So you are rushing through the grocery store to get whatever you forgot to grab yesterday. Your mind is scattered in every direction – the dog is puking, the kids are driving you crazy and the husband is working late. Again.  You are getting ready to roll up to the check out when you see it. THEM. Those books taunting you from the end cap of aisle 7…just begging you to stop and look. You decide a little peek certainly won’t hurt, right? It’s not like you really are going to buy one, I mean you definitely don’t have time to actually read! So you nonchalantly saunter over and begin scanning all of fantasylands most eligible bachelors. Then it happens like a bolt of lightning …you actually stop breathing for a moment when you see it. HIM. He’s there in all his glory. The almighty trifecta of S’s… SKIN + SIX-PACK + SWEAT. You go ahead and add a fourth because that one is SOLD and toss it into your cart before Maggie from floral recognizes you.  You can barely contain yourself through checkout and fight the urge to just stay in the parking lot and read the entire thing.

Does this sound familiar to you? Unfortunately for me, yes it does.  You really can’t explain it rationally and it certainly defies reasoning.  All you know is that something in that book cover made you lock yourself in the bedroom and serve your kids cereal for dinner. It has been said a million times before, never judge a book by its cover, but honestly everyone does. How can you not? People are visual beings and I am probably the guiltiest of all.  Being a graphic designer has made me be a bit picky about how I choose a book and being a working mom gives me limited time to indulge in my umm “habit.” I certainly fall into the category of more skin is better, but I am equally enamored by a great combination of fonts/image and color. For me, if it doesn’t work visually I tend to move on to the next book that I find more appealing regardless of the story. A good book cover doesn’t have to be overdone or overthought, but done right will get you noticed. Sometimes all you have is a 1”x1” cover image on an iPhone, but that image can make all the difference if its downloaded or not.

That being said let me introduce myself to you! My name is Stephanie and I am a shameless romance novel reader that has been doing graphic design since 1995. I have worked for The Discovery Channel, a few advertising agencies, a large nonprofit and have been a freelance designer for the past 13 years. It wasn’t until recently that I really had the opportunity to begin designing book covers.

I really almost kicked myself for not exploring this earlier but now that I am actually up and running I can honestly say that I love it. It certainly brings together the two things that I enjoy the most, reading and being able to visually bring a story to life.

Book covers can be powerful when done well and should be chosen wisely and with intent. My design style tends to lean towards the less is more esthetic and I like my imagination to fill in the blanks! On the other hand, I do love designing covers that are layered with texture, image and type that together convey a sense of the books themes. In the end, I am simply honored to be able to work with a client that has given me the opportunity to tell their story visually and I want them to be happy with the results.

I probably work differently than most designers since I don’t really offer package services. I feel authors should not be forced into buying something they don’t want or need. I offer complete book cover design, ebook and traditional book layout, author branding and advertising as well as author SWAG. SWAG can encompass a whole slew of marketing items so if you are looking for something you are not sure I offer or you have an idea that you think might be a little crazy please feel free to ask!

Generally my process works something like this: we connect via email or phone and I get a bit of information from you regarding your book/genre and what you are looking for. When we discuss your book I will want to know exactly how you envision your cover, if you already have photos/imagery in mind as well as a working title and if this will be a standalone or a series. If you would like to give me a brief synopsis in a few paragraphs that would certainly be helpful.

Once you give me the green light to move ahead I will send you a contract and request a 50% deposit through PayPal.  From there you can expect 1-2 cover comps within 1-2 weeks of a submitted contract. Generally I offer 3 sets of revisions once you approve the cover design. Pricing is $125-$150/e-cover $175-$200/print cover but as with anything I am flexible. Sometimes authors bring their own photos while some covers require more than one stock image. Since each cover is different I hate to give standard prices for all. You can see my work at www.yellowprelude.com or get in touch me with me via email at yellowpreludellc@gmail.com.

I would like to thank Mandi for letting me reach out to you and authors please keep writing fabulous stories that entertain, thrill, excite and take me away. I promise I will tell your story exactly the way you want to see it.