Book Cover Design for Self-Published Authors
by Nada Orlic

To start, please provide a summary or blurb of your book (no more than 200 words). Typically, it takes about 14 days to create the first draft of your book cover. Including your feedback, the entire process usually takes 20-30 days. If we're working on other projects, it might take a bit longer. We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality book covers and will spend the necessary time to ensure your cover is perfect. If you have urgent deadlines, let us know, and we'll do our best to meet them.

We offer 3 completely different cover designs, often with additional versions of each.

If you have specific images in mind for your front cover, we would be happy to use them as long as you have permission to use them commercially and they are of appropriate resolution (300 pix for print, at least 150 pix for eBook).

If you don't have any images, no worries, we will create a cover using our own resources. Images we use are from bigstockphoto.com and we can get them for you free of charge.

If you wish to select and buy certain images from other websites, additional fee will be applied on the overall cover design cost. To be able to control your costs, you may wish to approve a maximum budget for these resources, or you can choose to approve them individually before we can use them.

Before we start designing, we'll need the following information: Will it be a print book, an e-book, or both? For print books, is it a paperback, hardback, or hardback with a paper jacket? What is the genre and target audience of the book? Do you have a summary or blurb of the book? Where will the book be published (Amazon ePub, CreateSpace, Lightning Source, NOOK Book, etc.)? Please note: All art (images, photos, illustrations) for book covers must be 300ppi in CMYK. If you're not printing on Kindle, please provide a book cover layout template and any guidelines from your printer. We retain the rights to the elements used in the book covers. You keep all rights to use the cover we design for you. We also reserve the right to use your name, company name, trademarks, and a general description of the work as a reference in our portfolio and promotional materials. It usually takes about 10-15 days to create a book cover. Deliverables typically include JPG covers for e-books and a PDF file ready for print for print books.

Maximum 200-300 words.

Images:

Print cover: CMYK 300 dpi (dots per inch). E-book cover: RGB 150 dpi. JPG, PNG files.

Text/Copy: DOC/TXT/RTF files.

Font Files: TTF/OTF files.

* Please note that 300dpi is NOT the same as 72dpi converted to 300dpi. It's not just a number or a format, it's about the quality of the photo. If you want good quality of your printed cover, please provide good quality materials.

* If you have an image in RGB mode when we need CMYK, or vice versa, I can, in most cases, convert it as needed. However, as the results of such conversion may not be ideal, I am recommending using images created in the required colour space whenever possible.

Colour is a great way to achieve focus or delight with a design. A well-chosen colour can help your brand along – there are even brands which, effectively, communicate visually through colour alone. We all react to colour instinctively, and usually intensely. While most people will raise an eyebrow at being asked about other design ‘tools’ – if they prefer triangles or circles, say, or serif or sans typefaces – ask anyone what colours they love or hate, and the answer will come without hesitation.

But colours are also tricky. We had clients come to us with their logo and on-screen palette already developed, only to discover that, when those colours were used for print materials, they didn’t come out of print right. We had them approve a logo seeing it on their desktop computer, and then backtrack upon seeing it on their phone or another computer, asking for an extra revision or two to find a better colour. Many have heard of Pantone, RGB and CMYK colour spaces mentioned, but weren’t sure what it was all about.

So, what are colour spaces, and why do we care?

Put very simply, a colour space is a set of colours reproduced on a screen or with colour swatches. RGB is a bunch of colours intended for screen, for instance; Pantone and CMYK are used in print. It has to do with the way the colour is created. For RGB, basically, on a computer screen red, green and blue light are added together to create a wide range of colours. Shine all three to the max, and you get white; turn all off, and you get black; shine red and blue together and you get purple, and so on.

CMYK, on the other hand, is a colour space based on ink. CMYK stands for the 4 colour process inks used for offset press printing – cyan, magenta, yellow and black. By combining these inks almost any colour can be made; this is why CMYK is used for full colour printing.

Pantone Matching System is also used for print. It’s a standardised set of colours (called spot colours) created using 14 base pigments mixed in specified amounts.

Choosing your palette

When choosing a palette for your business or product, you should keep in mind that there isn’t always a way to reproduce every colour from one colour space in another. For instance, some Pantone colours (like metallics and fluorescents) can’t be reproduced in CMYK, and printing everything from Pantone can be costly. If you want to control your budget, you may need to use a grey instead of a metallic silver (and it really won’t look as good, if we’re honest), or else just stay away from metallics altogether for a consistent look.

At a minimum, we advise choosing an on-screen palette (specified in RGB or HEX code) and a print palette (in CMYK space). Printing materials in RGB mode can be done, but you may be unpleasantly surprised by the results – something that looked red on screen, for instance, can be a dirty shade of pink printed onto paper. Similar is true when translating CMYK onto most screens.

When choosing your RGB colours, I advise you look at them at a few different devices (on your desktop at work, laptop, phone) and in different settings (dark room vs. outdoors on a sunny day). Many screens, due to poor quality of the hardware, their settings or condition, won’t reproduce the colours well. Check how your colour scheme performs across different platforms before deciding on it.

When choosing your CMYK and/or Pantone values, we recommend asking your printer for a proof the first time you print something. We will help you find print colours closest to what you see on screen, but it’s always good to see an actual printed sample or, at least, a preview on a professionally calibrated screen, to prevent unpleasant surprises. All good printing services will be able to provide this sort of preview.

If you're using Amazon for printing, we'll need the number of pages, book trim size dimensions, and paper color to create the cover template. If you're not using Kindle, please provide a book cover layout template or guidelines from your printer.

It is essential to prioritize clear and open communication throughout the design process. Be as specific as possible about your requirements, ideas, and expectations. Providing detailed feedback and promptly responding to queries from the designer will help ensure a smooth and successful collaboration.

What if I am uncertain about my design preferences or ideas?

If you are unsure about what you are looking for, that provides an opportunity for the designer to exercise their creativity and expertise. By sharing your goals, target audience, and any relevant information about your project, the designer can develop concepts that align with your vision.

How important is timely response and feedback?

Timely response and feedback are crucial for the timely completion of your design project. If you have a specific deadline in mind, it's essential to keep an eye out for any communications from your designer. Promptly providing feedback and addressing any queries will help maintain a steady workflow and ensure that the project is completed as soon as possible.

Will the designer suggest alternative concepts or designs?

Yes, we may offer additional concepts, designs, or alternative approaches to broaden the possibilities and enhance the final result. These suggestions are not meant to criticize you or your ideas personally but rather to explore different creative avenues that may better meet your objectives.

How can I make the most of the communication process? To optimize the communication process with us, consider the following tips:

• Clearly articulate your requirements and expectations.

• Provide visual references or examples if possible.

• Be open to feedback and constructive criticism.

• Ask questions and seek clarification whenever needed.

• Regularly check your communication channels for updates from the designer.

• Maintain a respectful and collaborative attitude throughout the process.

Please note that effective communication is key to a successful client-designer relationship. By fostering open dialogue, you can maximize the potential of your design project and achieve your desired outcomes.

We retain the rights to the elements used in the book cover design. You keep all rights to use the cover we design for you. We also reserve the right to use your name, company name, trademarks, and a general description of the work as a reference in our portfolio and promotional materials.

If you wish to give me a credit within your book, you can do so by inserting the following: Cover designed by Nada Orlić - Erelis Design (www.nadaorlic.com)

Photoshop source file where the text layers are editable, while art layers are flattened (non-editable). Fee $150 You will need to have Adobe Photoshop to edit the file.

Photoshop editable source file where both text and art layers are editable, meaning that all cover elements and effects used are on the separate layers. Fee $1500 You will need to have Adobe Photoshop to edit the file.

If you would like to make changes on pre-made designs fee start from $200

If you change your mind mid-project and decide to change the concept completely

(e.g. from characters on the cover to symbols used) fee $200