How do you design a book cover?
- Hire a genre-experienced designer ($300-$2,500).
- Follow genre conventions, not original art.
- Deliver ebook (2560x1600), print wrap, audiobook square (3000x3000).
- 4-8 week turnaround typical.
- 2-3 design rounds is normal.
You design a book cover by hiring a genre-experienced cover designer ($300-$2,500), giving them a brief that includes three to five comp covers from your subgenre, and following genre conventions rather than original art preferences. Typical turnaround: 4-8 weeks for ebook (2560x1600), print wrap, and audiobook square (3000x3000) variants. Most projects need two to three design rounds.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Covers are the single highest-leverage marketing asset — readers decide whether to click in under two seconds based on the thumbnail. Authors who design their own covers or hire generalists almost always end up re-designing within a year. Spending money correctly on the cover is the most common indie publishing decision that determines launch outcomes.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A budget: $300-$2,500 for indie covers.
- A brief: 3-5 comp covers, mood notes, color preferences, must-haves.
- A genre-experienced designer (verify with their portfolio).
- 2-3 design rounds with specific feedback.
- All format variants: ebook, print wrap, audiobook square.
- A "thumbnail test": does it work at 200x300 px?
Chapter iii·Example
A self-publishing romance author hires a romance-specific cover designer ($600) for her 80,000-word novel. She submits 5 comp covers from her subgenre. Round one is rejected as too literary; round two adjusts to romance conventions; round three locks. Total time: 6 weeks. The cover converts at 8% on Amazon vs the genre average of 4%.
Chapter iv·Related questions
In WriteLoom
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WriteLoom holds cover briefs, comps, and designer rounds alongside the launch plan.
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