Imagine landing in a major metropolis with nothing but a map in your hands and a single goal — to find freshly-baked donuts. There are hundreds of shops though. Some with street-long queues; some with donuts priced as a hearty meal in the top restaurant, and few serve super cheap donuts at the speed of light. (“How can any mortal being crank up such numbers?” You wonder).
That’s how Fiverr feels at first: you’re totally overwhelmed and completely unsure as to where to go. It’s a frustrating and exhausting process, but you need a book cover design, and the sooner, the better.
So, is it even worth using Fiverr for book cover design?
We are intimately familiar with the platform and know the cover design through and through. We’ll help you answer this question.
Fiverr Disclaimer
Before we begin, we want to warn you about possible dangers of the platform.
On Fiverr, there can be book design frauds who present the work of other people as their own to monetize on inexperienced buyers (a few times, our works were also used by such individuals). Also, the experience level of Fiverr designers varies greatly. But if you are cautious and pick your designers following a well-polished strategy, your chances of getting burned are close to zero.
Fiverr Misconceptions
First, let’s deal with a few Fiverr misconceptions that can prevent you from finding the best book cover designer for the price.
Misconception 1: Top-rated sellers are the best
The top-rated Fiverr book cover designers are the ones with the largest traffic. It doesn’t mean that they provide the best quality for the price. The primary prerequisite of staying at the top is to produce on the scale while maintaining a positive average rating. And when you’re dealing with thousands of orders, a few dozens of bad reviews won’t change much for you.
- The algorithm doesn’t judge quality, it judges the ability to deliver.
It doesn’t mean you can’t get amazing book covers from top providers. You definitely can. It means that top sellers aren’t necessarily the most cost-efficient solution.
Misconception 2: It’s better to avoid unpopular sellers
It’s a bit worrisome to order from a provider that has no social proof behind them. But that’s how any seller gets started.
Yes, there are risks, but also benefits. Imagine, being one of the few prized customers of the eager Fiverr pro. They would likely treat you as a fragile precious gem and will do everything they can to justify your choice.
Misconception 3: Fiverr is only for small and simple tasks
Fiverr is a very big place. Remember the metropolis analogy? Just go around, and you’ll find almost any design service you want, be it simple book cover, complex photo-based design, or masterful illustration. Though be ready to break the bank for the latter.
Now that we’ve addressed some of the prevalent prejudice regarding Fiverr, let’s analyze the pros and cons of the platform.
Fiverr pros
Price flexibility. There’s an offer on Fiverr for any budget. Want to spend $500 on a book cover? Not a problem! Want to spend a measly $5 on a basic design? Easy! Usually, you can get a tolerably decent cover for $15-25.
Options. Do you want a very specific style for your book cover design? Given enough time, you are likely to find a book designer on Fiverr that has or can replicate a very similar if not identical style.
Ease of use. Fiverr has an intuitive interface with plenty of features that help you find the seller you need.
Fiver cons
Time-consuming. Regardless of your expectations and standards, you’ll still spend more time on Fiverr searching for the right designer than you’d like. Going through dozens of portfolios and hundreds of reviews is a head-splitting endeavor. And after that, you’ll have to contact the designer and hope that everything will go smoothly.
Revision process. A good book cover is the result of polishing and revisions. It requires an iterative approach and tight cooperation with a designer. A lot of Fiverr pros offer a limited number of free revisions for basic packages or simply don’t have time to polish our cover to the required perfection.
Possible communication issues. While companies have specially-trained people that communicate with you and ensure the cover reflects your vision, Fiverr freelancers are on their own. Some of them, especially newer ones, may not have a fluent command of English and required experience. It may result in misunderstandings and a book cover that doesn’t meet your requirements.
Intermediaries. Fiverr is an intermediary that is full of other intermediaries. You could never be 100% sure whether you work directly with the seller or not. It means that often book designers earn less than perceived.
License and copyrights issues. You can’t be sure whether the book cover you’ll receive will be completely original or if the designer had the rights to the used images. You can learn more about this issue here.
How to get a good book cover design from Fiverr?
First, you need to figure out your book cover design budget.
If you want a super affordable cover on budget, then your options are something like these:
- Around $5 for the most basic cover from a single stock image, basic typography
- $15 – $25 for a more complex photo-based design, the combination of several images, color-grading, more intricate typography work.
- $150+ for a simple illustrated cover with a couple of characters (children’s book cover design)
- $250+ for more complex illustrated covers
Now that you have a budget, you can decide on the style. Don’t aim for illustrated cover if your budget doesn’t allow it; the same goes for complex photo bash design. Nothing good will come of it.
Afterward, you can start searching for a Fiverr design
- Select designers that meet your budget and the preferred style.
- Check their portfolio carefully. If it’s a single person check if the style and quality are consistent in the same price category. If the provider does photo-based designs only there shouldn’t be any original illustrations. Wild inconsistency may be a red flag or simply a sign of different people working on covers.
- Double-check reviews if you have doubts. Are they unique, relevant, and feel personal?
- Contact the chosen seller before ordering, if possible, ask for examples of covers in your genre.
- Define your wants. The more accurate description you give, the better results you’ll receive. Ideally provide a premise of the book, a description of your vision, send a couple of references, and desired stock images.
- Place an order and wait.
- When it comes to revisions, make your requests as specific as possible:
- No: “I don’t like the colors.” Yes: “Could you make red more saturated and replace yellow with orange?”
- No: “Oh, the character’s dress just doesn’t do it for me.” Yes: a“Would be cool to replace the dress with something like this …”
Be attentive, specific, and patient, and you’ll have good odds of getting a beautiful cover from Fiverr. The rest is up to her majesty Luck.
To Fiverr or not to Fiverr?
Fiverr is a good place to get a book cover design on a budget. It’s a big place, with plenty of professional designers ready to take your order. Though it requires some caution to avoid possible frauds or inexperienced designers as well as digging around, patience, and a bit of blind luck.
If you don’t feel like dealing with all Fiverr’s shenanigans, you can get a cover from us. Our company specializes in book cover design on a budget. We have a streamlined process, offer an unlimited number of revisions, and a 100% money-back guarantee. Our covers average at $10 – $25 for a photo-based art. You can check our works here.
If you have any questions, feel free to hit us up.
And, regardless of where the road takes you, best of luck! Your book deserves an amazing cover.
