Book Cover Design Services From $199
AuthorWings designs custom book covers for self-publishing authors, from $199 for an ebook cover design to $999 for custom illustration with series branding. Your book cover designer works in your genre and builds the cover against 3 to 5 comparable titles from your Amazon subcategory, so it reads as the right kind of book at thumbnail size.
- From $199
- Built on 3 to 5 books like yours
- Layered source files you keep
Portfolio
Book cover design portfolio by genre
Each cover here was designed against its subgenre and checked at thumbnail size. Pick a genre to see covers built for that shelf.
Sample designs. Titles and author names are invented to show the style.
Tap any cover to see it large.
Pricing
Book cover design services pricing
Three book cover design tiers, the same designers on each. Higher tiers give you more design ideas to choose from, more rounds of changes, and photos or custom artwork. Cover design is part of our book design services.
Every tier includes a design brief built on 3 to 5 books like yours from your Amazon category, layered source files at handoff, and full ownership of your cover design. Stock photos are licensed for your book.
Ebook
For an ebook-only launch.
$199
- A front cover for Kindle, Apple Books, and Kobo
- 1 design idea
- 2 rounds of changes
- Built around your title, or an image you own
- 7 to 10 business days, plus your review time
- No paperback or hardcover cover
Printing later? Add the paperback wrap (spine and back cover) for $149. Print-Ready is $51 more than that and adds the hardcover cover, a second design idea, a third round of changes, and a stock photo.
Choose EbookPrint-Ready
Most popularFor print and ebook.
$399
- The ebook cover for Kindle, Apple Books, and Kobo
- The full cover for paperback and hardcover (front, spine, and back), ready for KDP (Amazon’s publishing platform) and IngramSpark (the service bookstores and libraries order from)
- 2 design ideas
- 3 rounds of changes
- A licensed stock photo (a professional photo you are allowed to use)
- Print files checked for bleed, spine width, color, and resolution against KDP and IngramSpark before delivery
- 7 to 10 business days, plus your review time
Need the inside pages too? Print book formatting starts at $199.
Choose Print-ReadyIllustrated
For series and illustrated genres.
$999
- Custom artwork drawn for your cover, and yours in full
- Ebook, paperback, and hardcover covers
- 3 design ideas
- 5 rounds of changes
- A matching look for your series (series branding)
- Graphics for social media (marketing graphics package)
- 10 to 14 business days, plus your review time
Writing a picture book? Our illustration packages already include a matching cover illustration.
Choose IllustratedNeed it sooner? Rush delivery is +15%, subject to availability.
Flexible, milestone-based payments, set out in your agreement before work starts.
Which tier fits your book?
Pick by format and genre, not by budget alone. Tap to see when each tier makes sense.
Every tier gets the same care with layout, type, and composition. Illustrated book cover design adds original art, three design ideas, five rounds of changes, series branding, and marketing graphics.
Choose it when
Print is more than a year away or still undecided, and the cover can be built around your title or an image you already own the rights to.
Choose it when
You are publishing in print and ebook, and the cover is built on a photo or type. A business book with an author photo, or a thriller built on type and one object, fits here.
Choose it when
Your readers expect a drawn cover, as many fantasy, romantasy, and middle grade readers do, or your series needs one look across every book.
Add-ons
6 optional extras, from $49. Tap to see prices.
- Paperback wrapSpine and back cover. Ebook tier only. Included in Print-Ready and Illustrated
- $149
- Audiobook coverSquare cover for audiobook stores
- $149
- Marketing graphics packagePromotional images designed to match your cover, so your launch looks consistent everywhere you share the book. Included in Illustrated
- $299
- Series brandingA matching look for every book in your series. Ebook and Print-Ready. Included in Illustrated
- $149
- Extra round of changes$99 per round on Illustrated, because changes are made to painted art
- $49
- New set of design ideasIf the first ideas miss the mark. $249 on Illustrated, for new sketches
- $99
Stock photos: Print-Ready stock photos come with a standard license for your book’s ebook, print editions, and marketing. If you need merchandise or a very large print run, an extended license is bought at cost, with no markup.
About the Illustrated tier: the illustration is one custom piece with a single subject or scene. Character sheets, interior art, and any extra artwork are priced on our illustration page.
Compare every detailTap to see all three tiers side by side.
Swipe the table sideways to see all three tiers.
| Cover design | Ebook | Print-Ready | Illustrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $199 | $399 | $999 |
| Best for | Ebook-only launches | Print and ebook releases | Series, fantasy, romantasy, children’s books |
| Ebook cover | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Paperback wrap | Add $149 | Yes | Yes |
| Hardcover wrap | No | Yes | Yes |
| Design ideas | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Rounds of changes | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Imagery | Built around your title, or your own image | Licensed stock photo | 1 custom illustration, yours in full |
| Series branding | Add $149 | Add $149 | Included |
| Audiobook cover | Add $149 | Add $149 | Add $149 |
| Marketing graphics package | Add $299 | Add $299 | Included |
| Timeline, business days | 7 to 10 | 7 to 10 | 10 to 14 |
The AuthorWings Specialist Network
Cover designers and illustrators.
Showing 8 professionals
Book DesignerCassandra BowenVetted Book DesignerChildren's picture books, Children's textbooks
BarbadosEnglish (US and UK)I am book designer and early childhood textbook author from Barbados. I specialize in children's picture books but I also have experience in working with novels, poetry anthologies, photography coffee table books and cookbooks. I love working in this field and I work closely with…Cover designSeries brandingInterior layout+1 more11 years100+ booksView profile →
IllustratorCeleste MonteithVetted IllustratorChildren's Picture Book Illustration, Story Development
South AfricaEnglish (US and UK)I'm a children's picture book author and illustrator, currently working on my debut author-illustrator picture books. I also illustrate for self-publishing authors, and give editing/story development assistance for picture book authors.Children's book illustrationCharacter designCover art+6 more5 years2 booksView profile →
IllustratorChar ReedVetted IllustratorAnimals, Fantasy
United StatesEnglishI am a professional artist and illustrator and have been building my career since 2003, specialising in animal and creature artwork that captures both anatomical accuracy and individual personality. My work combines a close appreciation for animal behaviour with expressive characterisation, bringing each subject to…Children's book illustrationInterior artCover art+3 more20 years4 booksView profile →
IllustratorCharlene PeruchiVetted IllustratorChildren's Book, Fiction & Non-Fiction
GermanyEnglish, PortugueseI am Charlene, a designer and illustrator based in Berlin, Germany. I have experience illustrating children’s books; fiction and non-fiction stories. My illustrations are characterized by a strong use of color contrast and shapes. I enjoy illustrating anthropomorphic animals, but I also draw humans of…Maps and diagramsChildren's book illustrationPicture book layout+2 more3 years2 booksView profile →
Book DesignerChristine PekatowskiVetted Book DesignerChildren, EducationUnited StatesEnglish (US)I'm a professional book and publication designer with more than 18 years of experience in editorial design, typesetting, and print and digital production. My background includes approximately 10 years designing educational and children's nonfiction books for Enslow Publishers and Rosen Publishing Group. I specialize in…Cover designInterior layout18 years100 booksView profile →
Book DesignerLorenzo AvvedutoFantasy, Fiction
ItalyItalian, English (US and UK)I am a book designer and formatter with 10 years of experience in book layout and typesetting. I specialize in preparing professional, clean, and well-organized layouts for novels and fiction books, including adventure and fantasy. I work with Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, Canva, and LibreOffice,…Cover designInterior layout10 years150 booksView profile →
IllustratorRenikeVetted IllustratorCover Art and Design
NigeriaEnglishI'm Renike, an award-winning visual artist, illustrator, and book cover designer passionate about creating a safe space for women by depicting them in soft, authentic, and relatable ways. Over the years, I’ve had the joy of collaborating with top global publishers like HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Scholastic, as well as brands like…Children's book illustrationInterior artCover art+6 more8 years23 booksView profile →
IllustratorSian MooreVetted IllustratorPicture Book, Children's Literature
WalesEnglishBooked until May 2027I graduated university in 2014 with a BAhons in Illustration. I have been working as a freelance illustrator since then, working in both children's magazines and picture books. I have been illustrating picture books since 2023, and have fully illustrated eight books so far. I…Children's book illustrationInterior artCover art+2 more12 years8 booksView profile →No one matches these filters.
Choosing your designer: Standard pricing assigns the best available designer for your genre. Named Specialists, including professionals with bestselling titles to their name, work to their own schedules, so their pricing and start dates are confirmed on your consultation call.
How it works
How professional book cover design works step by step
Five steps from brief to final files, with your approval before anything is final. Pick a tier to see your numbers.
-
The brief
Answer a short questionnaire about your book. Your designer picks 3 to 5 books like yours from your Amazon subcategory.
-
Concepts
One design idea, built around your title or an image you own.Two different design ideas, as finished covers.Three design ideas as sketches. The final art is made after you pick one.
-
Direction lock
Your pick becomes the brief, so every round of changes refines it instead of starting over.
-
Revision rounds
2 rounds of changes.3 rounds of changes.5 rounds of changes. Send your notes and a revised cover comes back each round.
-
Final files
The ebook cover for Kindle, Apple Books, and Kobo.Ebook cover plus the full paperback and hardcover covers, checked against KDP and IngramSpark.Every format, checked against KDP and IngramSpark, and the art is yours in full. Layered source files included.
Compare the three tiersNeed the inside pages too? Book formatting matches your trim size.
The designer
Hire a book cover designer matched to your subgenre
Every project goes to a book cover designer chosen for the category your book competes in, instead of whoever is next in the queue. A designer who already reads your subgenre knows which conventions carry weight and which are decoration. Cover design is one of three services under our book design services, alongside interior formatting and illustration.
Matched to your genre
Before work starts, your brief goes to a designer whose portfolio already sits in your category. Fantasy, romance, memoir, and children’s covers each follow their own visual rules, and matching for them removes the first round of guesswork. The portfolio above uses the same genre groups.
Book cover artists and typographers on one brief
Some covers are won on illustration, others on type. Depending on the direction, your project may involve a book cover artist commissioned for original artwork, a graphic designer working in photography and type, or both. All of them work from one brief, so the cover stays coherent.
Your designer stays with the book
The same designer carries your project from brief to final files, and you can request them again for book two so a series keeps its look. That continuity is the difference between a book cover design company and a gig marketplace, where every project starts with a stranger.
Every cover is custom, none are premade
No template packs and no premade covers with your title dropped into someone else’s artwork. Custom book cover design means layout, type, colors, and imagery are chosen for your book against its own comparable titles. A premade cover costs less because other books already use it.
Built for self-publishing authors
Traditional publishers hand covers to an in-house art department. Self-publishing authors buy that judgment one project at a time, so book cover designers for self publishers work from your Amazon subcategory, build files to KDP and IngramSpark specs, and hand every file to you.
See your designer’s work before you commit
Ask on the call and you get portfolio samples in your genre from the designer who would work on your book.
Compare
Five places self-publishers hire book cover designers, compared
All five will hand you a cover. The difference is what the quote includes and what you own afterward.
Swipe the table sideways to compare all five.
| Compared on | RecommendedAuthorWingsThree tiers, source files at every one | Boutique studiosPremium agencies | Template toolsDesign-it-yourself apps | Crowdsourced contestsMany designers enter, you pick one | Gig marketplacesFreelancers on gig sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source filesLayered files you keep | Every tier |
Usually |
Editable inside the tool |
Winning entry only |
Often not at base price |
| Rounds of changesSet in writing | 2, 3, or 5 by tier |
Varies by contract |
No designer involved |
Limited by contest format |
Often charged per change |
| Genre researchBefore concept work | 3 to 5 books like yours |
Usually |
Generic templates |
Not standard |
Not standard |
| No lock-inFree to switch designers | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Partly |
Hard without source files |
| Specialist designerMatched to your genre | Matched to genre |
Usually |
No designer involved |
Open-call entries |
You pick from listings |
| Print file checkAgainst KDP and IngramSpark | Checked at handoff |
Usually |
Your own check |
Not standard |
Not standard |
A boutique studio covers the same six things at studio prices. AuthorWings covers all six from $199.
Compare our three tiersCompared on six things: layered source files, rounds of changes set in writing, genre research before concept work, freedom to switch designers, a designer matched to your genre, and a print file check against platform specs. Based on how each option usually works; individual providers vary.
Genre conventions
Genre conventions readers recognize before the title
Every Amazon category has a visual code. Readers learn it over many purchases, and a cover that breaks it by accident signals the wrong shelf. Pick your genre to see the conventions your cover has to meet.
Romance and romantasy book cover design
Emotional intimacy, soft-light intensity
Romance readers buy on mood. Contemporary and rom-com covers lean on bright illustrated couples or clean type, while dark romance and romantasy move to deep palettes, metallic accents, and symbolic objects like daggers, crowns, and florals. A romance cover has to signal its heat level and subgenre before the reader sees the title.
Typography
ForeverScript italics or warm serifs, often with flourish
Color palette
Warm tones. Romantasy leans darker with metallic accents.
Composition
Centered figure, title above, author below
Imagery
Couple silhouettes, soft-focus close-ups, watercolor florals, sunset palettes. The reader scans for chemistry.
Thriller, mystery, and suspense book cover design
High-contrast tension, single-image impact
Thriller covers sell tension in one image. Psychological thrillers favor oversized type over a single figure or doorway, crime and legal thrillers use hard contrast and urban settings, and cozy mystery flips the code with warm illustrated scenes, pets, and small-town detail. Mixing those signals puts a cozy on the wrong shelf.
Typography
The NightBold condensed sans-serif, all caps
Color palette
Dark ground, one sharp accent. Cozy mystery runs warmer.
Composition
One dominant image, oversized title at top
Imagery
Lone silhouettes, urban nightscapes, a single object isolated. The reader scans for danger and stakes.
Fantasy and sci-fi book cover design
World-building, atmospheric scope
Fantasy and science fiction readers expect scale. Epic fantasy uses painted landscapes, figures set against castles or mountains, and ornamental title type. Sci-fi shifts to cold palettes, geometric type, and ships or planets. Series matter more here than in many genres, so the first cover usually sets the look for every book after it.
Typography
QuestTrajan-style fantasy or geometric sci-fi display
Color palette
Dramatic depth with atmospheric accents
Composition
Sweeping scene, dramatic title placement
Imagery
Sweeping landscapes, alien worlds, magical realms, figures set against scale. The reader scans for world depth.
Literary fiction book cover design
Restraint, abstraction, negative space
Literary fiction covers signal quality through restraint. Book club readers respond to painterly textures, a single symbolic object, and generous negative space, with the title set small and precise. Busy imagery or genre-style drama reads as commercial fiction, so the brief usually strips the cover down instead of adding to it.
Typography
SolitudeClassic serif, often italic, modest scale
Color palette
Muted earth tones, abstract and atmospheric
Composition
Generous negative space, one abstract focal point
Imagery
Abstract textures and single objects in isolation, like a chair, a doorway, or a pear. The reader scans for craft.
Children’s book cover design: what parents and kids look for
Bright illustration, character first
Picture book covers are bought by parents and chosen by children, so they have to work for both. The main character carries the cover, with an expressive face, bright color, and a title a pre-reader can recognize. Our illustration packages include a matching cover illustration, so the cover and interior share one artist. If the story isn’t written yet, children’s book ghostwriting covers the words and the art together.
Typography
BunnyRounded, playful, hand-drawn weight
Color palette
Bright primaries, optimistic and warm
Composition
Character fills most of the cover
Imagery
A large character with expressive eyes on a bright background. Parent and child scan for warmth and repeat reads.
Middle grade and young adult book cover design
Bold figures, saturated palettes, modern type
Middle grade covers lean playful and illustrated, with the hero caught mid-adventure. Young adult covers skew older, with saturated palettes, bold modern type, and single-object or silhouette designs borrowed from romantasy and dark academia. YA readers share covers on BookTok and Instagram, so the design has to hold up as a square crop too.
Typography
WildfireBold modern sans, foiled on series
Color palette
Saturated, close to romantasy and dark academia
Composition
Figure-forward, tight crop, setting hinted
Imagery
Painterly young main characters, dramatic palettes, foiled series titles. The reader scans for belonging and adventure.
Memoir book cover design
Intimate evidence, generous space
Memoir covers sell trust. A real photograph of the author, a meaningful object, or a quiet landscape tells the reader this story actually happened. The title often carries more weight than the image, set in a classic serif with room around it, so the cover feels personal from the first glance.
Typography
ThresholdClassic serif with personal warmth, modest scale
Color palette
Sepia and photographic, warm and grounded
Composition
One evocative image, room around the type
Imagery
A hand, a window, a horizon, or a single object, photographed or illustrated. The cover earns trust before page one.
Business and leadership book cover design
Confident credentialing, structured authority
Business book covers compete on authority. Many use a large, confident title on a clean background, one strong color, and either the author’s photo or a single concept graphic. Buyers see the cover next to category bestsellers, so it has to look as credible as a traditionally published title.
Typography
ConfidenceClean serif or contemporary sans at scale
Color palette
One anchor color against neutrals
Composition
Author photo prominent, large title, clean grid
Imagery
A confident author headshot on a simple background, or one strong concept graphic. The reader scans for credibility.
Self-help book cover design
Transformation promise, action-cued
Self-help covers sell a result. The title and subtitle do most of the work, set large in bold modern type with one bright accent color and a simple icon or pure typography. The promise has to be readable at thumbnail size, because readers decide on the subtitle as much as the image.
Typography
ForwardBold modern sans, tight letter spacing
Color palette
Bright accent against neutrals
Composition
Bold title and subtitle, one simple icon
Imagery
A title built on a transformation promise, with simple icons or pure type. The reader scans for practical results.
Need more than a cover?
If you also need editing, formatting, or publishing, a bundle covers each step in one agreement. Every account, ISBN, and royalty stays yours.
Manuscript not edited yet?
From $2,659Author-Polished Bundles, 20,000-word fiction
Book editing, cover design, formatting, and publishing setup in one agreement. For text-based books.
See editing bundlesManuscript already edited?
From $537Publish-Ready Bundles, books up to 20,000 words
Cover design, formatting, and publishing setup in one agreement. For text-based books.
See Publish-Ready BundlesNeed a different mix? Price your book in the calculator.
Build your own packageBook cover design questions authors actually ask
Straight answers on cost, timelines, rights, files, and working with your designer.
How much does book cover design cost?
Book cover design at AuthorWings costs $199 to $999 across three tiers. Ebook ($199) is a front cover for ebook stores. Print-Ready ($399) adds the full cover for paperback and hardcover. Illustrated ($999) adds custom artwork, series branding, and social media graphics. Every tier includes the brief and the layered source files you keep. Across the wider market, prices run from a few dollars to several thousand.
What if I already have a cover concept? Can the designer work from it?
Yes, and many AuthorWings projects start this way. The short questionnaire about your book has a section for your own concept, mood board, or reference covers. The designer tests that concept against genre conventions and either builds it at professional quality or shows where it may not work on the category page and suggests changes. Your idea is the starting point.
What happens if I don’t like any of the presented concepts?
Your designer goes back to the brief first. Usually the gap traces to the brief, such as comparable titles that don’t match the book, or a mood description read differently by the designer than by you. The brief is corrected before any rounds of changes start. A new set of design ideas costs $99 on Ebook and Print-Ready, and $249 on Illustrated.
Can I provide my own photography or illustration?
Yes, with two conditions. Your images need to hold 300 DPI at full print size, and you need the commercial rights to use them on a book cover. Family photos, AI-generated images with unclear licensing, and images taken from the internet without rights are not usable. Commissioned illustration or licensed stock works. The designer combines the image with type and layout.
Do I own the rights to my book cover after the project?
Yes. You get the final cover files and the layered source files at delivery, and the cover design is yours. You can use it for anything tied to the book, including the ebook, paperback, hardcover, audiobook, marketing, and sequels. Stock photos on the Print-Ready tier are licensed for your book under a standard license. Custom art on the Illustrated tier is yours in full.
How is series branding handled?
Series branding sets one look for every book in a series: the same type style, color logic, and layout, with a clear “Book 2,” “Book 3” signal, so later covers don’t start from scratch. It is included in the Illustrated tier and costs $149 on Ebook and Print-Ready. You can also use your first cover’s files as the reference for matching covers later.
Can I commission a cover before my manuscript is finished?
Yes for an Ebook tier cover, with care for Print-Ready and Illustrated. The reason is spine width. Paperback and hardcover covers are sized from your final page count, so if the page count changes after the cover is made, the spine has to be redone. An ebook cover doesn’t depend on page count, and many authors order it early to use in pre-launch marketing.
Do I need a separate cover for ebook and paperback?
Yes. An ebook cover is a single front image sized for KDP, Apple Books, and Kobo. A print cover is a full cover: back, spine, and front in one file, with the spine width set from your final page count and bleed on every outer edge. Print-Ready and Illustrated deliver both. The Ebook tier delivers the ebook file only. A paperback wrap (spine and back cover) can be added later for $149.
Can you redesign a book cover I already have?
Yes. A redesign runs through the same brief as a new cover, starting with why the current cover isn’t working: a genre signal that reads wrong at thumbnail size, type that looks self-published, or a design that no longer fits the book. The tier is chosen by the formats you need. Your original layered source files can speed the work, but they are not required.
Will my cover look like other AuthorWings covers?
No. Every AuthorWings cover starts from your brief, your genre, and your comparable titles, not from a template or a designer’s house style. A romance cover, a thriller cover, and a memoir cover from the same team read as books in three different categories, because each one is designed against the conventions its category rewards. What they share is the process, not the look.
Is a $199 book cover design professional?
The scope is smaller, not the standard. The same designers work across all three tiers, and the difference between $199 and $999 is format coverage, how many design ideas you see, how many rounds of changes you get, and whether the artwork is type, a stock photo, or custom illustration. An ebook-only launch does not need paperback files or series branding, and paying for them does not make the cover better.
Get a cover briefed against your exact subgenre
Every cover starts with a brief built on 3 to 5 books like yours from your exact subgenre, set to the formats you need: ebook only, paperback, or hardcover. You keep the layered source files at delivery. Book a call and talk through your book with a cover designer from our team.
Your cover briefBefore any design
What the brief locks in
- Comparable titles3 to 5 books like yours from your exact subgenre
- FormatsEbook only, paperback, or hardcover
- Design ideas1 on Ebook, 2 on Print-Ready, 3 on Illustrated
- FilesLayered source files you keep at delivery
Rounds of changes are set in writing before work starts.
You keep 100% of your rights, and nothing is signed until you decide.
