Book cover options for every budget
Let’s face it, a book cover is what opens the door to gaining new readers. Behind editing, book covers are very important and can be what makes or breaks an indie author. What does your book cover say about you as an author? Can a reader tell what to expect from your cover? Does it grab the right kind of attention from the right target market?
Here at Alt 19 Creative, we offer several options for your book cover needs. From single image, typography-only covers to custom covers with custom characters, we have levels for every budget.
Although we can create just about any cover in any genre, we specialize in romance, young adult, middle grade, cozy mystery, and nonfiction.
All cover orders include an eBook cover, a full wrap for print, a title PNG, and a mockup package for marketing. Custom illustrated covers include character PNG(s) and background JPG (if the background was custom illustrated).
Have questions? Review our FAQ or contact us if you need a custom quote for a multi-book series.
Custom Illustrated Covers
We offer custom illustrated covers that are popular for romance books. We offer two options: handdrawn characters with stock or solid color background and fully illustrated covers.
Highlights:
- We provide up to 3 concepts.
- Up to 3 revisions once the cover is in draft stage.
- You receive 3 sizes of the front cover, a title PNG, a mockups package for marketing, and a print-ready PDF for the print wrap (can be completed at a later date). You also receive PNGs of the characters, and if you choose the fully illustrated cover, you will receive a background JPG.
- On a tight budget? Choose the Nonexclusive option when you order for a discount.
Turnaround:
Approximately 4 to 6 weeks from chosen start date.
$300 and up
Requires a Calendar Reservation
Stock-Based Custom Covers
Have an idea in mind? Let us execute it with a custom cover utilizing stock art from reputable stock sites.
Highlights:
- Includes front cover and print wrap (for one printer/provider, additional printers/providers are extra).
- You answer a detailed questionnaire.
- We provide up to 3 concepts.
- Up to 3 revisions once the cover is in draft stage.
- You receive 3 sizes of the front cover, a title PNG, a mockups package for marketing, and a print-ready PDF (can be completed at a later date).
Turnaround:
Approximately 3 to 4 weeks from chosen start date.
$250
Requires a Calendar Reservation
Typography Plus
You’ve found that almost perfect image but want a little pizazz added to make your title stand out.
Highlights:
- You provide the image or choose one from Adobe Stock, Deposit Photos, VectorStock, Vecteezy, or Envato Elements.
- Includes front cover and print wrap (for one printer/provider, additional printers/providers are extra).
- We add the typography as well as overlays and gradients that are suitable for your genre. We may change coloring of the image as well.
- We provide 2 concepts to choose from with up to 2 revisions once the cover is in draft stage.
- You receive 3 sizes of the front cover, a title PNG, a mockups package for marketing, and a print-ready PDF (can be completed at a later date).
DOES NOT include:
Background removal or any photo manipulation.
Turnaround:
Approximately 2 weeks from chosen start date.
$125
Requires a Calendar Reservation
Premade Covers
Premade covers are a great way to have a custom cover without a custom price tag.
Highlights:
- Includes front cover and print wrap (for one printer/provider, additional printers/providers are extra).
- We change the title of the premade to your title. You can keep the title if you want!
- We add additional text such as the author name, author tagline, series information, book tagline, and more as needed.
- You receive 3 sizes of the front cover, title PNG, a mockups package for marketing, and a print-ready PDF (can be completed at a later date).
DOES NOT include:
Customization (available for an additional fee).
Turnaround:
2 to 3 business days.
Prices vary
Does Not Require Calendar Reservation
Want a cover with original characters created to the likeness of your characters that you won’t find on another cover? Want a specific pose that you can’t find with illustrated stock? Choose one of Alt 19 Creative’s custom illustrated covers for complete character customization. We offer two options: 1) fully illustrated covers and 2) handdrawn characters with stock or solid color background . Want a custom illustrated cover but need a cheaper price? Choose the Nonexclusive add-on for additional savings. See details below. Reserve your cover design spot using the appropriate button below.
Exclusive vs. Nonexclusive Characters
Maximize your budget with Alt 19 Creative’s Nonexclusive Character option.
Exclusive Characters: Your custom-designed characters and/or background are yours alone. Crafted to your exact specifications from your brief, these unique illustrations are exclusive to your cover and include full merchandise rights for your project.
Nonexclusive Characters: Save on costs with our Nonexclusive Character add-on. We’ll create your characters and background to match your vision, but we retain the right to repurpose them (with minor tweaks) for other covers or in our premade shop. Repurposing the characters includes changes to hair color, hairstyle, clothing color, or clothing style, while keeping the core pose and body shape. Backgrounds may be tweaked by cropping, flipping, or changing out elements or colors. You still receive a stunning, tailored cover with merchandise rights at a budget-friendly price.
Process for Custom Illustrated Covers
Frequently Asked Questions
What files do I receive?
For a all covers, you’ll receive:
- 3 different size front covers. 1) 6×9 at 300 dpi. 2) 1873 pixels wide (a standard size for most eBook retailers). 3) 600 pixels wide (for when you need a small file size such as embedding into your eBook file).
- Several mockups of your cover that show the front, spine, and/or back.
- Title PNG.
- Print-ready PDF set to the specifications for your final formatted manuscript. It’s saved inthe PDFX1a or PDFX3s standard.
- Depending on the cover you ordered, you may also receive character PNG(s) and background JPG.
Can I wait to have the print wrap completed until later?
Yes! We need the EXACT final page count of your formatted document before we create the full wrap. We can complete the eBook cover weeks, months, or even years before completing the print wrap. Just give us a week’s notice when you need the print wrap. Additional information will be provided once we complete the eBook cover.
What if I dislike the first cover concept?
Don’t fret! Designing book covers is a process. We try to get an idea of what you like during the planning phase. Sometimes, we might not quite hit the mark, or you may decide you don’t like the direction you originally provided. Intially, we may give you 1 or 2 concepts to choose from. You then tell us what you like and don’t like and what you’d like different (and yes, you can request something 100% different). Ultimately, we are here to create a marketable cover for your genre that you can be proud of.
When is the final balance due?
Once you’ve approved the final draft, we will send you an invoice for the final balance. Upon receipt of payment, we will prepare the final files within 2 business days.
What happens if I need to make a change on the cover after we've finalized the file?
Contact us for a quote for any changes. Something as simple as changing your author name or the back cover blurb is a minimal fee of $25. For more extensive changes, we’ll charge our hourly rate.
Can I post cover concepts in Facebook groups or other social media outlets?
If it is in your own author group and you want to know what concept your readers prefer, then yes. If it is in a general cover critique group, then no. Feedback in these types of groups can take a professional-looking cover down several notches. And you will often get conflicting opinions as well as opinions from people who known nothing about cover design nor are experts in your genre.
Can I supply my own image for the cover?
Yes! This is one of the main reasons we offer typography plus covers. Searching for stock images is a time-consuming part of the process. If you’ve already done the work, we offer lower pricing with our typography plus cover.
What stock sites do you use?
We have memberships to many different stock sites, including Deposit Photos, Adobe Stock, Envato Elements, VectorStock, and Vecteezy. Upon request, we will provide information on the stock and fonts used in your cover design.