Recently I discovered SelfPubBookCovers.com, a web-based business that provides a good, useful service for indie authors. The synchronicity was stunning — at that moment I needed three new book covers: a digital front cover for my Steampunk novel, and two full print covers, one for an extensively revised 2nd edition of my short-fiction collection, Mercurial Tales.
Patricia A. Leslie
The website is quite user-friendly and offers hundreds of finished cover-artworks, from dozens of graphic artists. Prices range from $70 to $100.
First, I spent a couple hours thoroughly studying the site (you can browse by genre, or by artist). I dragged 21 “possible” selections to a sub-page to evaluate further. In a couple of hours, I had found all three cover designs, for a total of $260. Each one felt ideal to me. These prices, however, are only for front-cover, digital versions. Back and spine added by the artist, including back copy elements and spine titling, would be another $149. So, depending on the basic price, one print-ready cover will probably run between $220-$260.
After the author or publisher buys a cover, it is never re-sold. It goes to the client’s account-page, which provides each “working image” with adjustable graphic-design grid-marks. The new “owner” then personally sets up the titling and author name as overlaid layers on the cover art. There are many legible, title-suitable fonts, in a range that addresses most genres. Point size is flexible. Additionally, there are “glow” and “shadow” options to make the lettering pop against the background art. I found this process a piece of cake, since I’ve used InDesign software and the graphics options on my Wix websites for a couple of years. In less than two days, I had three new, complete covers (in low-res, digital format) finished and posted on my websites and newsletter. The whole process was satisfyingly painless.
This was “Stage One.” See my next post about having a “back and spine” added for print.
(Coming next week.)
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Patricia-It sounds like you found a great solution. I would love to see the finished product. Can you post some copies of the covers?
Catherine,
Thanks for acknowledging my blog post. You can actually see all 3 of my finished, new front covers on the landing page of my website (www.lesliebookcommunity.com). The 3 new covers are for: Mercurial Tales; Valedictoria Scott’s Mysterious Adventures; Patricia A. Leslie’s Peculiar Wit & Occasional Wisdom. You’ll also see the cover for the first book of my 4-book fantasy series there (The Ballad of Tam Lin), which at this point, I’ve long been aware is a “fail”, and which I hope to also re-do as soon as I find the perfect series of cover images. I’d be interested in hearing opinions of the new covers that were done through SelfPubBookCovers.