I'll have more news, descriptions, and sample chapters in the near future, but that cover image is the reason for today's post. When I published Way Over the Line, I created my own cover. While I was happy enough with it to publish it, I feel it would have been a better product with a professional designer creating the cover. That's why I decided I needed to get a "real" cover for Ghost Betweens. The problem with this, though, is that professional designers want $100 or more (sometimes much more), for custom covers. I don't have that type of money to throw around. Sure, I hope my book will make that and more back, but I can't count on that (or even hope for it at this point in my writing career). So what was I to do?
I found the answer in premade ebook covers. In these, the artwork is already done, and when you buy the cover, the artist will add in your name and book title where the placement fonts are. These are a much more economical choice for authors on a budget (like me). I didn't exhaust my search, as I found the perfect cover fairly quickly, but on the half-dozen sites I checked, prices ranged from under $20 to around $70. Mine, by the way, was a deal at $25. A quick Google search (I used "premade ebook covers") will turn up a good number of sites for you to browse. I do want to give a shout-out to the site I used, since it had a great number of quality covers to choose from with lower-end prices: Book Graphics. I'm quite thrilled with the cover art I received.
Of course there can be drawbacks. The main one, of course, is that you might not find the perfect cover image for your novel. That will force you to decide if you want to open your wallet a little wider to get a custom cover, or if you want to simply go for the good enough approach and get a cover that isn't quite right, but workable. I lucked out in that the cover I found is practically the same as what I would have had custom designed. I don't expect everyone to be as lucky, so weigh your options carefully.
All in all, I highly recommend checking out premade ebook covers if you are going to put out your own ebook. With so many sites and covers to choose from, you're bound to find one that comes close to what you envisioned in the first place, and maybe you'll even be surprised and find something that exceeds your expectations. Give it a look!
