Starting from your choice of three original, custom-designed concepts, your designer will create a beautiful cover tailored to your book and your tastes.
Cover Design Services
Beautiful Book Covers,
Effortlessly
When it comes to books, we’ve got you covered—literally! No matter your book’s genre or audience, your cover is your most valuable marketing tool. A professionally designed cover can make the difference between blending in and standing out. Our experienced graphic designers use their deep genre and industry expertise to create a cover design that captures the spirit of your book and the attention of your readers.
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We custom match you with a designer experienced in your genre to create a captivating cover that both you and your readers will love.
How does it work?
Kirkus' cover design service turns your vision for your book into a reality, producing a cover that’s both elegant and technically sound. You’ll start by answering a few questions and sharing inspiration, and you’ll end with final cover files perfectly prepared for each book format you select and the publishing platform you’ve chosen. Make your book shine with a professional, eye-catching design.
1
You share your vision: tell us about your book, upload inspiration, and describe your tastes, all guided by our friendly questionnaire.
2
You get three original, custom-designed cover concepts for your review.
3
You select a concept and submit up to three rounds of feedback.
4
Your professional designer refines and perfects your cover.
5
You receive clean final files that are fully proofed, quality-checked, and ready for publication.
What’s Included?
Whether you’re publishing a simple e-book or going all out on paperback and hardcover, our cover design packages are high caliber and always an excellent value. Starting from $699, our cover design packages include everything you need to publish your book successfully. Mix and match formats and available premium options to meet your goals and your budget.
Every Kirkus cover design package comes standard with top-of-the-line design work plus much more!
- Three original, custom-designed concepts
- Three rounds of revision to your selected concept
- Clean final cover files ready for publication
- Licensing fees for standard images included
- Full technical and editorial proofing for every format
- Copyediting, proofreading, and finalization of your cover copy
- Technical integrity guaranteed
Get started today with a fast, free, and accurate quote!
Get Your FREE QuoteWhy Kirkus?
We vet and vouch
for every designer
Our graphic designers are professionals with years of experience and robust portfolios. We’ve hand-picked the best designers available; plus your book always receives a dedicated production editor who’ll support you and your designer every step of the way.
We care about
your whole cover
An arresting front cover will take you only so far if your copy is compromised by errors or your file suffers from technical malfunctions. Our full editorial review and proofing of your complete cover—for every format you publish—ensure you can take your cover to press with confidence in every word, graphic, and measurement.
We know books
We’ve been a respected player in the publishing industry for more than 85 years. Every day, both independent authors and traditional publishers count on our expertise to produce books that are professional, accurate, and beautiful. We know books, and we know how to help you publish a book you can be proud of.
Customer Reviews
— Paul M. Kuhnert, MD, PhD, JD, author of Capturing Meaningful MomentsExcellent work by Kirkus on my book’s interior formatting and cover design—I will request their services for my second book!
— Renaii West, author of Death by ChaosSince I am somewhat technically challenged and do not want to invest in a variety of software products, I gave the job of formatting and cover design to Kirkus. . . . Everyone was pleasant and easy to work with and kept me in the loop. My novel looks professional and was easy to upload. . . . I am very pleased with Kirkus Editorial and will use them again.
— Gabrielle Cassell, author of George Barbier, Art Deco Master: A Coloring Book for AdultsKirkus was indispensable to the design of our book cover. Their professional advice and genuine commitment to our project was outstanding. We will seek out Kirkus Editorial for all our future projects.
Editing
Need your book edited before you publish?
Hire an editor from one of the nation’s top publishing houses!
Readers won’t judge your book only by its cover. Wow them with what’s inside, too. A professional edit ensures you’ll put your best foot forward.
You can add our customer-acclaimed editing services to your cover design order in one easy transaction.
- Custom-matched, fully vetted editors
- Affordable
- Unparalleled expertise
- Fast and easy workflow
Formatting
Need your book formatted?
Let Kirkus prep your final manuscript for publication!
You’ve come this far; don’t let technical obstacles keep you from reaching your publishing goals. No matter the publishing platform you’ve chosen, Kirkus can format and design your final manuscript to their specifications so you can publish quickly, easily, and frustration-free.
Add our comprehensive formatting services to your cover design package for a streamlined publishing experience.
- Works for all formats and platforms
- Two workflows and budgets to choose from
- Technical integrity guaranteed
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of books can you design covers for?
All of them! Our designers create covers for books ranging from science fiction to memoir to business—and everything in between. They have proven experience designing for every mood, aesthetic, and genre.
How do you match me with a designer?
We consider both the genre/subject matter of your book and the preferences you’ve communicated. We then pair you with someone who has both appropriate experience for your book and sensitivity to your book’s unique needs. We work as a team to ensure that every book goes to a qualified designer with a track record of excellent work.
How do I know I’ll like the cover my designer creates?
Before work on your book begins, we ask you to complete a fun and friendly questionnaire to help us understand your book, your aesthetic vision, and your goals. We’ll prompt you for inspiration in the form of photos, colors, moods, and even other book covers you love. With your collaborative effort and our designers’ keen eyes—plus up to three rounds of revision—we’re confident you’ll end up with a cover you adore.
How long does it take to get my cover?
The initial design concept phase typically takes two weeks; after that, your timeline will vary depending on how the number of rounds of revision. From start to finish, most cover design services take four weeks.
What are “premium options” and why might I want them for my cover?
Every cover design package includes licensing fees for a catalog of standard images, which are right for most books. You can request that your designer also consider premium images—such as famous photos, artwork, or photos from high-end photo services—which will usually incur additional licensing fees. You can also request that your designer create a custom illustration for your cover, which will incur additional design fees. These options might be right for you if your preferences, your book’s genre, or your marketing plans demand a more exclusive book cover.
Can I submit my own image for the designer to use?
Absolutely. Your designer can work with any image you supply—but bear in mind that you’ll be responsible for securing permission for the use and paying any image licensing fees yourself. Your designer will still create three initial cover concepts for your review, any or all of which will use the image(s) you submit, according to your preferences and instructions.
What other benefits do I get with a Kirkus cover design package?
Aside from first-rate design work, you’ll get full editorial review of your copy and thorough proofing of your final cover files. Trade publishers rely on their editors to ensure that book covers are correct, polished, and technically sound. With Kirkus, you can rely on our editors to do the same, so you can go to press with confidence in every comma.
Need Help?
Contact us: 888-407-4474 or email bookediting@kirkus.com.
