There is a well-known phrase: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
The truth, however, is that many people DO judge a book by its cover, so as an author, you need your cover to be an excellent representation of what’s inside. Here are some examples of what I’m talking about:
A well-made cover usually indicates a well-written book (because the author obviously cared enough about it to have it done properly). A sloppy, disorganized, badly laid out cover is often an indication that the story will be just as bad.
A bright, fun, colorful cover for a children’s book can accurately reflect the vibrantly illustrated interior of the book. On the other hand, a bright, fun, colorful cover for a novel about a serial killer would not be a good representation of what’s inside. In fact, a potential reader of serial killer novels may very well skip right past a cover like that, assuming that it’s not something they’re looking for!
Your cover is usually the first encounter a reader has with your book, and just like the entree of a fine meal, you want your cover to whet the reader’s appetite and encourage them to have another nibble.
If you’ve had plenty of design experience, access to Photoshop and plenty of time on your hands, then you can have a go at making your own cover.
If you’re like the majority of authors however, you’d rather have a professional do it properly so that you can get back to writing your next story.
If that’s the path you choose to take, there are two main types of cover designer you should be familiar with:
“Pre-made” cover designers: These designers make a huge number of covers in different styles, and with different images, all using fictitious or default titles (They might all have “Book Title” by “Author Name” on the cover for example). An author will scroll through the designer’s portfolio which will be listed on their website, and when they find a cover they like, the designer will change the default title/name to whatever title/name the author requires, then remove that cover from their website. This means nobody else will have that identical cover. Other authors may have access to the stock photos used on the cover however, as these are usually from a large stock photo site. The price for a pre-made cover is usually somewhere between $50 and $150.
Custom cover designers: Custom cover designers will take your concept for the book, and work with you to get a cover exactly how you see it in your mind. Generally, you’ll give the designer rough guidelines to work with, i.e. “I want a blonde woman wearing a dress leaning in to kiss a tall, muscular man with tattoos.” The designer will then go on a hunt and find models and photographs that match your description, and make one (or several) “trial” cover designs for your consideration. If the cover needs a bit of fine-tuning (“I’d like the text to be purple instead of red, and I’d like the photo to be a bit more off-center”), then the designer will sort that out for you. Depending on how much you want to spend, you can have custom artwork drawn up, a photo shoot organized with professional models, or even multiple similar covers designed for special, limited edition releases of your book. Custom cover design is obviously more expensive, however, and prices can run from $100 for something basic, up to several thousand.