Step 2

Design an attention-grabbing book cover

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but most people do. After all, that’s the first thing they see. So you need a striking cover that will convince prospective readers to take a closer look. Oh yes—you have just seven seconds to lure them in.

An eye-catching book cover often features a striking typographical approach or one central image that’s fresh and original rather than being a cliché. The image needs to capture your book’s message and dovetail with the book’s genre, while still managing to stand out.

That’s not the easiest thing. Even the pros get it wrong. I remember the cover Warner Books created for my first book about stalking. The black and red cover with the creepy eyes perfectly conveyed the book’s message. But I hadn’t realized that the publishers had decided to categorize the book as True Crime. Bad idea! Worse, the cover positively blended in with all the other black and red covers in that section of the bookstore.

At Incubation Press, we’ll  make darn sure your cover stands out while authentically both you and your book. The packages below have been designed to accommodate a range of budgets and design needs. Whether you go with us or not, be sure to check out all the design-related information we’ve included further down this page.

 

Cover Design Timing & Packages

If all this seems like more than you want to dive into, Incubation Press has created a series of packages to help. Need some advice but don’t want to pull a package? Opt for our design- and editorial-team author consultation ($350/hour).

All packages are payable in advance and include up to two revisions (additional revisions charged at $150/hour). Work will be performed in a timely manner and will begin as soon as payment in full—and where appropriate all material from author—has been received. Please keep in mind that the first round of cover ideas will not be finished covers, but rather an assortment of approaches that will be fine-tuned based on your selection and input. Anticipate the cover design process taking four to six weeks. Rush jobs will be subject to a 50 to 100 percent additional charge.

Pre-Cover Package – $500

• Target Market and Positioning
• Research a minimum of 10 competitive titles for cover inspiration and marketing purposes
• Cover copy review and suggestions
• Title and sub-title review and recommendations
• Pricing recommendations
• Trim size recommendations

Ernest Hemingway Plan – direct & unadorned – $750

• E-book cover – two separate cover design approaches; up to three revisions
• Author provides cover image – image(s) and image specs subject to Incubation Press approval
• Cover image is used “as is”
• Author provides ISBN #
• Author provides endorsements

Author receives:

• A final, high-resolution front cover e-book file
• 100% rights and royalties

 John Steinbeck Plan – organic & incisive – $1,050

• Print cover front, back & spine – two separate, custom cover design approaches; three revisions
• Free e-book cover
• Author provides cover image – image(s) and image specs subject to Incubation Press approval. For print, look for a minimum resolution of 300 dpi; for an e-book you want a minimum of 72 dpi. See below for links to stock imagery
• Author provides author photo – image(s) and image specs subject to Incubation Press approval (see above)
• Author provides back cover copy – Linden is available to help as either a writing coach or copywriter
• Author provides ISBN #
• Free barcode created based on ISBN #
• Author provides endorsements

Author receives:

• Final, high-resolution front and back cover print-book files for promotional purposes.
• A final, high-resolution front cover e-book file
• 100% rights and royalties

Stephen King Plan – dynamic & detailed  – $2,150

• Print cover front, back & spine – two separate, custom cover design approaches; three revisions
• Free e-book cover
• Incubation Press does photo research to find the right stock photography for your cover ($400 imagery allowance included in price)
• Author provides author photo – image(s) and image specs subject to Incubation Press approval. For print, look for a minimum resolution of 300 dpi; for an e-book you want a minimum of 72 dpi
• Back cover copy written by Incubation Press – includes book sell and author bio
• Author provides ISBN #
• Free barcode created based on ISBN #
• Author provides endorsements

Author receives:

• Final, high-resolution front and back cover print-book files with back cover copy to use for promotional purposes
• 3-D image of cover to use for promotional purposes
• A final, high-resolution front cover e-book file
• 100% rights and royalties

J.K. Rowling Plan – going big, bigger, biggest – $3,750

• Print cover front, back & spine – two separate, custom cover design approaches; three revisions. Incubation Press designer and writer/writing coach team with author to work on concept. (Price includes $1,000 for imagery/photo shoot allowance.) Options:
  • Custom photo shoot, art-directed by Incubation Press designer
  • Custom-created cover art using hand-drawn illustration or photoshop images
  • Custom, conceptual typographical approach

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• Free e-book cover
• Author provides author photo – image(s) and image specs subject to Incubation Press approval. For print, look for a minimum resolution of 300 dpi; for an e-book you want a minimum of 72 dpi
• Back cover copy written by Incubation Press – includes book sell and author bio
• Author provides ISBN #s
• Free barcode created based on ISBN #
• Author provides endorsements

Author receives:

• Final, high-resolution front and back cover print-book files with back cover copy to use for promotional purposes
• 3-D image of cover to use for promotional purposes
• A final, high-resolution front cover e-book file
• 100% rights and royalties

Additional services (charged at $150/hour):

• Back cover copywriting or editing
• Hardcover design
• Copy or design changes after proofs have been approved

Book Design 101

Make Sure Your Book Stands Out

For a solid overview about book cover design, check out this Writer Magazine article.

Imagery

One way to come up with an original concept that reflects your message is through the image you choose for your cover. If money is no object, consider hiring a photographer or an illustrator to create a custom visual for your cover. Otherwise, the most cost-effective way to find cover imagery is going to be at stock photo websites like:

• istock.com
• shutterstock.com
• gettyimages.com
• alamy.com
• canstockphoto.com

But be careful! Stock images, by definition, are widely available and so can easily become overused (translation: cliché) or can cheapen your book.

For a list of more unique stock photo websites featuring mostly free images check out thenuschool.com/free-stock-photos-websites-awesome-list/ and unsplash.com. Just remember that your cover needs to pop on the shelf as well as a thumbnail (think postage stamp) since many if not most readers will probably first see it online. So choose an image that will work on both a large and tiny scale.

Warning!

Make sure you have the legal right to use any and all images you choose. Especially when using free images, check the copyrights and obtain the correct license(s). Every stock photo website has a section with this information. Remember, “editorial use only” means that the photo or illustration cannot be used to promote a product, which in your case is your book.

Technicalities

You’ll want to find an image with a high enough resolution for your cover and your author pic. Otherwise, they will look blurry.

• For print, look for a minimum resolution of 300 dpi
• for an e-book you want a minimum of 72 dpi

Timing

You want to initiate your cover design as soon as you begin to see the end line during the writing process. Not only will that inspire you to keep going, it’s the only way to start pre-selling—or at least getting people talking about—your book.

The Next Step…

You’ll need to send  your prospective book buyers somewhere, so it’s time to jump on:

STEP 3 – CREATING A WEBSITE FOR YOUR BOOK