Tips for working with a book cover designer

I learned an interesting lesson today from Terra Harmony at http://twainwannabe.blogspot.com. Basically, Terra knew exactly what she wanted from a book cover, and told her cover designer what to do… the end result was awful; so she found another book cover designer and tried to start over with the same idea – but the new designer said “no.”

 The second cover is a product of the artist’s imagination.  I gave her all the same instructions I gave the first artist, and she plain out said, “No.” Well look at the big balls on this chick.  I tried again, giving her the simple instruction of, “Water.  Fantasy.  Go.”  And….voila.

The first cover doesn’t work – I’m not sure who the cover designer is, but I don’t blame them entirely for the result. Although I really don’t like the choice of font, if I needed to follow the same directions (central figure inside drop of water?) I may not have been able to. The second cover design is by Keary Taylor (author of the FALL OF ANGELS trilogy, and maker of some excellent covers – this being one of my favorites).

The issue at hand is complex: in general, the more specific the author’s instructions, the less likely it will be able to be done well. This is both because A) simple covers almost always outperform and B) each cover designer has their own style and skillset – they know what they’re good at and what they can make look good. If you chose a designer based on their samples, let them come up with what works.

That being said – I usually prefer to be given some direction and ideas, rather than “surprise me!”. When authors give me extremely vague directions like “it should look like a best seller” or “it should be magical/professional” I have no idea of what they really want/like. So, although I may make a very decent cover, it wasn’t what they had in mind.

The moral of the story

Have some ideas in mind, but be flexible. Nearly all of my finished covers started out as something very different. Sometimes we abandon what we’re trying to do and go in another direction.

Also, don’t settle for a “just OK” cover. There are plenty of amazing book cover designers working for peanuts. Just about every indie author should be able to afford a kick-ass cover. (If you can’t, mow some lawns or deliver papers for a month).

Finally, don’t assume you know what’s best for your book cover. Give the designer some space, and if possible get some early drafts of the cover out to your fanbase/facebook friends/network/blog and get some real reactions.

Free book cover design critique and makeover for indie authors

I’ve started a section of book cover critiques and makeover; if you have a cover already but aren’t sure if it’s good enough, or are thinking of getting a new one or fixing the old one, please send it to me to critique. I’ll do a “makeover”, which may include a free book cover that you can use if you like it.

The advantages for you: I’ll post your cover in a blog post along with comments on what I like/dislike about it, as well as some suggestions for improving it or possible cover ideas. Besides the obviously tangible benefit of free advice from a book designer, you also get the priceless ensuing free publicity. (There is no such thing as bad press – Your goal should be to get your name and the name of your book into people’s minds as many ways as possible).

Book cover critiques will not reflect on the actual book or writing – only on its superficial (but powerful) face. You can send me the cover in an attachment or give me the link to your blog/amazon page. I’d like to do a few every week, so if I get tons of requests, I may not have time to post them all.

Don’t let the review hurt your feelings. Knowing graphic design doesn’t make you a better person (as opposed to being a good writer – which makes you totally awesome.) A harsh critique about your writing may demand tissues and alcohol. After all if your writing sucks, there’s very little you can do about it (except for years and years of tooth-gritting practice). If your book cover sucks, however, just buy a new one.

On the other hand, if your book cover is totally awesome and you want to share it, here’s your chance.

Why I would give away free book covers

It’s actually pretty fun to be able to redesign a cover without having to please the client (since you’re not paying, I won’t need to take your opinion into account). I’ll just “play” and do whatever I think “feels right” – this freedom usually lets me make an awesome cover very quickly, so I get some more practice and might add the cover to my portfolio if I like it. If you like it, you’re free to use it.

Book cover makeover CONDITIONS:

1. I’m not able to makeover every cover request, I try to do a few every week but if I’m swamped with work or getting tons of request, I may not be able to do a makeover. However I’ll still post a critique with suggestions.

2. I’m very sorry if you don’t like what I come up with. Try to keep in mind that I’m doing this for free, and I try not to spend more than 30 minutes on makeovers; makeover covers will almost certainly not be as good as the covers in my portfolio. Also, since I’m just guessing based on the original cover, there’s a good chance I may not capture the reality of your book.

3. These are not meant to be totally redone from scratch designs – but simple fixes anybody could do to quickly improve a cover. This will help others learn to identify (and practice) better book cover design.

4. If you like the new cover but you want to make changes, then I’ll have to charge something – probably about half price of my normal book cover design fee. (But this offer is limited to making simple  changes in color, font, placement or maybe background image – not starting from scratch with something totally different!)

 

Check out past book cover critiques and makeovers HERE.

Use the form below to submit your cover

You can attach an image, or send a link to your cover. PS) if you have the original photo/designed you used for the background, without text, please send it too. (Or attach the photo and link to the current cover… also please include the title, author name, and a tagline.)

    Your Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Your Message

    Upload File