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Writer's pictureSamantha Sanderson-Marshall

Why hire a professional book cover artist and designer?

Updated: Jun 9

Ok, so you've written a book but you have a good eye for design and can create a decent image, or you have a friend who once studied graphic design who promises to do it free for you. Why pay a professional to create your cover?

Beautiful book cover artwork and design
Beautiful book cover artwork and design

Good book covers are important for authors for several reasons:


  • Attracting Readers: A well-designed book cover is often the first thing that catches a potential reader's eye. It's like a billboard that advertises your book, and a visually appealing cover can entice people to pick it up and learn more.


  • Communicating the Book's Genre: The cover design can communicate the genre of your book, which can help readers identify it as something they're interested in. For example, a romance novel might have a cover featuring a couple in a passionate embrace, while a thriller might have a cover with dark colors and ominous imagery.


“The cover can also set expectations for what the reader can expect from the book”

  • Setting Expectations: The cover can also set expectations for what the reader can expect from the book. If the cover is bright and cheerful, readers might expect a lighthearted and funny story. If the cover is dark and ominous, readers might expect a suspenseful and gripping tale.


  • Building Brand Awareness: If you're an author with multiple books, having a consistent style or design for your covers can help build brand awareness and make it easier for readers to recognize your work.


  • Standing Out in a Crowded Market: In today's digital age, there are thousands of new books published every day. A good cover can help your book stand out in a crowded market and grab the attention of potential readers.



Overall, a good book cover is essential for grabbing readers' attention, communicating the genre and tone of your book, setting expectations, building brand awareness, and standing out in a crowded market. It's worth investing time and money into getting the right cover design for your book.





Why pay a designer or artist, to design your book cover, instead of doing it yourself or letting a friend have a go?


Employing an experienced and talented book cover designer can offer several benefits over creating a cover yourself using stock images or low-quality artwork:


  • Professionalism: An experienced designer can bring a level of professionalism to the cover design that may be difficult to achieve with stock images or low-quality artwork. A well-designed cover can help your book look more polished and trustworthy, which can translate into more sales.


  • Creativity: A skilled designer can bring a fresh and creative perspective to the design process. They can use their expertise to come up with unique and eye-catching designs that capture the essence of your book and help it stand out from the crowd.


  • Attention to Detail: An experienced designer will have an eye for detail and will be able to ensure that all aspects of the cover design, including typography, color, and layout, work together harmoniously to create a cohesive and compelling design.


  • Knowledge of Industry Standards: An experienced book cover designer will have knowledge of industry standards and best practices for cover design. They can help ensure that your cover meets these standards, which can improve the chances of your book being accepted by retailers and attract more readers.


  • Time-Saving: Hiring a designer can save you time and effort that you would have spent on designing the cover yourself. This can free up your time to focus on other aspects of the publishing process, such as marketing and promotion.





Overall, employing an experienced and talented book cover designer can offer many benefits, including professionalism, creativity, attention to detail, knowledge of industry standards, and time-saving. While creating a cover yourself using stock images or low-quality artwork may be cheaper, investing in a professional cover design can pay off in the long run by helping your book stand out and attract more readers.







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Book cover artist and designer illustrating on a graphics tablet

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