A Comprehensive Guide to Book Cover Design Cost

For me, one of the most challenging parts is not writing or publishing a book. Rather, it is convincing readers to select your book. No matter if you have written a page-turner, fascinating story, if your book cover design is not persuasive enough, your book might not do well in the market.

For almost two and a half years, I was repeating the same mistake of not focusing on my book cover design. During this time span, I had published four books, and none of them performed well in the industry. At first, I thought my books lacked captivating content; therefore, I sought help from a professional. They made me realize that the issue was never the content, but the design of my book covers. Then I crafted visually appealing and highly compelling book cover designs, and voila, my books actually became popular among the readers. However, it is crucial to know that I spent weeks and even months hiring a reliable and cost-effective designer.

If you are also facing this issue or this is your first time publishing a book, you must read this guide thoroughly. In this guide, I will discuss why a book cover design is crucial for your book and how much it costs to design a book cover.

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get straight into it!

Why is an Eye-catching Book Cover Design Crucial for your Book?

Since childhood, we all have heard “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” haven’t we? Although the phrase is not only about the books, it is an important lesson. However, most of us still select books by their covers without even knowing what the story is about. Well, that’s just human nature, as we human beings are attracted to the things that are pleasing to the eye. If you want readers to select your book from a heap of books, you must ensure that your book has a striking cover design that immediately grabs the reader’s attention. However, before knowing how to make your book stand out among a bunch of books, let’s first understand why an aesthetically pleasing book cover design is essential.

Here are some key factors that make a stunning cover design crucial for your book:

Your First Impression

To begin with, one of the key reasons for the importance of a book cover design is that it is the first impression the reader has. From my personal experience as a reader, when I visit libraries or bookstores, I choose books with the best cover designs even without knowing their genre. On the other hand, if a cover design is not that compelling, I generally move on to other books despite the desired genre. Similarly, for your target audience, your book cover design is a factor that decides whether the reader will consider reading your book or not.

Attracts Readers

In addition to this, beautifully designed book covers are the reason why readers are attracted to your books. No matter if you have a name in the industry or not, if your book cover design is visually appealing, readers will be attracted to your book. However, the fame of your book significantly depends on your storyline and narrative skills.

Makes your Book Stand Out

Furthermore, it helps make your book stand out from competitors. If you have exceptional writing skills and your cover design is crafted beautifully, then there may be a high chance of your book doing well in the industry.

Signals the Genre and Theme

Besides that, many readers keep reading the same genre. If a reader likes to read a fairytale romance, they might look for covers with book cover designs that speak of love. Similarly, a reader who has an interest in spine-chilling thrillers will go with books with dark colors and images that give a hint of mystery.

What is the Cost of a Book Cover Design?

One of the most common questions that pops up in every author’s mind is, how much does a book cover design cost?

It is vital to know that the book cover design cost primarily depends on your country. However, in the UK, the price of the book cover design can range from £250 to £1,500. But it is crucial to remember that the cost may vary depending on the type of design.

Here is the estimate of each design type:

• DIY tools: £0 to £50
• Pre-made covers: £100 to £150
• Freelancers: £200 to £800
• Professional design agencies: £300 to £1500+

DIY Tools

Firstly, one of the most common designing methods is to use DIY tools like BookBrush or Canva. You can design the covers by using free or very low-cost templates. Although many authors fail to attract their audience by using these tools, several succeed in doing so. You can also make aesthetically appealing designs by practice. Additionally, it is also a good alternative for authors with a limited budget, as its estimated cost is £0 to £50.

Pre-made Covers

Besides that, you can also design your book cover by customizing pre-made covers. For my first book, I also customized these ready-made covers due to a tight budget. The reason I didn’t choose DIY tools was the lack of creativity and design. At that time, the prices were different than today. In recent times, the estimated cost of pre-made covers is £100 to £150.

Freelancers

On the other hand, if you have a flexible budget of around £200 to £800, then hiring a freelancer must be the best decision for you. They offer custom book covers design services at relatively lower prices than professional agencies. These designers are experts who ensure that they provide you with high-quality, customized covers that match your book’s genre.

Professional Design Agencies

However, if your budget is somewhere between £300 and £1500, then you should consider seeking book cover design services from a professional design agency. Though they are a bit expensive, these professional designers provide you with lavishly illustrated book cover designs. In addition to this, these experts have proven industry experience; thus, they are highly familiar with the demands of your potential audience. Hence, these skilled and creative designers ensure that their book cover designs meet those demands and do well in the market.

If it’s your first book and you have a low budget, you must start with DIY tools or pre-made covers. However, if your budget is flexible, then hiring a freelancer or seeking services from a professional agency might be the best decision for you.

Apart from this, you can also get book cover design services from your traditional publishing clients. I have listed a range of estimated budgets, allowing you to be aware of the market competitive rates:

Large Commercial Publishing Houses

• £250 to £1300

Medium-sized Commercial Publishers

• £150 to £1200

UK University Presses

• £250 to £1200+

Small Presses

• £150 to £1000+

Non-profit Presses & Small Poetry Houses

• £250 to £800+

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What are the Factors that Influence the Cost?

Have you understood the importance and the average book cover design prices specifically in the UK? I hope you have. Let’s now have a look at some key factors that influence the cost of a book cover design.

Complexity of Design

First and foremost, the cost of a book cover design depends on the complexity of your design. If you want a simple design with minimal effort, you will be charged less. However, if you want a design with custom illustrations or photo manipulation, you will be charged relatively more for it.

Genre

In addition to this, the cost significantly depends on the genre of your book. If your genre is fantasy, romance, sci-fi, or any other complicated or detailed genre, then you will be charged more.

Experience and Reputation of the Designer

Besides that, a major factor that influences book cover design pricing is the designer's experience and reputation. If you choose a highly experienced designer with a good reputation in the industry, you will have to pay more. However, if you select one with no or less experience with no recognition in the industry, you will have to pay less. To ensure that the low price doesn’t affect the quality, it is vital to take a look at the samples or portfolio of the designer.

An eBook or a Print Book

Apart from that, the cost of a book cover design depends on the type of book as well. The price varies based on whether it is an e-book or a physical book. The e-book cover designs are simple and quick; therefore, designers charge less. However, print book cover designs are complicated and time-consuming due to spine width and back cover layout. For this reason, you have to pay more.

Customized or Pre-made

Furthermore, the cost of a book cover design also depends on whether your book cover is customized or pre-made. For a customized book cover, you have to hire a freelancer or seek services from a professional agency. These experts provide you with artistic and attractive book cover designs according to your potential audience’s demands. On the other hand, for a pre-made cover, you can tailor an already existing book cover template and edit the title and your name on it. A pre-made book cover design is relatively lower than the customized one.

Key Considerations When Hiring a Book Cover Designer

Now comes the main part: What are the key considerations when hiring someone to design my book cover?

Based on my experience, I always consider these three main things:

My Budget

The very first thing is my budget. I have been publishing books for years, and my budget keeps fluctuating. When I have a flexible budget, I generally opt for professional design agencies. However, if my budget is limited, I opt for pre-made covers.

If I am Publishing the Book for Fun or as a Passion

Moreover, I often write books that I doubt will do well in the market. Well, those books are just for experimenting with my audience. However, when I publish such books, I keep my expenses as low as possible. For that, I often don’t hire professional designers; instead, I do it on my own. On the other hand, if I write a book demanded by my audience, I spend the required money on hiring a professional designer for my book cover, publishing, marketing, and other crucial things.

If the Designer has Expertise in my Desired Genre

In addition to this, another factor that I consider is verifying that the designer has proven expertise in my desired genre. As each genre requires different visuals, typography, and illustration, the designer must be an expert and highly skilled in designing visually appealing book covers.

You must also consider the following factors when hiring a book cover designer:

Samples or Portfolios

To decide on the better designer, take a look at their samples or portfolios. This will give you an idea of whether the designer meets your requirements or not.

Revisions

Moreover, ensure that the designer offers free and unlimited revisions of the book cover design. Due to this, you can request changes in the design until you are satisfied.

Refund Policy

Furthermore, ensure that the designer offers a refund policy if you are not satisfied with their services.

On-Time Delivery

Besides that, make sure that they deliver the book cover design on time, preventing delays in the publishing process.

All in all!

In a nutshell, a book cover design plays a significant role in the success of your book in the industry. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of the costs of the book cover designs, allowing you to set your budget accordingly.

This brings us to the end of our discussion!

I hope that this blog will help you know the significance of a book cover design and an estimate of its cost. Best of luck with your book publishing!