This week we are focussing on the thing most books ARE judged on, and the most important tool in your marketing box - your cover!
Simply put, a cover that is not professionally made will leave so much £££ off your table, as:
potential readers will not be able to identify your book as belonging to a specific genre (and you literally have seconds, usually in thumbnail size, to do this!)
the cover is the first impression you usually make on a reader - do you want them to think cheap and unclear or think beautiful (or at least aligned with your genre conventions)
that this author believes in the content of this book so much they’re willing to invest in the cover - if you don’t believe in your book, how can you expect a reader to give you £££ for it?
I genuinely believe that any money you DON’T spend on your cover, you will LOSE in tens if not hundreds of times that amount in sales.
I often have people tell me they can’t afford a cover (or editor, referring back to last week’s newsletter) but self-publishing is a business, and you wouldn’t be able to start ANY business without investing at least some capital into it initially.
Is there someone in your life who can help you, who believes in your work? Can you do a Kickstarter or other fundraiser?
It is folly to believe that you can be successful and sell lots of books if you don’t nail the cover.
*exceptions are those who are writers and illustrators or have a very high level of skill and knowledge on cover illustration and design (but even a very good amateur is quickly identified when you browse covers - you will definitely lose sales, no matter how pass-able you can make the cover)
I know these sound like strong thoughts, but this IS a hill I’m willing to die upon. And it’s okay if you don’t agree with me - there is room in this world for people with differing opinions on book covers and investment…
Pay a ‘GOOD’ artist to do your cover (and pay more than you’d like if they are perfect) and don’t take shortcuts by employing your niece of someone on Fiver willing to do it for a fiver!
Oh, and my last thought for this week before we get into the process, and that is please, please, please do not use one of these self-publishing companies that ask you for money.
Yes, money is required to self-publish your book (and there is ALWAYS add-ons!) but the amount they ask for is more than you’d spend to get a BETTER outcome, and you keep control of everything.
And that’s all I’ve got to say about that…for now…
So, onto finding and working with cover artists.
Finding and working with cover artists
Before you begin:
Know your budget (and if there’s any wiggle room - you’ll likely end up paying more than you might like for someone great!)
Search for covers you admire or think might be similar the one you envisage for your book
Make a mock-up (I did mine on Canva) with notes for the artist (you can draw a mock if you’re okay at that!)
Make sure you check your genre thoroughly - you want to be the same but different (the reader should be able to identify the age group/genre from your cover alone)
How to find a cover artist:
Fiver/Reedsy etc are good places to start but do look around. Also look at illustration agencies for MG and below
You can contact someone whose work you admire (I did this for my YA).
Post on social media (this is how I met my MG illustrator).
Check their portfolio out on their website - most reputable cover artists will have a portfolio.
Know your budget up front and state it to anyone you contact early, so you can check you’re on the same page.
Fees, agents and contracts:
How much to spend? This will vary with experience/status, but anything from £300 to £1500 is about right.
How to contact and negotiate with agents - one of the cons of working with a great cover artist is they probably have an agent, so you’ll end up paying about 35% more to give the agency their cut and pay VAT. The pro is you get a great artist. But don’t be afraid to negotiate with agents - their job is to get more money for their client and themselves. Your job is to make sure you don’t pay more than you have to.
Reading and negotiating contracts - I found this bit tricky but honestly it all made sense and I researched the stuff which didn’t. If you’re going via an established agency, most of it will be standard, but do check everything with a fine-tooth comb and don’t be afraid to ask for changes.
Things to look out for:
What the rights cover
That the work covers all formats your require
That it’s a collaborative process
Payment timelines (never pay all up front)
Working with a cover artist:
This SHOULD be a collaborative process.
You should be prepared with ideas and concepts and other covers style’s that you admire.
You shouldn’t be too prescriptive, however, and be prepared to trust your artist/designer.
You should go through several rounds/stages of design, from rough concept to final, finished version.
The final product:
Check the measurement are what you requested at the start, including trim size and spine width in particular.
For hardback, you’ll need to ensure enough bleed has been added to the edges.
Audiobook is different from e-book, which is different from paperback, and hardback, etc - do make sure you have all you need - it’s easier to ask now before time passes.
Test the covers by uploading to KDP/Ingram/BookVault etc - you will get error messages if there’s any issue and it’s okay to go back to the cover artist with issues - they will have dealt with most things many times.
I also recorded a video, where I discuss all of the points above in much more detail, so do watch if you’re interested in finding out more.
Next week we will be focussing on MONEY!