How to Hire a Book Cover Artist

If you are self-published author who needs cover art for your book, and do not have the time to learn how to do your own cover art, then hiring a book cover artist to do it for you is the answer. Hiring a book cover artist isn’t as difficult as you might think. There are many book cover artists available for hire, you just have to know where to look.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A computer
• An Internet connection
• A book you need cover art for

1. Decide ahead of time how you want your book cover to look. Which characters would you like on it? Or do you even want any people on the cover? What colors do you think would best reflect your book type? Have all this in mind before you begin looking at portfolios.
2. Go online and do a search for cover artists for hire. You will find everything from 3-D artists, graphic artists, to artists who work with acrylics and watercolors.
3. Review the portfolios of all possible book cover artists.
4. Choose three artists to begin with whose work you like the best and contact all three for terms, costs and more information.
5. Choose one artist whom you like the best and who has the best terms and cost.
6. Ask the artist to draw up a written contract that you both can sign with the agreed upon terms and price.
7. Once the cover art has been completed and sent to you, pay the artist.
8. Add the cover art to your book file.

Tips & Warnings

• Look for book cover artists that have online portfolios as this will give you a good idea of the type of art they do, and if the artwork will fit with what you write.
• Make sure the artist is willing to sign a contract with you, not having a written contract of some kind leaves you out in the cold if the artist either does not do the work, or does something other than what was verbally agreed upon.
• While it is certainly not a requirement, see if the artist can read your book before beginning the cover. This will help the artist out when he or she is trying to get your vision for your cover art on paper or the computer screen.
• Some artists will want a percentage of the whole payment up front. This can actually be a good sign as it probably means the artist has been working freelance for some time and has had the experience of providing a product and then not being paid. Just make sure it is in the contract and that when you pay you have a receipt of some kind.
• Make sure the artist sends you updates as he or she works on your cover art. If the artist is unwilling to do this, then you do not want to work with them because you could end up with something that you don’t want on the front of your book.