Conference-go-round: our buck’s worth from book covers

I think I’ve become addicted to writing conferences. Blame it on the pandemic and the horde of cost-cutting virtual events it spawned. Earlier this month, I “virtually” attended the Roanoke Writers Conference 2020. Last weekend it was Bouchercon 2020, the annual conference of Mystery Writers of America. At the end of October, I’ll be at a virtual World Fantasy Convention. And in November, I huddle down for a weeklong online version of agent Donald Maas’s Breakout Novel Intensive. Whew!

 

The title of writer/graphic artist J. Kathleen Cheney’s workshop hosted by the Roanoke, Texas, writers’ group was “Book Covers That Don’t Suck.” I’ve tended to pass up discussions of book covers, but a dip into Wattpad convinced me of the value of story illustrations. And with a free trial subscription to graphic design site Canva, why not go beyond simple illustrations to full cover design?

 

Cheney covered (pun intended) three basic options for book cover design: low-cost, premade, and custom. 

Image: Pixabay 

A low-cost option such as Canva, she acknowledged, “is helpful if you know ahead of time what you want” and don’t want to spend much – especially on a book a writer doesn’t expect to make much profit from. Lest that sound like a putdown, she’s used the option for two of her short story collection. But then there’s the issue of knowing what an author actually wants. After all, we’re word people, not picture people!

 

Although our first inclination might be to look at Amazon covers in our genre, Cheney cautioned that the giant retailer’s suggestions most likely include books whose covers might have been the last word in style when they were first published – possibly years, even decades ago – but can now appear dated.

 

A better choice for the most currently in-style covers is Pinterest. Try searching for, say, “young adult covers 2020,” or whatever our genre is for more eyes-forward options.

 

Cheney also mentioned a trend toward illustrated (as opposed to photographed) covers, especially in cozy mysteries, a genre I’m currently dabbling in.

 

“You’re going to have to do a lot of research. There’s no way around it,” she warned.

 

The next step up in book cover design is to use “premades,” templates and stock cover images available from design services, which also includes Canva. (I’ve used Canva templates with illustrations from another of my go-to sites, Pixabay, sometimes with my own minor modifications.)

 

Premades are less expensive than custom covers, but again, “you’re going to have to dig around a bit.” Put “premade covers” into Google, and be aware, Cheney said, “I’m going to be honest – there’s a lot of crap out there.”

 

Finally, there’s the option of hiring a designer. “Ask around. Get recommendations from your friends and writing groups. Then look at that designer’s website.”

 

From her own experience as a designer, Cheney noted that writers must still take a lot of responsibility. A designer may not be able to do the kind of work you want. She has had clients ask for a specific look that simply is not in her skill set. Designers also face legal limitations on what they are able to do. “You cannot legally copy someone else’s designs or use trademarked images.”

 

Cheney also warned that some tempting, particularly low-cost design sites may use pirated images, although I have decided not to name any on this post. Again, do some research.

 

Beyond giving an author information about the nature of a designer’s work, that person’s website should also discuss costs, what services a buyer can expect to receive, and the time frame for receiving the final product.

 

She also suggested researching an issue not likely to be found on the designer’s website – how easy they are to work for.”

 

Even so, we as writers need to be clear about what we want. Miscommunications can cause lost work and lost time – for which the designer will charge a penalty. We also can’t expect the designer to read our book. Their time means our money!

 

So, which route to take for cover design? Although the cost of a cover can’t guarantee payback in sales, “you have to have a realistic idea of how much you expect to earn – or pay.”

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Next up from the conference-go-round: New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Kent on mastering the basics of writing crime fiction.