So, you have written your first book and are now ready to start thinking about Marketing your book baby. First things first, your book needs a cover. Hire a good cover designer, do not design your own book cover. You took the time to write the words, let a designer bring your book to life. Designers come in many monetary ranges based on experience. The amount you are willing or able to spend is up to you.
Consider what you are looking for before you choose a designer. Some artists can design you a cover from scratch while others use a combination of stock photography and photo manipulation software, filters, and adjustments to bring your words to life. Check out the artist’s portfolio. Which genres do they typically design for? You may like their work but do not see anything in your genre in their portfolio, send them a message and see if they are willing to try. It does not hurt to ask.
No matter who you decide to hire, the most important advice I can give you is, keep it simple. Come up with two or three key elements from your story that you would like represented in the cover art. Avoid extraneous details. Keep requested elements to story setting, general descriptions of people or items and tone. Is this a comedy or a darker story? If your story does not take place in a major city with tons of stock photography possibilities (i.e., Paris, London, NYC) you could just say you want a city background at night with no major identifiable landmarks.
The next thing to consider is whether you are going to sell e-books only or will you be needing Paperbacks as well? If your book is finished, edited, and ready to publish, the designer will need to know your final page count for a Paperback wrap as well as the trim size you want to use (5 x 8 is an exceedingly popular choice but make sure you research what is popular in your genre).
Hire a designer who also creates promotional images for use on social media. Marketing is the next step after your cover, but that is another discussion entirely.
At Greeff-iti Designs, I have packages to fit all publishing needs. I have design experience with a wide variety of genres from YA to Adult, Sci-Fi to erotic romance. I love working with Independent and Published Authors alike and look forward to hearing how you envision your words and how I can make that vision a reality.
Jennifer Greef - Greef-iti Designs
My name is Jennifer Greeff and I have been working in Book Publishing, Promotions and Design since 2013. I am both self-employed and a contracted Artist with The Wild Rose Press and Authors on a Dime.
I graduated from The University of Texas at San Antonio in 2005 with a B.B.A. in Marketing and have used both my degree and all my work experience since to get me to where I am today.
I love working with Independent and Published Authors alike and look forward to hearing how you envision your words and how I can make that vision a reality.
Thank you so much for posting this Veronica! I had so much fun writing this and hope to write more on Marketing for everyone soon. Stay tuned!