Attribute and Respect

I wanted to quickly touch on two things: providing correct attribution in your work that is well deserved, and respecting your designer's opinions.

It recently came to my attention that it's possible that a large number of authors don't even think about providing attributions for their designer. IF YOU HAD SOMEONE ELSE MAKE YOUR COVER ART, YOU NEED TO LIST THEIR INFORMATION ON THE COPYRIGHT PAGE OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT. Whether you knew this or not, it can still be extremely offensive to your designer if you don't put it in print, and essentially scream it to the world. They worked hard for you, so pay due respects.

I also really want to touch on general respect for your designer. This does come from several instances of personal experience. Your designer knows you want your cover to represent your style as an author, and also mirror the story you've written. However, because you are working with a professional designer, their opinion is crucial. If you as the author knew the best way to design your cover, you'd do it yourself, would you not? It is essential that you listen to your designer, and really listen, not just say you are. What you have in your head may not be realistic or feasible. Also, think about your entire design thoroughly before having your designer start working. THEIR TIME IS JUST AS VALUABLE AS YOUR TIME. Don't waste it by having them design something just to decide you don't like it and have them do something else entirely. Most designers WILL charge you for this. Avoid the extra charges and the headache on both ends. Take the time to think about the design before jumping the gun.

That's it. Just keep your designer in mind. It's not a matter of who's opinion is more important. It's a matter of respect.