Book Cover

So many questions come to mind when thinking about your book cover and a potential illustrator. Should I hire a professional or should I use a pre-made book cover for my novel? What is the cost involved? How long does it take? Can I bring my own idea to life?

Compelling illustrations are the most effective way to make your book stand out, therefore the author must put thought and time on the book cover of their novel and/or project.

In my opinion, hiring a professional is a MUST unless you’re familiar with the software. Your book cover should reflect the basis of the story and attract the audience for that genre.

Before hiring such individual, I would suggest researching the book designer and/or illustrator. Find out how many book covers they have done in the past. What is the turnaround timeframe for completion? What is the cost involved for a revised request and is there a limit on revisions?

You will need to know the specifications of your book (binding type & trim size). Most book designers and/or illustrators should also be able to provide the illustration for your spine and the back cover. Make sure that the individual you hire is able to provide all of these services otherwise you will have to hire someone else to add text to the spine and back cover.

For my most recent project, I already had a sketch in my head of how I saw my book cover. I provided this information to the potential illustrator and also asked if he could provide the text for the spine and the back cover. The illustrator immediately confirmed that he would be able to bring my idea to life and even had some concepts of his own. This illustrator was seasoned and did not charge me for the project until I was fully satisfied with the final product (which took about 30-45 days to complete). I had at least 5 revision request and he was amendable to all of the modifications.

At the end of the day, it is up to you if you want to put in the time and work for your book cover. Just be sure to choose the option that works best for your schedule and timing of your project.