Self-publishing has, in the past year, acquired a new moniker: indie publishing. Indie publishers not only write their own books, they make or purchase their own covers, hire editors and proofreaders for their manuscripts, find formatters to convert the final manuscript into the various eBook formats required by different distributors, and essentially handle every step of publishing from the first sentence to the final upload. How can you buy an eBook cover for less than $50 to save time and money?
Cheap eBook Covers -- What You Need to Know
For writers who don't have a graphic design bone in their bodies, buying a pre-made cover is the way to go. Be careful, though. If you're going to hire a graphic designer, the consultant needs to understand how most eBook publishers work.
The main eBook distributors are:
- Amazon's Kindle
- Barnes & Noble's Nook
- Smashwords
- All Romance eBooks and OmniLit (for non-romance and erotica titles)
Each has different image requirements. Your designer needs to understand this already, or you need to be prepared to educate. For instance, Barnes & Noble's Nook system, called Pubit!, requires all images to be 750 x 2000 pixels. All Romance eBooks requires that the image file be exactly 200 x 300 pixels for its site, yet if you want to be part of their distribution to the iBookstore, you need a cover image that is 454 x 680.
Got all that? Ideally, you'll find a cover designer who already knows the specs, and who can provide the different image file sizes. If not, be prepared to spend far more time (and, perhaps, money), working with someone to get the images you need.
Where Can Indie Publishers Find Cheap eBook Covers?
Check the main indie publishing forums, like Kindleboards, to find good graphic designers who work consistently with indie publishers. Look at signature lines and avatars. Why? Because in many cases, those eBook covers are in thumbnail form.
Why does that matter? When readers are on Amazon and searching for books to buy, your cover may appear as a suggestion to buy. The cover will appear in thumbnail size, usually about 120 x 160 pixels. If the covers you see for other authors don't look good in thumbnail, their designer likely doesn't understand how to do a good cover that scales up or down.
Once you find some great covers that scale well, ask the writer who designed the cover and request a referral. Always ask about price range. If the price is too high, move on. A great cover can make or break a book, though, so if your budget can stretch a bit for the perfect designer, go for it.
Who Sells eBook Covers for $50 or Less?
If you're looking for specific indie publishing eBook cover designers who sell pre-made covers or simple covers for $50 or less, check out:
- Elance
- Fiverr (though be very careful here. A $5 cover can break your sales)
- Kindleboards
Some companies with established followings include:
- LFD Designs -- often offers $15 clearance covers
- Tara Shuler -- graphic designer, prices start at $50
- Marsha Canham Cover Designs -- famed romance author designs romance covers, starting at $50
Be sure you know what you want before going into the project. Are you looking for a "chick lit" cartoon cover for a funny erotic comedy or women's fiction? A more modern contemporary romance look? A mystery? A thriller? Horror? The style you need for genre writing may dictate which designer you choose.
Melanie Zoltan - Melanie Zoltan is a former college professor and administrator who has written for About.com, PCWorld, Brain Child, Thomson Gale, and ...
Comments