Book Cover Design
Snag a book cover that will make your book stand out on any shelf. Choose from thousands of specialists below.
Get the Perfect Book Cover Design
You can’t publish a book without a cover. Even if you’ve written the most incredible book the world’s ever known, most readers won’t give it a chance if it has poorly-designed cover art, or no cover art at all. To get the perfect design for your book cover, you need a designer who specializes in book and eBook covers. Look for someone with previous experience designing book covers, who’s easy to work with, and is willing to communicate with you openly about your vision for your book cover.
FAQs
What is book cover design?
Book cover design is the art of creating an attractive front or back cover for a book. The goal of designing a book cover, whether for a paperback, hardback, or eBook, is to both capture the attention of potential readers and sum up the topic and style of the book in one image. Creating the perfect book cover design, therefore, takes skill, insight, and experience. Although the front cover of a book is much more important than the back cover, the back cover should also be thoughtfully designed with attention to detail and consistency with the front cover design.
What does a book cover designer do?
Many skills and sub-tasks go into the design of a book cover. Book cover designers are usually experienced graphic designers who can create both artwork and typography. They use advanced computer software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign. Book artists are typically responsible for creating a mockup cover to allow the book’s author or publisher to review the cover design before it’s finalized. Book cover artists also know how to create designs that adhere to book marketing best practices and fit the book’s genre.
How do I create my own book cover design?
With free online graphic design tools, it may seem easy to just create your own book cover. However, free tools have limited design capabilities and tend to produce poor-quality images for books and eBooks. Readers can usually tell when a book cover has been designed with free software.
Also, if you have no graphic design experience or knowledge of book cover design, you won’t understand how to incorporate both design and marketing principles to create a truly stunning, one-of-a-kind book cover. If you want a cover design for a book or eBook, it’s usually best to hire a book cover artist.
Are book cover artists expensive?
Hiring a book or eBook cover designer is a must if you want to publish a book. Traditional publishers won’t print a book without a cover, nor will most self-publishing eBook platforms accept your eBook without cover artwork. As a cover is a necessary expense for publishing a book, you should set aside part of your budget for it. How much you allocate depends entirely on you, but remember that professionals with a great deal of experience in book cover design tend to charge higher rates.
How do I find professional book cover designers?
If you’re a self-published author or independent publisher searching for the perfect book cover designer, keep these tips in mind:
- Brainstorm cover design ideas. Before you start looking for a book or eBook cover designer, think about the cover you’d like to have. Let the designer know what you have in mind, as this will make their job easier.
- Research your genre for style inspiration. Look at other book covers and eBook covers in your genre. Take note of design and typography similarities and share those notes with your book cover artist.
- Search for a book cover designer who matches your style. Once you have a few ideas about your book cover and a good sense of your cover design’s style, look for book and eBook cover designers with that same style. No two designers are alike, so you want the one who understands and shares your vision.
- Consider your deliverables. Getting a book cover designer with the right style is important, but you also need someone responsible and within your budget. Ask potential book cover artists what their usual turnaround time is, how many revisions you’ll get, and what their typical rate is.
- Choose a book cover designer who is easy to work with. To get the perfect book or eBook cover, you’ll have to work closely with your cover designer. Find someone who is friendly, professional, and polite.