Did you ever read an "expert's" advice and shake your head violently, because you damn well know better? That's me when someone says an author SHOULD NOT design her own book covers. I really enjoy David Gaughram's articles, but he's just wrong.
"A truly unfortunate mistake that newer self-publishers can sometimes make is not hiring an editor and/or a cover designer, as those tend to be the two biggest expenses..."
Ding! Ding! Ding! Right on, David! Those are two expenses I absolutely cannot afford. He goes on to say that the starting price for a good custom cover is $300 - $500. You're kidding, right?
I like my self-designed covers. I've gone the hiring route in the past and ultimately ended up using covers I made, instead of theirs. I hated theirs. Okay, sure, I didn't spend the exorbitant amount Gaughram suggests, but I can pretty much guarantee that had I, I would still hate them. Why? Maybe it's me; maybe I'm not good at conveying my vision. That's certainly possible. On the other hand, I don't necessarily have a vision until I find it myself. Or maybe it's that these people aren't all that great to begin with. Ever ask someone to do something they just weren't interested in? They'll do it if they have to, but with no sense of excitement. Well, I'm actually a fan of fantasy, with the unicorns and shit, but okay, I guess. I'm excited about my books. Some random artist out there is, I'm quite sure, not a women's fiction fan. Most random people aren't. What would that random artist present to me? Hmm, I'm thinking a couple of Adirondack chairs on the beach. Throw in a beach umbrella, and voila! (Never mind that none of my books involve the sea or beaches or beach houses.)
Yes, some artists may have done a study on the proper fonts to use for specific genres, but who can't do that for free? What's the saying? Necessity is the mother of invention? When one finds it necessary to do something herself, and it's important, she can accomplish it.
How did my first covers turn out? Not good. Are you good the first time you try something? In fact, with the first couple I designed, they were, in hindsight, awful. I liked them at the time, but I didn't know anything about playing to a specific genre or that the font I chose made a difference, or that lettering size was a pretty big deal when the image was viewed as a thumbnail.
Even now mine aren't all great, but they don't have to be permanent. I can easily upload a new cover to KDP. Trust me, I've done it scores of times. Just today, viewing my cover for The Diner Girl, I feel it needs changing. That was a really difficult cover. For the life of me, I couldn't find an appropriate image. That was actually one of the times I paid someone to create a cover (out of desperation). And like every other time, I hated it. I ended up buying a stock photo for about $9.00, but it's still not right. As for font, I had the right idea about making the title appear in neon, but overall it's not designed well.
On the other hand, Find My Way Home reflects the era I wrote about, both with its image and its font. This cover is probably the third or fourth incarnation.
I don't believe any of my current covers ~ maybe one ~ were my first go at them. How many times do you think you can prod a paid designer for do-overs?
What's rather contradictory is that in Gaughram's instructional video regarding BookBub ads, he uses Canva (just like me) to design his fake book. Plus I've read several of his articles in which he touts Canva. Well, what does he think we're going to use it for, except to create our own covers?
I think what it boils down to is, a lot of "experts" have a specific genre in mind when they're discussing self versus paid designs. Perhaps, say, for fantasy the cover requires a lot of embellishment ~ always a crest of some kind, glittery lettering, crowns, swords ~ a really busy cover. That's the genre expectation. For a simple women's story, it's pretty straightforward to feature a head shot of a woman and some genre-appropriate lettering. Deceptively simple, I guess. No, the covers don't have to be fancy, but they still need to be professionally done and (hopefully) evoke a certain emotion.
I can't picture myself ever again paying for cover design. Frankly, designing my own covers is one of my favorite parts of the publishing process, but even if you don't enjoy doing that, if you're poor like me, you can do it. Trust your own eyes. Even if you later come to regret what you've gone with, change it. The more you do it, the more accomplished you'll become.
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