New Book Cover Options

Book covers are important. They're the first thing the reader sees and the first way of drawing them to buy a book. Because my traditional publishing house has its own cover designer, I didn't need to come up with a cover for my first books. However, when I went with the small, independent print-on-demand publisher, they did not, so I went with a designer the publisher recommended. I furnished the cover photo, chose the font, and suggested an arrangement at her request. For all practical purposes, I ended up paying her $250, but I designed the cover myself. It was my first experience with such things, and I "lived and learned" as the saying goes. Needless to say, I designed my own covers for all the books that followed. But I only have basic cover design software, and I can't do as much as full-time designers with more expensive programs.

Therefore, I still kept my eye on book cover designers and checked the prices of any I saw advertised whose work I liked. When I became involved with a team series where a team leader organizes a series around a theme with different authors writing one or more books in the series, I was required to use their cover designer, so all the covers would have a similar look. I checked before I agreed to write for the series, and the cover price was doable since she gave us a discount for the group project because she would be able to use the same background for all the books. Virginia McKevett of Black Widow Books did a great job, and she added print and audible editions to my order at a package price. Walnut Cake by Wylene will release on December 6 of this year. I will be doing one more book in this series to be released in October of 2022. Virginia has already finished a similar cover for it so that I can describe my main character by the young woman pictured on the cover.

Since then, I've also come across a designer who has even cheaper prices. If I order her pre-made, ebook covers from the sale page (which normally sell for $50) on a Friday, I can get them for $20. I ordered one for Mistaken Bride, the only book I'm far enough into the planning to be sure of, although it won't be published until 2023. She didn't have anything that fit the entire series of 5 books I have coming out in 2022, and I've already made covers I can use for them. However, I did find one to fit one of the books, and it had the cover I'd made that I was least satisfied with.

Going the Extra Mile will be the second book in the Idioms & Cliches series. There are some minor differences between the cover and the setting in the book, but I liked the cover enough to get it anyway. I am also considering 3 more covers from her for a Disabled Daughters series, but I'm concerned about ordering them too far in advance because they could need changes by the time I get them written. However, I'm glad to know I now have three viable options for cover sources. And who knows? I may find others.

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