The 2nd Most Important Thing
We have arrived at the all-important book cover. Having a book cover made is a major milestone in the self-publishing process. This is where the magic starts to happen. When you have a cover, you can visualize what the book will look like in e-book and physical form. Whether it’s your first book or your tenth, your dreams of publication and all of your hard work and dedication to your craft and your characters are coming to fruition.
Second to the writing of the book itself, the cover will be THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you do to help you sell your book. “Don’t judge a book by its cover” may be a well-known saying, but pretty much every person on the planet judges books by their covers. It’s just how we humans work. The job of the book cover is to entice all who see it to click on it (if they’re shopping digitally) or pick it up (if they’re in an actual bookstore) and read the back cover/cover flap copy. In order to do this, the cover must appeal in some way to a prospective reader’s interest (genre they are seeking) and or curiosity. Because you’ll be selling books both virtually and in physical form, keep in mind that the cover must look good both as a thumbprint and as a full-size, hold-it-in-your-hands cover.
Please Hire Someone
Because the cover is so so so important (can’t stress this enough), you should leave it to the experts. Do not try to create a cover on your own (unless, of course, you are a designer by profession). As for cost, you should spend as much as you are comfortable spending. Costs range from a few hundred to a few thousand. There are designers out there to fit the inexpensive, middle-of-the-road, and very expensive budget. The inexpensive ones generally look inexpensive (and don’t do a great job at fulfilling their task), but the good news is that the middle-of-the-roaders can compete with the very expensive ones. So do your homework. Check out the portfolios of prospective designers and find one or two whose work you really like.
Be Patient
The first designer I contacted never replied to my email. That was disappointing, though not devastating. I imagine some freelance designers get bombarded with requests. If this happens to you, either email again (because emails can sometimes end up in the promo or spam folder—like my blogs sometimes do!), or move on. There are plenty of designers in the world. Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn website has compiled a lengthy list at https://www.thecreativepenn.com/bookcoverdesign/. She also has a number of great books on self-publishing, so you might want to check those out while you’re over there.
Provide Ideas
I’m sure you have envisioned your cover—and researched what is appropriate for your genre (if you haven’t done this yet, go ahead and do it now)—and have some idea of what you want to appear on it. That is good, but don’t get carried away with telling the designer you have hired what to put on the cover. Provide ideas (some designers have a form you’ll fill out describing your book’s storyline and what you envision on the cover) and then LET IT GO. Let the designer use his or her knowledge and talent to build you an interesting and effective cover. Most designers will create two rough drafts for you to start with. You can then ask your friends, colleagues, and relatives (or your website following, if you have been building an email list) which of the two covers they prefer.
When you’ve decided which cover is most effective, you can choose your favorite draft and ask for edits at this point. If neither cover works for you, you can explain what you don’t like and ask the designer to try again. Each designer has their own way of working, so you’ll want to know how much back-and-forth they are willing to do before extra charges come into play.
Share It
When the cover is finished, you can start using it on social media as your profile picture or your profile banner. You can post it on your website, and you can do an official “cover reveal.” I jumped the gun on my cover and posted it months in advance of my book’s publication, which is Spring 2021, so while I’ve had my cover for a while, I may do a “cover reveal” closer to publication. Most authors who publish traditionally show off the cover about a month or two in advance of publication. The cover will help you create buzz for your book. Share it on social media, share it via your emails, and make a big deal of it on your website.
Once you have both your cover and your edited manuscript in your hands, you can send the book out for pre-publication reviews. And that is yet another milestone in the self-publication process.
In my next blog, which I’ll post the Tuesday after Christmas, I will discuss having your book reviewed.
Happy holidays, everyone!
