How to Get a Great Book Cover in 3 Steps

This advice comes from an author client of mine and is her surefire way to get a beautiful book cover. Let's get right into it:

1. Go to 99Designs. Create an account. 
2. ​Create a contest. This will cost you $399 upfront for ebook and paperback* You can get a refund if you don't like any of the designs after the first round.
3. You'll get lots of designers who'll participate. Interact with them, get revisions on the designs that you like. 

The contest is two rounds: 4 days for round one and 4 days for round two and then you have 10 days to work with the designer to finalize it. That 18 days in total and then you're stuck with the design. 

It's important to have the following before you start the contest, as these will affect paperback book:

1. Accurate page count
2. Blurb
3. Author Bio
4. Your Author Picture
5. If you're doing to use white or creme paper

You can just get the $279 version of the 99designs contest, you will only get a paperback version. But then if you know someone who does graphics, they can easily (read: cheaply) make an ebook from the source file you get from 99designs at the end.

Hope that helps! Now go out and make a awesome book cover and launch it into space so it's the first sign that aliens find of intelligent life!