If this has already been touched on, mea culpa. If not, I thought I'd throw in my pocket change. One of the greatest- and by extension sometimes the worst- aspect of self-publishing is designing that cover. Oh the myriad dreams of seeing your story reflected graphically! As a freelance artist myself, along with narrative-slinging, I've been on both sides of this fence. So, I wanted to share some tips with any aspiring writers out there who might be looking at self-publishing, and who might also be wondering as to the ins and outs of getting a cover created.
1. Try doing it yourself.
My freelance artist friends are going to kill me for writing that, and it does seem like a very counterproductive way to start this list, but hear me out. Try it yourself. Even if you've zero knowledge of graphic editing software, the only one who will absolutely know how it should look is you. You might find along the way that you've got a natural gift for it, or simply want to indulge in some artistic endeavors in your spare time.
But if it still doesn't come out how you envisioned it, at the very least you'll have a newfound respect for the craft, and even an example product to show the artist- no matter how crude- just to get the ball rolling. I've personally told clients to try sketching out their ideas first before going forward with me, and it's saved a lot of time and potential miscommunication. That leads us to point the second:
2.BE SPECIFIC
How many times have you looked at a cover of a book and thought- 'Wow. Did the artist even read this thing?" Well, if you're talking books from the big publishing houses, usually not completely. In point of fact, a lot of writers only get menial control over the cover- and the artists tapped will maybe get some vague passages, or maybe a sample chapter of an iconic scene they (meaning the Publishers) want represented. That's not always how it goes, but that falls into the time vs. content production bit.
But, if you're self-publishing, that means total control. The easiest trick to get there? Use your words, dude. Be detailed. Be wordy. You're a writer, so write! Convey what you want in absolute terms, and don't be afraid to clarify. Ask for a WIP (work-in-progress) image, or thumbnail sketches, so you and the artist can get on the same page from the word go. That segues nicely into point numero tres:
3.You're both artists - understand that
Writing just for exposure isn't payment. Writing good stories isn't a cakewalk. Neither is illustration and graphic design on both points. Remember that first bit on this list? This coincides. If you're working on a budget, then find the artist that will work within that budget- don't just expect the first artist you find to be kosher with it. Art, like entertainment in general, is a luxury item. Period. If you don't have the budget for it, and can't do it yourself, then I'm afraid you'll have to figure out a way to get to that point where you're both satisfied.
A good artist will know their worth, their rates vs. time, and be able to express that not only through the quality of their work, but also through how they deal with you. They will be able to show you similar pieces vis a vis rates they quote you, and will be willing to work with you along the way- within reason. Remember, you're both creative minds. Art isn't subjective- it's a skill, just like writing. What's subjective is taste for the content. Once you find the artist you like, just remember: your readers like your stuff for a reason, and by that nature you like the work of the artist for a reason. Mind, I'll freely admit there are people out there who will rip you off, but a little due diligence and appreciation will find you in contact with eager professionals who will go the extra mile just because you showed them respect. I know I certainly do for clients who don't believe that Photoshop is a magic box that pumps out art with the press of a button. Writing and Design are difficult- mutually so. Neither happens by magic. That leads us to adventures in Point Number Four: The Reckoning-
4.How to search, where to search
A lot of self-publishing services offer cover artists or contact lists. It's a great tool for trying to find that special artist for your book. But, there's other venues that sometimes get overlooked. I often point clients to these places when things don't click- not due to me passing them off, but just in the natural entropy of business, be it from the project being one I'm not interested in, or incapable of doing (another trait: the artists who've done this for long enough will be blunt about their strengths and weaknesses). For instance, DeviantArt.
Boo! Hiss! I hear some of you say- particularly the gentleman in the back row who's making rude gestures. Yeah, I see you, buddy. Take it from an artist: DeviantArt is more than just anime fan art or artistic nudes. Some of the gaming and illustration industry's top professionals have portfolios there, and if you simply judge what can be found based on what's on their front page, you're misleading yourself. That's like trying to gauge the content or things you might find on Twitter just by what's generally trending. Start by doing a search for things you're interested in, or even what snaps to mind that you'd like to see on your cover. From there, you'll more than likely have a slew of artists to contact. There are others online of this ilk, from Coroflot, Behance and LinkedIn, etc. All you have to do is search, and then make contact. Contacting artists? By Golly, I think that takes us to point five:
5. RESEARCH
Don't just jump in. Do some legwork. You have an artist's name, or handle? Cool. TO THE GOOGLE CAVE. Chances are good that if said artist has been plying his or her craft for a bit, then they will have also opted in for all the social media blitz they can manage. On top of a main webpage (if they have one), you will probably find their LinkedIn page, Tumblr, Twitter, etc. But let's focus on the meat and potatoes: content.
Check their LinkedIn page. Do they have any comments from the people they've worked with? How about in general through Google? That's a solid barometer of reputation. In a few minutes, you can find who's worth a shot, who's worth another look, or who's gained notorious status for unprofessional conduct or blatant art and design theft. The last thing you want, or need, is to have some jerk's bad habits bite you on the ass. It hurts your work, and it hurts the rest of us who were waiting in the wings. Speaking of, there's that last key point:
6. Be excellent to each other.
This is more than sage advice from the Prophets Bill and Ted. this is crucial to working relationships- especially if this is an artist you want to use on your series, or other works. Be firm in what you want, but fair in execution. Show professionalism, and it will be shown back. If it isn't, then you don't want to work with that person anyway- but the opposite is true. To quote another Prophet, Wil of Wheaton, "Don't be a dick."
Word gets around more quickly than you dare believe in artist circles when it comes to nightmare clientele. Be up front, know what you want, and treat the artist like an equal creative content creator, and a lot of problems can be smoothed over in the process. A good artist will treat you as what you are: the client in need of artistic endeavors. A good writer will treat the artist as what they are: a professional in possession of skills they need to tap. Everything beyond that is just good ol' fashioned common decency and communication. Everything else, however, is fodder for clients-from-hell websites.
So that's it in a nutshell. The process can be easy, but does take a little time on your part. In the end, the important thing is YOUR work. Just be willing to do the time to get there, and I promise you both sides will be happy- and you'll have yet another contact in your arsenal or literary awesome that you wish to unleash on the unsuspecting mas-
-er... I mean, another tool for the stories you want to get out into the wild. Yeah.
