiple price ranges.
YOU can help with that. If you’ve ever hired an artist to design a cover, or if you’ve ever purchased a pre-made cover, and if you found the result worth recommending, PLEASE take a moment and recommend that artist, website, or service in the comments section. Other authors will appreciate the time you took.
In addition to providing a link, please also explain what you liked about the cover, artist, or service, or why you’re recommending it. This will be even more helpful.
(But please don’t self-promote in the comments section. Recommend a service or artist with which you are not affiliated.)
Thank you. 🙂
BOOK COVER HELP
How to Find and Hire a Cover Artist
https://chrismcmullen.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/how-to-find-a-cover-artist/
Finding and Using Stock Photos
https://chrismcmullen.wordpress.com/2014/12/18/shutterstock-and-other-stock-photo-collections/
Which Fonts Should You Use?
https://chrismcmullen.wordpress.com/2015/01/05/which-font-should-you-use-for-your-book-pubtips/
Kerning Fonts
https://chrismcmullen.wordpress.com/2014/04/15/kerning-in-microsoft-word/
Cover Design Checklist
https://chrismcmullen.wordpress.com/2013/07/06/cover-design-checklist/
The Importance of Color in Cover Design
https://chrismcmullen.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/the-importance-of-color-in-cover-design/
Write happy, be happy. 🙂
Chris McMullen
Copyright © 2015
Chris McMullen, Author of A Detailed Guide to Self-Publishing with Amazon and Other Online Booksellers
- Volume 1 on formatting and publishing
- Volume 2 on marketability and marketing
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Comments
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chrismcmullen 
Definitely one of the hardest parts of self-publishing. I was really lucky that I had a talented artist in the family who was willing to help. Somebody did suggest a sight called ’99 Designs’, which is where I got the Ichabod Brooks cover. It’s a couple hundred for the smallest package, but it worked out for me. Probably depends on the quality of artists that you get in your contest.
Covers are so important. Being that first opportunity to greet the potential customer, the cover has to look great. So many new authors don’t realise this. Great post, Chris.
Like putting on a tie and making a firm handshake? 🙂
Yep. The sales pitch for the highly visual human. 🙂
What a coincidence. Today (hopefully) I’ll be announcing an alternative sales pitch on Read Tuesday: a chance to learn about books without first seeing them visually.
That is a very interesting idea 🙂
Thanks so much for this list Chris! I’ll keep it in mind when I wrap up writing my first book (long overdue!)…
I hope it helps. Good luck with your book. 🙂
Thanks!
Here’s where I’ve gone recently.
http://www.goonwrite.com/index.htm
Thank you for sharing.
Sure. He’s always prompt and accurate.
Thanks for a great resource. I came across this site the other day, which you may want to add to the list: http://www.ratebookcover.com
They allow you to upload your covers, and visitors rate them. That way, you can choose between your designs.
Also, a great place to find talented designers and illustrators for around $100 is http://www.deviantart.com. I’m using Alex (http://187designz.deviantart.com) to redesign my Pearseus covers.
Thank you for recommending resources in the comments. I’ve heard good things about DeviantArt. This reminds me, http://www.covercritics.com is a good place to get feedback, especially for DIY.
Thanks for the tip! 🙂
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
LOTS of useful advice and links in this post 😀
Thank you, Chris. I should have mentioned that you provide affordable cover design options, too. That’s in addition to you helping immensely with free author promotion. 🙂
No problem Chris – great post 😀
So far I’ve made my own covers, and I am working on updating all of them. I got some very good advise from Joel Freidlander http://www.thebookdesigner.com/. Each month he posts a collection of covers people have submitted. He evaluates them and gives his opinion. He then publishes the whole collection on http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011/08/monthly-e-book-cover-design-awards/. It’s super helpful to look at what other people are doing, and what he has to say.
The most important thing is that Joel is the real deal. He’s not some hack. He’s been in the business for over forty years, but he’s constantly kept up to date. In other words, he’s a vetted authority on all things book design. He won’t design a cover for you, but he’ll provide valuable insight about what works.
That’s true. Joel is highly regarded. Thank you for contributing recommendations. 🙂
Hi Chris,
Two customers of mine have been very happy with Miranda Stork at Moon Rose Covers: http://mirandastork.wix.com/moonrosecoverdesigns# . She does good work and her prices are what I consider affordable. 🙂 One of my customers, Karen Aminadra, has gone back to her several times, and the covers Miranda designed for her can be seen on the portfolio page.
Thank you for offering feedback and recommending a cover designer. 🙂
I can recommend Janice Duke, who did my bookcover art for The Wake of the Dragon.
http://www.janiceduke.com/
Thank you for adding your recommendation. 🙂
Thanks, Chris, for sharing this helpful information. 🙂
You’re welcome. I hope it helps. 🙂