How to Get an Awesome Book Cover for Your Novel

The cover of a book may not be the most important part (because the writing is most important) but, the cover is what people will first notice about your book. It has to catch the eye of the potential reader and cause the potential reader to pick up the book to see what it's all about.

If you are a self published/indie author who is just starting out you are probably wondering how to go about getting an awesome book cover for your novel. Well, here in this article, I will have a few tips and links for you.

The first and cheapest option you have is to make your own. Personally, I lack the skills for this…believe me, I've tried.

But, it is a reasonable option to learn how to make your own covers.

If you want to learn to make your own cover you will need to make sure that any photos you use are royalty free and make sure you aren't infringing any copyrights. Dreamstime and Creative Commons are a couple of the most frequently used websites for finding photos. Make sure to read the licensing policies before using any pictures.

Learning how to use programs like Photo Shop or Paint are a must. I downloaded Paint.net for free online and was able to use the tutorials to make some pretty nice stuff. I somehow managed to make a crystal ball out of nothing after like seven hours! (whoo hoo!)

There are differences between what you will need for an eBook cover and a cover for a print book. When you choose the company you are going to publish from, go to their cover design submission requirements and there you will find the measurements and other specifications that you will need for your cover.

Another option you have for finding an awesome book cover is to have one custom made. There are several places where you can go to look for graphic artists who can do cover design. A lot of authors go to deviantArt where you can find art you like and then contact the artist about doing a cover for you.

Some wonderful cover artists I've come across who have decent prices are Paragraphic Designs, Book Graphics and Eye Candy Digital.

Google is also a great place to find cover designers. Make sure you shop around because book covers can get very, very expensive and if you look long enough you can find one who suits you and is affordable.

Also, it never hurts to ask if they accept payment, many of the artists will, but they won't release the cover until the final payment is made.

Sometimes, these artists also have premade/customizable covers to choose from. I even found this website where they have discounted covers for as little as eighteen dollars!

Hopefully this article was helpful and you will create or find an awesome cover for your novel!