In this post i would like to talk to all of you Indie Authors or those who are Self publishing about the importance of getting the most out of a Book cover designer. The following are five tips that i have compiled based on my experience of working within this field for many years.

Before you even start trawling the internet for a designer that you think will fit what you need, you should get prepared, and here is how……

1) Make sure you have a good idea of the genre in which your book will fit.

This seems a little weird, because obviously you know the genre of your own book, right? But what i mean is, you need to really know the genre and what your potential readers who read this genre are looking for. Search through the Amazon listings and see what others are doing. Look at the imagery and typography, the colour and the mood. Google it and search through the top sellers list in this genre and look at their covers and try to imagine how your content could be visualised in the best way that fits the trends.

2) Have a budget in mind, AND STICK TO IT!!

Unfortunatley, in life we all have a budget that we really do need to stick with. now, when you are on the hunt for your designer, you will have a rough idea in mind of what you want to spend. You will see a great aray of designers out there within budget, and many that are not. The grass always seems greener, doesn’t it? There will be a couple of designers that you see that blow you away with their work, but you really just can’t afford to hire them. My advise would be DON’T hire them. Of course in this industry you get what you pay for, and the more you spend would usually mean a better designer. But you don’t want to start your self publishing journey being way over budget, as this will put too much pressure on the whole project to be a success. Stick with your budget, and keep searching until a designer appeals to you that fits into it.

3) Visualise your book in it’s printed form

Now before you think i have lost my marbles, please do not underestimate the importance of visualising your book and picturing what it could and should look like on your coffeee table. Think of the mood, the atmosphere, the colouring and the imagery. What scene from the book would best show the story? Would one of your characters make a good cover image? Would just typography do the job of telling the story? Have you seen a cover already published that would fit your story? 

Alway have a good picture in your head before contacting any designer of what your book could look like and how best would that single front page tell the story, genre and contents of the novel.

4) Build up a collection of favourite covers

Have a folder on your computer or a board on Pinterest of all the covers that you have seen that you like. Once you have contacted a designer, send them all over to them. This can be so helpful for a designer to see as it lets them know your tastes and the direction in which you would like to go.

5) Your book is your baby, but be preared to loosen your grip and let the designer design!

You may have spent months or even years perfecting your masterpiece, but now is the time for you to pass your work onto someone else. I have been a book cover designer for many years and i can’t emphasise enough the importance of allowing a designer their creative freedom. You wouldn’t go to a restaurant and tell the chef how to cook your pasta, would you? You may know your book inside out, and that is brilliant, but do you know about typography, about selling, about appealing to an intended audience. Do you know what is possible and what isn’t? Do you understand about stock images and their licensing? Please remember, within the project it is your job to write and the designers job to design. A good designer will balance your wants and what will be best for the cover design. If the designer is experienced, then the process will be very successful and smooth and the best possible product will be produced.

Well, there you have it, a small but very important list of things you should be aware of when contacting a designer.

I run a book cover design agency called Dissect Designs that helps Indie Authors all over the world. I have worked within all genres and i have a great deal of experience creating covers that sell a book

If you would like to see my work or hire me for your novel then please visit https://www.dissectdesigns.com and we can talk through your ideas.

Thank you for reading and good luck on your writing adventure!!