8 Tips for Working With a Book Designer. Volume IV

Welcome to our final installment of 8 Tips for working with (and finding) a book designer. Volume IV. To recap the tips from previous weeks:
Tip #1 - Research your genre.
Tip #2 - Research a cover designers style.
Tip #3 - Get a personal recommendation.
Tip #4 - Don't let $$ be everything.
Tip #5 - Get a contract
Tip #6 - Share your vision

And now for this weeks tips:

Tip #7 - Be decisive
Phrases like "I want it to POP!", "It needs to be more dynamic!" or "I'm not sure, but I'll know it when I see it." are all extremely unhelpful to your designer. Many of us are, for the most part, wizards at what we do, but mind reading isn't in our skill set. Knowing and expressing exactly what you want will save you time, money and aggravation in the long run.

Tip #8 Save samples of what you found in Tip #1 to share with your designer.

Remember the research you did in Tip #1. If you found some covers that you love, and even some that you hate, share them with your designer. Explore the reasons you love it or hate it. It helps us to know your likes and dislikes so we can narrow down what you have in your brain.

Bonus Tip - There's a saying we designers love, that most won't tell you because, let's face it, it's a little cheeky. It's called the Good/Fast/Cheap paradigm. Give this some deep thought next time you are looking for a designer. Good/Fast/Cheap - you only get to choose 2.

That's it for this month. I hope this info has been helpful. As always, feel free to jump in and ask any questions for next months topic.