Frequently asked questions

A book cover designers work closely with authors to create the artwork for their books. Designers usually use multiple tools and techniques to produce a book cover that attracts attention and ultimately helps sell the book.

A key skills is communications because they have to understand what the author has in mind, what the story is about and who the target audience is.

To get started you’ll need to contact us with your book’s detailed synopsis, your ideas, key themes, and preferred style. Also, it’s helpful to see examples of covers you like or that convey the tone you’re looking for.

Some authors have specific ideas for their covers, and others just leave everything to us. Once we have all the information we need, we’ll develop a first draft and work closely with you until you’re happy with the cover.

It usually takes 10-12 working days, but for more complex projects (e.g. illustrations) it may take up to 20 working days.

Generally speaking a cover based on stock images and photo manipulation will cost between £250 - £500. Book covers based on illustrations can cost any from £550 - £1200 depending on the complexity of the artwork.

However, each project is unique so we don’t have a set pricing. We have ‘from’ prices to give you some guidance, but it’s best to contact us with your details. We’ll then get back to you with an accurate price.

Yes, we can work on the design and you don’t have to wait until you’ve finished writing. We can tweak the cover when you have the final page count, size and format.

The rights of illustrations created for book covers are subject to the artist’s terms. This includes a crediting us and them in the book. Also, generally speaking, illustrations created solely for e-book publishing are cheaper and licensed only for digital publishing. Should the author decide to publish paperbacks, we may need to charge additional fee for the license.

Book covers based on stock photos don’t require additional licensing fees as long as the photos have been purchased with the right license and permission from the photographer (which we already do).

We buy licensed stock images from websites such as ShutterStock and iStockPhoto. All photos used in our covers are paid for and licensed for commercial use, so you don’t have to worry about royalties and crediting photographers.

No. The cost of the photos is factored in the price of the project.

We have very talented digital art illustrators.  Bespoke illustrations are sometimes best for authors who want to show off a specific scene, or character, from their book. Give us a shout if you have any questions.

All design files we send you will be ready for print and online digital publishing - you'll just need to hit 'upload'! We deliver publish-ready PDFs, PNG, JPEGs and when needed - source PSD or AI files.

Yes, we can even touch the photo a little bit if it needs enhancing. If you’ve seen a design element you like, we can recreate it for your book cover.

Yes, we’ll design the spine, back cover and format it for print when you're ready.

Yes, we’ve worked with many authors who’ve needed our service after getting published.

Yes, absolutely. We can design the cover and add them when you have them.

Over the past three years we’ve designed lots of different covers, from biographies to sci-fi and epic fantasy. If you’re unsure whether we can do it, just drop us an email and we can discuss.

To get started, we require a 50% deposit, with the rest due when we finish the design.

We always do our best, hence why we offer unlimited revisions. You’ll be involved with the project from day one, so you know how we progress and know what we design. But, if all options have been considered, and you’re still not satisfied, we will refund your deposit.

Yes, we can design images for Twitter, Facebook etc. We can also create 3D mockups of your book which will show it in its glory.

Most likely, yes. Just get in touch so we can discuss.

You can simply add "Book cover design by Book Beaver" in the copyrights or acknowledgements pages. Alternatively, you can add that line to the back cover. We're flexible.