Occasionally, we are asked if we will accept a cover designed by someone else.
The short answer is, “yes!” But it requires a bit of explanation…
While our preference is to design the covers we use, as long as the covers provided meet our criteria, we’re happy to use them.
Per our publishing agreement, as the publisher, we hold all final approvals of the designs and images used. But your input and approval are significant to us.
Since the cover is a critical element of the book’s marketing efforts, we don’t begin its design until we’re sure of that direction. Therefore, we would ask that your designer coordinates with us regarding the appropriate time to start the design.
If you have a specific designer, illustrator or photographer you’d like to use, please send us relevant samples of their work or a link to their website. We will arrange a conversation to discuss concepts, direction and deadlines so we can collaborate with them on suitable ideas. Ideally, the process will include our approving submitted sketches or initial designs before moving to a final cover design.
The final size of the book (the “trim size”) is often not established until later in the publishing process. However, the design must adhere to the necessary specs for its use. Once the trim size is established, a template will be provided.
The final design must be submitted to us according to the following specifications:
- The design will consist of the front cover only. Back cover content often changes until just before the release of the book and we require the flexibility to update the cover as needed.
- The design must be based on the template we provide.
- The design must be flexible enough to include a high-profile endorsement. Again, those endorsements may not be available until later in the process. We reserve the right to adjust the design to accommodate the endorsement, if necessary.
- Acceptable applications used to create the design or image are Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Neither Quark nor Corel Draw files are accepted. Contact us if your designer wants to use a different application so we can determine if it’s compatible with our workflow.
- Submit all original source files, including fonts. Do not outline the fonts since all copy must be editable.
- Provide licenses for any stock images used on the cover.
- The ownership of the copyright is between you and the artist/designer, but the license must grant rights for us to use the design/image for the cover and in any marketing efforts. If you are using an original image or photograph, we can provide a standard license to be signed by its creator.
- All images provided must be CMYK and have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi at the size used.
- If the image bleeds, it must be sized to accommodate trim (indicated in the template).
Any cover presented to us must be suitable for the genre of the book and the category in which the book will be listed.
If the provided cover design is approved for use, your overall publishing fees will be adjusted as specified on the Your Estimate page later in this proposal.
