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Edit. In the spirit of civil discussion I took out the term fleecing. It was a bit much.
I am going to say some things that are going upset some people concerning ebook covers. So if you are a cover designer you should exit now.
This post is for new authors that are worried about the cost of a book cover and not sure what to do. You have heard that having a good cover is important and that is certainly true. But what should you be paying?
TLDR, The overpricing of covers and targeting the fears of new authors is silly. It needs to stop. There are much cheaper options.
OK so you are a new author and you are ready to get your feet wet. You heard how important a good cover is and you start shopping around. Then the worry hits. 200,300, 800 bucks for a cover? Do I really need to spend that much?
If you are just starting out, the answer is no. And unless you are getting original artwork, the answer remains no. You can find plenty of designers that are affordable, hit the genre specifics of a cover and are well under one hundred bucks. That will include a print cover as well.
The prices that are being charged for ebook covers has gotten silly. (Yeah I know is a work of art, you can charge whatever and your time is important blah blah). 400 bucks for a cover. Another 60 for the audio-book cover. Another one hundred for the print. Oh and the designer keeps the source file and wants you to promote their work with a link inside of your book. In fact a lot make it a requirement.(Notice how they dont pay you for this?)
Here some things that you might be thinking so lets address them now.
Why do they charge so much? Because they know that the odds of you being successful is slim. They are going to take as much money as they can because they will never see you again. Web designers do the same thing offering their hosting package. Its just a way to get money upfront.
Are they scamming me? No. They are offering their services for a fee. Its upfront and its legit and they are allowed to ask any price they want. But keep in mind they are preying on your worries as a new author. That is why the first thing you read on their webpage usually has something like. "You spent hours polishing your first novel....and you dont want it to fail."
Why do they keep the source file? Or should I request it? What is it for? In simple terms a source file is all the different layers of your cover in one neat file. Before you agree to getting a ebook cover designed, you need to know if will receive that as well. Most professionals have no problem handing it over. In fact most do. Be wary if they refuse and consider if you can afford NOT having it. (explained below)
Why should I want my source file? Will it help me down the road? With simple manipulation you can create your own print cover, social media banners, flyers, audio book covers and so much more. Imagine each time you go to market your book on a different venue, with all the different sizes, it would cost you a fortune having to keep going back to the designer.
So what can I do? I know the importance of a professional cover but I cant dip into my childrens college savings
There are cheaper ways and more often than not you can get better quality. Do a google search. Go to facebook and look for designers/author groups and ask. Reddit, tumblr, the list is endless. You will be surprised what you will find. I have had numerous books sell loads of copies. Never once did I pay anything over a hundred. Not even close. Dont buy into the fear and certainly dont pay their fees!
The point of this is to get you to breathe and not take out a loan. Down the road if you want to go back and pay for an expensive cover, by all means do. But you do not need to when starting out.
I am going to say some things that are going upset some people concerning ebook covers. So if you are a cover designer you should exit now.
This post is for new authors that are worried about the cost of a book cover and not sure what to do. You have heard that having a good cover is important and that is certainly true. But what should you be paying?
TLDR, The overpricing of covers and targeting the fears of new authors is silly. It needs to stop. There are much cheaper options.
OK so you are a new author and you are ready to get your feet wet. You heard how important a good cover is and you start shopping around. Then the worry hits. 200,300, 800 bucks for a cover? Do I really need to spend that much?
If you are just starting out, the answer is no. And unless you are getting original artwork, the answer remains no. You can find plenty of designers that are affordable, hit the genre specifics of a cover and are well under one hundred bucks. That will include a print cover as well.
The prices that are being charged for ebook covers has gotten silly. (Yeah I know is a work of art, you can charge whatever and your time is important blah blah). 400 bucks for a cover. Another 60 for the audio-book cover. Another one hundred for the print. Oh and the designer keeps the source file and wants you to promote their work with a link inside of your book. In fact a lot make it a requirement.(Notice how they dont pay you for this?)
Here some things that you might be thinking so lets address them now.
Why do they charge so much? Because they know that the odds of you being successful is slim. They are going to take as much money as they can because they will never see you again. Web designers do the same thing offering their hosting package. Its just a way to get money upfront.
Are they scamming me? No. They are offering their services for a fee. Its upfront and its legit and they are allowed to ask any price they want. But keep in mind they are preying on your worries as a new author. That is why the first thing you read on their webpage usually has something like. "You spent hours polishing your first novel....and you dont want it to fail."
Why do they keep the source file? Or should I request it? What is it for? In simple terms a source file is all the different layers of your cover in one neat file. Before you agree to getting a ebook cover designed, you need to know if will receive that as well. Most professionals have no problem handing it over. In fact most do. Be wary if they refuse and consider if you can afford NOT having it. (explained below)
Why should I want my source file? Will it help me down the road? With simple manipulation you can create your own print cover, social media banners, flyers, audio book covers and so much more. Imagine each time you go to market your book on a different venue, with all the different sizes, it would cost you a fortune having to keep going back to the designer.
So what can I do? I know the importance of a professional cover but I cant dip into my childrens college savings
There are cheaper ways and more often than not you can get better quality. Do a google search. Go to facebook and look for designers/author groups and ask. Reddit, tumblr, the list is endless. You will be surprised what you will find. I have had numerous books sell loads of copies. Never once did I pay anything over a hundred. Not even close. Dont buy into the fear and certainly dont pay their fees!
The point of this is to get you to breathe and not take out a loan. Down the road if you want to go back and pay for an expensive cover, by all means do. But you do not need to when starting out.