Do You want a book cover? if you are a self-publisher, here are your options
You’re probably ready to toss your book online and cross your fingers for rave reviews after spending weeks, months, or even years perfecting the words in it.
However, before you jump on the self-publishing bandwagon, make sure your book cover is fantastic.
When people look through books, whether physical or electronic, the cover is frequently the first thing they notice. If your cover appears amateurish or unrelated to the genre of your book, readers will quickly move on to the next option.
How does a writer develop the images and graphic design skills needed to transform a plain cover into a captivating collage, especially when trying to keep self-publishing costs low? What is the most effective method for creating a book cover?
Here are some low-cost options for creating a book cover, whether you want to hire an expert or do it yourself.
Employ the services of a professional designer.
You don’t like the idea of making your own cover? These options may be more expensive, but they can help ensure a polished final product… and more book sales. If you don’t want to hire a designer and would rather do it yourself, here are some ways to go about doing it.
1. Reedsy
Reedsy is an online marketplace for authors and the people who help them. Editors, marketers, and, you guessed it, designers can all be found here. The website is simple to use and allows you to browse each designer’s bio, portfolio, and reviews.
The difference between this marketplace and others like Fiverr and 99designs (both of which are on this list!) is that it caters exclusively to authors. That means that any designer you find on this site will be able to create a book cover. To find book cover designers on other online marketplaces, you must sift through designers who specialize in other projects.
2. Seek referrals.
Good designers at reasonable prices can be found through referrals from other self-published authors, writing groups (online or in-person), and writer friends. If you’re stuck for ideas, Facebook groups for writers can be a great place to start.
Consider asking designers you already work with on a professional level if they’d be interested in working on your book cover; those trusted sources can also refer you to other designers.
3. Fiverr.com
For only $5, you can get a professional book cover on Fiverr. Before committing to a designer, you can review their portfolios and read client reviews on the site.
4. GIMP (Graphics Image Editor)
GIMP stands for “GNU Image Manipulation Program,” a free program for photo editing, image creation, and composition.
While many programs allow you to build and edit directly in your browser, you’ll need to download this software first. GIMP is compatible with GNU/Linux, UNIX, Windows, Mac OS X, and other operating systems.
5. Canva
Non-designers love this design program because it makes it simple to produce professional-looking designs. While you will have to pay for some design elements, Canva’s templates and functionalities are all free.
Canva’s drag-and-drop interface makes creating a simple book cover a breeze. There are millions of images (stock photographs, vectors, and illustrations) as well as photo filters, free icons and shapes, and hundreds of typefaces available.
If you’re not sure where to begin, check out Canva’s free Design School, which includes a book cover-specific tutorial and extra information about design.
Incase you don't have time to write your ebook content or design your cover, you can always hire a professional writer to do that for you while you relax and focus on other things.
Get that content out there to your audience so they can trust you as an expert in your industry.
