How To Work With A Book Cover Designer

Starting the process to create your book cover for your newly finished novel can be so exciting, and is one of the final stages to go through before you can publish your book. However, picking a cover designer and being able to work with them successfully is often more tricky than authors realize and sometimes what should be a fantastic experience can quicky turn into a stressful one.

So what are some useful tips to help prepare you to work successfully with your book cover designer?

Let’s take a look at some of them.

Have the details clear

Before you start exploring who to choose as your book cover designer make sure you have all the details of your novel set straight. They will need to know the word count of your book (so they can predict the spine width), the title and what other information you want on the cover such as your author name and any tag line, whether your book will be available in hardback or paperback and a neat summary of what your story is about.

Do your research

Make sure that you do your research before settling on any one book cover designer. Finding out what others had to say about working with them as well as exploring examples of their work will give you a good idea of their reputation and style to see if it matches with your vision.

Have a flexible vision

Book cover designers are happy to be directed by the author. You can explain what your book is about, your target audience, the genre and themes, and can even suggest fonts that you like and give examples of other book covers you admire. However, if you are wedded to an exact vision, you’ll only end up being disappointed, and you need to allow your cover designer to have some creative freedom to work well with them.

Clarify the costs

One of the most tension-causing parts of having a book cover designed is negotiating the cost - but it doesn’t need to be if you are clear about this before you begin. Make sure that you ask your cover designer to give you a final cost, and explain how many revisions they are prepared to do. There are different levels of book cover design from getting one designed bespoke for you to choosing a pre-made but still one of a kind cover, so every author should be able to find a design that works within their budget.

Remain positive and communicative

When you receive your initial design, it’s not uncommon to be disappointed. It is after all one of the most eagerly anticipated parts of writing a novel, and if the design falls short of your expectations, it can leave you feeling flat. However, try to stay positive and constructively give your feedback. A good book designer will want to get it right for you, but you also have to be aware that they are the experts, they know what sells and it is their professional pride on the line as well. If you can communicate effectively and precisely without being insulting your designer is far more likely to be amenable to your suggestions, and vice versa.

Have trust

Any good relationship is built on trust so make sure that you try to trust your book cover designer. This can be incredibly difficult to do when handing over creative decision making powers to a project so close to your heart, but a good designer will listen to your ideas, explain their own thinking and be happy to compromise and work with you to get it just right.

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

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