*Do your homework. Find a reputable cover artist. Do not settle for less. Cover prices range broadly. Good pre-made covers usually run about $75. Custom covers go anywhere between $100-$500, even more. Get the best cover you can afford because it will become your calling card and you only get one chance to make a good first impression on a reader.
*Ask other authors who they recommend. Better yet, take time to look over covers you love. Usually the
author has included the cover information in the front matter so it’s easy to find.
*Make bullet points to the cover artist to help the design along the way. You know best how you want
everything laid out. Make your suggestion and let them work. Tweak it till it’s perfect.
*In an ideal world, your artist would read your book and find exactly what you want. In the real world,
their business demands they get covers out quickly, so help them out. Give them pictures of what you
have in mind. Adobe stock has all the royalty free images your heart desires. Don’t be afraid to
screenshot pictures and send them to your artist. They can’t read minds.
*Understand they will only change the design a couple of times before they will charge you more
money. In all aspects of publishing, Time=Money.
*Please have at least three ideas in mind unless they ask for more. Again, finding the exact images
yourself will save tons of time and frustration
*Please trust who you pick; they will do their best to understand what it is you would like. If they don’t,
find someone else.
*A timeline should be followed. Turnaround should be fairly quick.
*And if you feel uncomfortable with any decision – say something.
*Last, but never least, do not use Google to find an image and use it for your cover. That’s a lawsuit
waiting to happen.
Be patient, take the time to wrap your present beautifully.
This information is brought to you by Indie Author Sherri Wingler and BookPressed™ 1-25-2020
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