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How to Approach a Graphic Designer: Interview with Peter Ingham

July 6, 2012

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      So you’ve finished the inside of your book and it’s time to start work on the outside. But how do you approach a cover artist? What’s the normal procedure? And how do you make sure your cover is unique, interesting, and legal? We spoke with author//graphic designer Peter Ingham about the cover design process from a graphic artist’s perspective.

      Hey Peter, thanks for taking the time to talk to us about ebook cover design. Let’s get right into it:

      What are the key pieces of information an author should include when soliciting cover design services?

      These are the main elements I look for:

  • Timeframe on the work (“I need this by next week.”)
  • The intended format (hardback vs ebook, as well as the target website like Amazon or Smashwords)
  • A general idea of what the client would like the cover to look like
  • Any images the author already has (stock images, personal photos, royalty-free images)
  • Any influences they have
  • Any thematic elements and a brief synopsis of the work

      What’s the most helpful piece of information a client can send to an ebook cover artist?

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Money Flows Toward the Writer? Not in Ebook Territory

June 15, 2012

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     If you’ve participated in any writing communities in the past decade, you’ve probably heard this saying: Money flows toward the writer. Once upon a time, this was nearly undeniably true. But in the ebook and self-publishing landscape, writers often have to spend money to make books.

      In traditional publishing, the saying still holds some merit. No writer should pay a publishing company upfront for basic publisher duties like editing, evaluating, reviewing, or reading the manuscript. And no writer should ever pay an agent upfront. Beyond that, though, things get murky. Certain publishers will want you to pay in order to have your book printed. This is called vanity publishing, and in some cases, it’s perfectly fine. If you need souvenirs for a family reunion, frat or sorority handbooks, or a few dozen books for a family business, vanity publishing might be your best bet. However, alarm bells should go offin your head if a vanity publisher promises to get your book in major stores for a fee of a few thousand dollars. It might be technically true, but it’s not going to happen the way you envision.  In the ebook world, most writers have to spend something in order to get a quality product. Whether it’s spending time learning to use Photoshop or a few hundred dollars for a freelance editor, these independent ebook services can be totally legit– and incredibly helpful. 

   If you already have some Photoshop experience, you may be able to make your own cover. If you don’t have the experience, and you’re not able to learn, paying for a cover will be your best option. Some ebook cover artists charge hundreds of dollars for a single cover. Others will charge rock-bottom prices and hope to make a profit through volume of sales. Many artists can make great covers. The trick is finding a skilled, dependable designer who is willing to work with you to make your vision a reality.

      Editing is the necessary evil of writing. Friends and family are often too forgiving or too inexperienced to point out the mistakes of a loved one’s draft. More and more writers are turning to freelance editors, both copy and developmental.

      Freelance editing is a business. It’s a profession. It’s not personal. Your feelings will probably get hurt. But with great editing, that short-term pain will lead to long-term gain in the form of more engaging storytelling. With mediocre editing, the process will lead to a bunch of headaches when astute readers point out basic or not-so-basic flaws in your ebook. And with terrible editing, the misguided editor might introduce errors, fail to correct major errors, forget to edit the story at all, or attempt to take control as if she were now the legal guardian of the ebook and not just a babysitter.

   In any case, vetting freelance designers, editors, and marketers is absolutely crucial. All freelance professionals should be able to offer you a personal history, references, examples of previous work, current contact information, pricing information and a clear timeline of the process.

      If any freelancer refuses to give a straight answer or can’t substantiate previous work claims, move on. Though it’s typical to get an estimate for a project and not an exact dollar figure, be extremely wary of any “professionals” who cannot give an hourly rate, a per-page rate, or a per-project rate. Also, be cautious of freelancers who oversell their services. No one can guarantee sales or fans.

      There are tons of amazing and experienced freelancers ready and willing to work with you on your ebook. Using the services of an outside professional can help you get a polished product ready for selling and downloading.

      ((One caveat: if you’re soliciting the expertise of a freelance editor, designer, or marketer, don’t offer to pay with the royalties from the future ebook or the opportunity to “get your name out there”. It’s simply unprofessional. In the same way that actors, camera operators, and prop directors get paid even if a movie tanks at the box office, your support team should be paid whether or not your book is a success. You’re the publisher now. And you can’t get all the reward if you don’t take some of the risks.))

Want to recommend your editor, designer, or marketer? Leave a comment with a link!

The Four Fundamentals of Ebook Cover Design

May 4, 2012

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Designing an ebook cover is a daunting prospect. But underneath the font choices, stock photos, and editing tricks, there are four fundamental and interconnected rules for ebook cover design.

We’ll examine the four fundamental guidelines through ebook covers which break the rules. Our intent is not to embarrass the creators of these ebooks. Rather, we acknowledge their shared status as ebook pioneers and use these examples to assist other first-time or self-published authors.

Rule 1: Fit the allotted space.

Case 001a

Cases 001a & 001b: Too Big (or Small) For Their Britches

These two covers make the same basic mistake: they do not fit the required image dimensions of the selling website.

In Case 001a, the cover is nearly a perfect square. This would be fine for a printed book. Hard-copy books come in varying shapes and sizes.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule in the tangible world. However, in the online sphere, major ebook retailers do not make allowances for nonstandard image sizes. The automatic resizing from the Kindle site resulted in odd cropping with additional white space around the cover in our first example.

Case 001b

In Case 001b, the cover is far too tiny. It seems like the author wanted to use multiple pictures for the cover. But as a result of incorrect image size, none of the pictures are visible.

You have limited space. Make sure your cover uses every pixel possible. You’re going to need those extra dots!

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