Since I’m a book publicist and book marketing guy, it’s not uncommon for me to weigh in on book cover designs. Sometimes, it’s too late for changes. If you’re an author, don’t overlook the importance of a book cover design. After all, book buyers will judge your book by its cover and so will media members. When you choose a book cover design, keep these pointers in mind.
Use a subhead to create more description. A 10-word title means your book lacks a proper name.
Check with Google on the words that are most searched on your topic. Search for words that best describe your book and look at other words in the search results. Use these words in your title or subtitle.
Visit book stores and look at the covers of all types of books. Find out what catches your attention and what turns you off. What catches your eye? Look at the book face and look at the spines.
Will it play on Amazon? Go to Amazon.com, BN.com, Good Reads, Smashwords and search for competitive books in your space. Focus on the covers that pique your interest and those that do not. If your cover does not show up well in an Amazon thumbnail, you will miss out on sales.
Contrast. Don’t forget about contrast. Black looks great on white because of the exceptional contrast. Think about how your book looks in black and white as there’s no guarantee it will be printed in color.
Font size. Most designers are young and have excellent eyesight. But this doesn’t mean your target audience is the same. Keep their needs in mind when you choose the font size.
The spine. Can you read it from five feet away? If not, neither can browsers in a bookstore.
Blurbs. Keep them short, sweet, and to the point. You may want to mention a famous author or individual.
Back inside flaps. Write content for the back inside flaps because consumers pick up a book after they look at the spine, front cover and back. They may then open the book to learn more or find the price.
Use a laser printer. Don’t solely review your book cover on a computer screen as it will look considerably more attractive. Print it out the actual size and make a determination with the printed version.
Pictures are worth 1000 words. Use photos and illustrations to describe what would take a long time to explain. When you choose a book design, ask yourself how the cover will look on your website home page. Branding consistency is vital.
Ask for feedback. Show your cover designs to as many people in your target group of potential readers. You’ll get their opinions and reactions at no cost.
Here are 46 book cover designers and services to consider for your next cover:
- Book Covers for All, http://bookcoversforall.com/ : Book Covers for All features one designer boasting over 18 years of experience and a record of 1000+ books.
- ExpertSubjects, https://www.expertsubjects.com/ : Expert Subjects has several cover artists you can choose. They’ll create a book cover based on your budget and offer additional services like editing and publishing.
- Extended Imagery, https://extendedimagery.com/: Professional book cover designer, Carl Graves has created more than 2,000 book covers. These are incredible!
- Bianca Bordianu Design, https://moonpress.co / : Bianca Bordianu is a professional cover designer who partners with bestselling authors, publishing houses and indie authors in various genres. She offers quality at competitive prices.
- Albertine Book Design, http://www.dotdesign.net/ : Albertine Book Design provides comprehensive design and production services for children’s books, tabletop books, cookbooks, textbooks, fiction and nonfiction hard covers and paperbacks.
- Killer Covers, https://killercovers.com/ : Based in Australia, Killer Covers offers a variety of packages for your book cover needs like web pages, Facebook pages etc.
- Karrie Ross Graphics, https://www.bookcoverdesigner.com/ : Karrie Ross of Karrie Ross Graphics focuses on book cover design for the self-publishing industry
- TS95 Studios, https://www.ts95studios.com/ : Hampton Lamoureux of TS95 Studios is a Daily Deviation award-winning artist on DeviantArt.com. He designs e-books and full-jacket covers. He creates realistic scenes from stock photos for fantasy, horror, mystery, and sci-fi novels.
- Fiverr, https://www.fiverr.com/ : Fiverr offers countless options for only $5. These are fast and obviously cheap but I’ve seen some pretty nice work. Order from 2 or 3 designers at the same time. Hey, it’s only $5 bucks.
- BookWise Design, https://bookwisedesign.com/ : BookWise Design has designed over 1200 book covers. They offer the most experienced and useful book production services.
- Damonza, https://damonza.com/ : Damonza brings over 30 years combined experience in the design and advertising industry to the table.
- 1106 Design, https://1106design.com/ : 1106 Design provides proofreading, editing, cover design, Interior page layout, eBook formatting, Printing and more.
- Andy Carpenter Design, https://acdbookcoverdesign.com/ : Andy Carpenter Design is a boutique design firm for small presses and self-publishers.
- Canva, https://www.canva.com/create/book-covers/ : Canva’s book cover maker makes it a breeze to design book covers, even if you’re not a designer. I’ve also used them for memes.
- 99 Designs, https://99designs.com/ : 99designs.com brings together graphic designers from around the world who compete for your business by designing the book covers for no charge. I commissioned many covers for authors using 99designs after the author was unsatisfied with the creations from his own designer. I mentioned several design elements such as the title, subtitle, what the book was about etc. Believe it or not, we received 65 different cover designs in just 5 days! It was definitely tough to narrow down the selection to eight but we had people from around the world vote and help us out. It was $700, only because of the rush fee. This process delivered a NY Times bestseller quality cover so I definitely recommend it.
- Foster Covers, https://fostercovers.com/ : George Foster of Foster Covers is a book cover designer with more than 300 awards and created covers for 134 bestsellers. His work has appeared in over 1,000 books.
- Kingwood Creations, https://www.kingwoodcreations.com/ : Kingwood Creations offers beautiful premade colors. Pick your favorite design from over 100 options.
- Author Support, https://www.authorsupport.com: The designers at Author Support are an invaluable resource.
- Book Cover Express, https://bookcoverexpress.com/ :Cathi Stevenson of Book Cover Express has 30 years of publishing experience and more than 1500 book covers to her name.
- More Visual, https://thebookcoverdesigners.com/ : A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Dave Kessler offers unique and professional book design services.
- David Moratto, https://davidmoratto.com/ :With more than 225 covers to date David Moratto uses unique graphic design expertise on each cover. The book’s interior design and cover is designed to fit the reader’s demographics.
- Book Cover Genius, https://jjfast.com/bonuses/bcg-tna53a : Book Cover Genius offers a catchy sales pitch about their software so it’s definitely worth exploring.
- Draw Big Design, http://jennthomas-design.com/ : Draw Big Design produces, one-of-a-kind small visuals.
- Mars Dorian, https://www.marsdorian.com/ : Mars Dorian is a digital illustrator and storyteller with an expertise of unique yet affordable e-book covers.
- The Cover Collection, https://www.thecovercollection.com /: Score a high quality book cover for a great price with premade book cover designs. Authors receive multiple drafts and font options. In my opinion, these are top-notch!
- Alexandra Brandt, https://www.alexandrajbrandt.com/ : Print and e-book covers by Alexandra Brandt focus on sci-fi and fantasy works.
- Dissect Design, https://www.dissectdesigns.com: Dissect Design was created for indie book authors who wanted attractive covers at budget prices.
- CreateSpace, https://www.createspace.com: With CreateSpace, you can work with a professional design team to create a stunning, cost-effective cover.
- Illumination Graphics, https://illuminationgraphics.com/ : Illumination Graphics offers good prices and dynamic design for books, both book cover designs and book interior layouts.
- Infinity Publishing, https://infinitypublishing.com/: Infinity Publishing gives you 100% control over your books’ cover design and layout.
- MiblArt, https://miblart.com/ : MiblArt is a design company with a focus on book covers. You can expect your first concept within 3 days plus unlimited revisions.
- Book Creatives, http://www.bookcreatives.com: Book Creatives specializes in book cover design and ebook design for authors.
- David Airey, https://www.davidairey.com/designing-book-covers: David Airey is a creative book cover designer.
- Self-Publishing Lab, https://selfpublishinglab.com/ : Self-Publishing Lab has earned a reputation as the best website for authors. Don’t hesitate to check it out.
- Jeff Brown Graphics, https://www.jeffbrowngraphics.com/: At Jeff Brown Graphics, you can find beautiful sci-fi and fantasy book cover designs. Jeff has worked with over 90 authors on 250+ covers.
- Lulu, https://www.lulu.com/: Lulu provides publishing and design quality at a competitive price.
- Laura Duffy Design, https://www.lauraduffydesign.com/ : Laura Duffy of Laura Duffy Design is a former art director who creates professional designs for books.
- Book Cover Express, https://bookcoverexpress.com/ : Book Cover Express has a competitive flat rate, making it easy to stay within your budget.
- Historical Fiction Book Covers, http://www.historicalfictionbookcovers.com/ : For a historical fiction book cover design, check out Jenny Quinlan’s Historical Fiction Book Covers.
- Elaine Gignilliat, https://romancebookcoverart.com/ : Elaine Gignilliat is one of the foremost romance book cover artists. She has painted covers for over 350 romance books and represented 150+ authors.
- Robin Ludwig Design, https://www.gobookcoverdesign.com/ : Robin Ludwig Design offers top-notch book cover design services using the most advanced equipment and software.
- BookBaby, https://www.bookbaby.com/ebook-cover-design/ : BookBaby offers a straightforward way to design your book cover within your budget.
- Abacus Graphics, https://abacusgraphics.com/ : Since its inception in 1979, Abacaus Graphics has been a small design studio with a focus on building graphic designs for print and the web.
- JD Smith Design, https://www.jdsmith-design.co.uk/ : An award-winning book cover designer, JD Smith has been in the graphic design industry since she was 17. She designs book publishers for traditional publishers and independent authors.
- Jessica Bell Design, https://www.jessicabelldesign.com/ : Jessica Bell crafts unique cover designs that cater to any author’s budget. She began to design covers as favors for her author friends and eventually turned her hobby into a successful business.
- Guru, https://www.guru.com/ : Guru is a useful website that can connect you to freelance book cover designers from around the world. It’s certainly worth exploring.
I encourage you to spend some time browsing through all of these websites. You’ll be happy you did.
Start the book cover design process early. Also,make sure you explore several creative concepts before you commit to one.