Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime

Book Cover Designer needed

edited October 2017 in Writing
I'm just about to publish a book on Kindle only and need a cover designed. I would dearly like a local designer to do it but his quote was way too expensive and rightly so as he's brill, however I would have to sell an awful lot of books just to cover the cover!

I know they say get the best designer you can but I just can't afford it. Where does everybody go to get their covers designed if they are self-publishing with a budget?
Tagged:

Comments

  • My husband does mine, either using photos he's taken himself (he's a photographer) or stock images.

    Which is absolutely no help to you at all. Sorry.
  • A couple of Talkbackers have done covers.

    Also ask Mutley who she uses.

    I know Mrs Bear used one.
  • You can use free ones from the KDP website. They aren't great but if you have no budget you could play with one and see how it looks.
  • You can use free ones from the KDP website. They aren't great but if you have no budget you could play with one and see how it looks.
    You can add in your own images to some of these. It's possible to buy stock images for just a few pounds and the choice is huge, so you should be able to find something you like.
  • Yes, I used their free templates on CreateSpace and added my own photos.
  • I've had some of my covers from the designers on Fiverr.com. They cost $5 plus a small admin fee.
  • edited October 2017
    I should have seen this before i started another thread!
    What I'd like to do with mine is to take a stock image and superimpose my own drawing. Is that even possible?
  • Yes, it is, Lizy.
  • What app do i havecto download to do that?
  • Have you got Publisher, Lizy?
  • Possibly. Is that one of Word options? I shall look after breakfast.
  • If you want the very best Katie Stewart http://www.magicowldesign.com/
  • I had a look at Katie's website out of curiosity. Doesn't she produce professional, gorgeous covers?
  • She does. I'm going to look at her prices now :)
  • My friend, Tania, is very talented, reasonable rates and she really, really loves doing it.
  • I feel such a duffer putting every little question on TB but who else can ask? :)
    I joined CreateSpace yesterday and filled in their tedious tax form.
    Today I started looking on KDP in search of a cover and they want me to join them too.
    Do I need to do both?
  • Don't feel like a duffer. It's useful for other people too!
  • If I had a pound for every time I felt like a duffer to have to ask questions on here I'd be a rich woman! Talkback is my saviour - and as Lou says - information is useful for others too.
  • Createspace is for paperbacks. The KDP part is for ebooks. They're both Amazon, but different branches. You can just have your book as a paperback, just ebook, or both (the designer will need to know as there are differences in cover requirements.)

    The one tax form does for both, I think.
  • TN - you mentioned Publisher for making a cover from a photo.
    Is that different from Microsoft's Publisher option?
    I'd like to try making a cover but can't see how.
  • I don't know, Lizy. It's a green 'P' on my screen and it's a 2016 version. You can copy in backgrounds, overlay images, add fonts, rotate things, add effects, and so on... We pay for it.
  • Obviously something different.
    I have another problem now - all my emails are going into OH's inbox, including one from Magic Owl design, which is in such tiny font that I can't read it. And he can't forward it to me because I'm
  • Lizy, couldn't he give you his password so that you can open the email and then download what you need until you've sorted out what's happening? The OH and I both have access to each others' emails so that we can open them on both our devices.
  • Be careful on Canva on what rights you actually have. I had someone try to submit something to me from it recently and when I looked at the rights it did not allow commercial if I remember rightly.
    Katie (Magic Owl) has done such a good cover for my most recent book that everyone who sees it seems to want to buy it - can't do better than that!
  • Oh and the P is most likely Microsoft publisher
  • That's interesting, Mutley. Debbie Young (ALLi) uses it.

  • Katie (Magic Owl) has done such a good cover for my most recent book that everyone who sees it seems to want to buy it - can't do better than that!
    You should put a link to your book on the sticky: TB Virtual Bookshelf so that members can easily find it.
  • edited October 2017
    Katie (Magic Owl) saw this thread - as I hoped she might - and contacted me through FB Messenger. Someone who goes to that much trouble is worth pursuing!
    Thanks for your recommendation, Mutley :)
Sign In or Register to comment.