One of the most important element of any book is the front Cover (see my post on the topic here). This is especially important for self-published titles because nothing sets you apart (in a bad way) like a poorly designed cover. Too many new authors think they can save money by designing the cover art themselves, or asking a friend or family member to do it. With very few exceptions (and they are usually when those involved are professional designers), this approach fails. The best book in the world can die on the merits of a bad cover, especially if you are new author trying to make a name for yourself.

Thankfully there are many great options out there for self-publishing authors who want a quality cover. Whether it is a site like 99 Designs, a private designer or a service option on your publishing platform, you can get a cover you love and that will help grab the attention of readers. However, you have to be willing to pay what it is worth. As a rule, you are looking at a starting price of $500 with the cost only going up. That said, is someone wants to charge you tens of thousands of dollars, that’s way too much. Even the best cover would be hard priced to give a return on that investment.

Having released a few titles through traditional publishing tracks, I was curious to try my hand at self-publishing. When my first work of fiction- a novella entitled “The Last Verdict”– was complete, it seemed a prime opportunity. Given that the story was too short for more traditional publishers, yet too long for the short story market, I decided to put it out myself. I decided to use Amazon’s CreateSpace platform.

Opting for the their Premium Cover Design package, I filled out a survey and then waited for the design coming. When it did, they provided two options to choose from. I would then get to have one round of revisions on the final choice. Any further revisions would be at an extra cost. When the arrived, I was immediately very disappointed. The first option was irredeemably bad, while the second was only marginally better. Here is where I made my mistake: I accepted the second design, despite being disappointed with it.

What I should have done (and eventually did) was to contact CreateSpace and express my disappointment with the designs. To their credit, they allowed me to work more closely with a designer through some phone calls (an option I available to me that I had not been aware of). I ended up designing most of the cover myself, even finding the image from within their options. In truth, my own mock ups were better than the final result. However, given the timing delay and the cost of licensing the picture on my own, it made sense to accept the final result, which turned out fairly well.

If you are paying for a design, be clear and vocal about any questions or concerns, especially up front. Don’t be annoying or controlling- after all, they general know more about design than the writer- but speak up! Do as much work in advance as possible, put together ideas of you imagine, collecting example of other covers you like, researching all the options. Don’t rush into designing a cover if you haven’t taken the time to prepare in advance.

The most important thing to remember is this: You are the only advocate your book has. Make it count!

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