You’ve spent months (years?) penning your masterpiece, and now you’re ready to turn it into an ebook. You’ll want it to appear at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc., and you’ll want it to look good! Just like a print book, an ebook needs a cover.
The cover art will be displayed in the online bookstores, and it’ll play a big part in getting readers to buy your work. Yes, it’s true even with ebooks: people judge a book by its cover.
Unless you’re an artist yourself (lucky you!), it’s probably best to hire a professional. For custom artwork, expect to pay between $200 to $500. If that’s too much, you may be able to find an up-and-comer or someone from another country to work for less (make sure your artist understands English well, since you’ll have detailed instructions to relay). Remember, though, the cover art is a huge factor in selling books, ebooks included, so paying a little more now could benefit you a lot in the end.
Where can I find an ebook artist?
Deviant Art is a great place to look for artists, and it’s where I found Jason, who did my Goblin Brothers cover art. From comic-style art to realistic paintings, it’s there.
I recommend making an account (free) and posting on their Job Offers Forum (also free). Explain what you’re looking for and how much you can pay. As long as you’re offering a respectable amount, you’ll hear from lots of interested artists. Browse through their galleries, and find someone whose style meshes with your vision.
Don’t be afraid to hire someone who hasn’t done a cover before; if you like their other art, they probably won’t have a problem creating something to your parameters.
I won’t go into legalities here, but you may want to have a contract drawn up (or the artist may want this). You should go over what rights you’ll need for the artwork. For example, you may think you only need electronic rights, but what happens if you decide to create a print version later? Or do you expect the artist to do this as a work-for-hire and hand over all rights?
How big should my ebook cover art be?
One of the questions your artist will ask is the dimensions of the illustration they’re going to do. There isn’t a set industry standard somewhere, but Amazon suggests nothing less than 500 pixels wide. If you have the option, have your artist do something bigger, as it’s easier to shrink an image down than make it larger. As for resolution, 300 dpi is going to give you a high quality picture to use.
Any thoughts or questions on cover art? Feel free to comment below!
Lindsay, the cover art is fantastic! I agree, deviantart is a great place to find artists, I’m often amazed at most of the work on that website. I’m really glad you have cover art you’re happy with.
Congratulations!