More money doesn’t always necessarily mean better quality work. When it comes to purchasing book covers, sometimes a $5 cover from Fiverr paints a better picture than a $100 cover.
While this isn’t always the case, I’m here to say how I’ve found a lot of success with $5 book covers for the kinds of books I publish.
Your book’s genre plays a huge role in how much you need to pay for a solid book cover. Especially if you’re selling an e-book on Amazon.
Find out how much you should be paying for a book cover per your next book.
$5 book covers
The cover of your books isn’t a step to be cheap about in the self-publishing industry. After all, buyers will literally judge your book by its cover.
But depending on what kind of book you’re writing, a $5 book cover from a talented designer on Fiverr (oliviaprodesigns) will compete with most $100 books in the genre of nonfiction.
Don’t get me wrong, the Fiverr worker I just mentioned does a great job — for cheap — on all kinds of genres, not just fiction. However, covers for nonfiction tend to be more laid back than fiction covers and don’t need to be all glitz and glam to make sales.
I paid $5 for my first book cover on Fiverr and it turned out well. The book gets consistent sales on Amazon and attracts the right kind of attention.
However, I wrote a nonfiction book and I can get sales without a robust book cover. This is the major difference between a $5 cover and a $100 cover. Nonfiction books don’t need the glitz and glam to work as our book covers.
It’s because our nonfiction books likely don’t have characters, a plot or a storyline to follow. We’re usually answering questions and helping others with our books. So the cover just needs to catch attention and be clear to read.
$100 book covers
As I said previously, $100 book covers are more for fiction writers. If you want the cover for your alien romance novel to stand out from its competitors, it’s going to cost you.
But no worries, using a website like 100covers.com is a great process that always produces a great outcome. You give the designers information about your book, the characters and the plot. They sketch out some designs for you and build elaborate book covers that stand out from the cheaper options other authors get from Fiverr.
I definitely suggest fiction authors shell out a little extra money for their cover designs because it goes a lot further when it comes to getting sales.
Bottom line: Book covers depend on your writing
How much you pay for your book cover will depend on your type of writing. Nonfiction authors don’t necessarily need to pay an arm and a leg for their covers but can if they choose to do so.
Fiction authors can expect their book covers to cost a bit more because they are essentially using the cover to reflect some aspect of their stories. The better your cover, the more likely you are to separate yourself from the pack.
Related: See our list of the best 6 side hustle books on Amazon.
This article included an affiliate link that earns me a commission every time it’s used for a purchase.
