Adventures in Epublishing: Step 4

This is the fourth article in my Adventures in Epublishing series.  In just two weeks, my first ebook, Into the Shadows, will be available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com and Smashwords.com.  Ebook guru Joe Konrath has an article discussing his plan for ebook success with How to Make Money on Ebooks.

This week I'm focusing on the face of the ebook...the cover.


 4.  Have a professional looking cover

Joe encourages ebook writers to invest in a proper cover instead of trying to go it alone with Photoshop.

I have to wholeheartedly agree here.  While I'm very creative, I am by no means a graphic designer.  This is the first thing people will see when they click on Into the Shadows on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble.  I want the cover to look like I take my work seriously.  This is a professional book, from a professional writer (I like to think) and therefore, needs a professional cover.  I used Joe Konrath's own designer, and this is what he came up with.  It was his very first YA cover.

I didn't feel that the cost was something I couldn't handle.  The investment I made on this cover is very minimal compared to the money I hope to earn from selling it.  If you're curious, it cost me $300 for this ebook cover.  I'm going to pay the cover artist and additional $100 for the POD (paperback) version of the cover.  I'll need to sell 150 ebooks at $2.99 to recoup my costs for the ebook cover and 50 paperbacks to pay for the paperback cover.  It may take a couple months.  It may not.  We'll see! 

What are your thoughts?  Did you do your own cover?  Pay someone? Tell us all about it and post a link so we can check it out!