Hi,
Bunch of stupid questions.
I have a good idea of the cover I want for my novel, and the pre-made options that are out there--the ones I could buy for $69.99 or whatever--they don't fit the bill. I wouldn't be able to do the cover myself, either (no talent when it comes to graphic art).
1. Do I (probably) need to hire an artist in this case? To get the cover I want, I mean.
2. What do I need to know to ask them... Like what would I expect? A back and forth a few times to get what I want? payment on completion? A certain resolution file, compatible with... Adobe photoshop or something? Would any artist also handle font, title placement, spine, blurb... or are all of these things case by case... (Can you tell this is a new area of inquiry for me?)
3. What I want for the cover: An offset (indirect) profile of a woman's face, shadowed. Sort of along the lines of Song and Blood and Stone (in terms of the feel of the profile, not the details of it. I find that cover really stunning, especially for SFF). Are faces trickier than other types of illustration (e.g. worlds, ships, dragons, etc) or is it all equally .... artistic/hard/whatever the word would be?
4. Some design websites... it's hard to tell if their covers are pre-made or not. Their portfolios are extensive, but not 100% clear to me. maybe I'm missing some obvious clues and cues.
5. Can you recommend anyone that you've worked with? Perhaps LMK through DM?
I've bookmarked a couple people from a related thread https://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?251181-Cover-artists-and-designers-seeking-work --so that's been helpful. I thought I'd pipe up to see if anyone has any 'current' thinking on the matter. Design seems to be changing quickly, at least to me.
EDIT: OOOOHHHH. Just discovered that Song of Blood and Stone's cover was designed by Bookfly Design. (Now bookmarked.)
Still curious about questions, but that was so exciting to figure out.
Bunch of stupid questions.
I have a good idea of the cover I want for my novel, and the pre-made options that are out there--the ones I could buy for $69.99 or whatever--they don't fit the bill. I wouldn't be able to do the cover myself, either (no talent when it comes to graphic art).
1. Do I (probably) need to hire an artist in this case? To get the cover I want, I mean.
2. What do I need to know to ask them... Like what would I expect? A back and forth a few times to get what I want? payment on completion? A certain resolution file, compatible with... Adobe photoshop or something? Would any artist also handle font, title placement, spine, blurb... or are all of these things case by case... (Can you tell this is a new area of inquiry for me?)
3. What I want for the cover: An offset (indirect) profile of a woman's face, shadowed. Sort of along the lines of Song and Blood and Stone (in terms of the feel of the profile, not the details of it. I find that cover really stunning, especially for SFF). Are faces trickier than other types of illustration (e.g. worlds, ships, dragons, etc) or is it all equally .... artistic/hard/whatever the word would be?
4. Some design websites... it's hard to tell if their covers are pre-made or not. Their portfolios are extensive, but not 100% clear to me. maybe I'm missing some obvious clues and cues.
5. Can you recommend anyone that you've worked with? Perhaps LMK through DM?
I've bookmarked a couple people from a related thread https://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?251181-Cover-artists-and-designers-seeking-work --so that's been helpful. I thought I'd pipe up to see if anyone has any 'current' thinking on the matter. Design seems to be changing quickly, at least to me.
EDIT: OOOOHHHH. Just discovered that Song of Blood and Stone's cover was designed by Bookfly Design. (Now bookmarked.)
Still curious about questions, but that was so exciting to figure out.
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