They say don’t judge a book by it’s cover and that’s good advice… but a good cover helps whet interest and attract an audience. I’ve been fortunate to work with some truly incredible artists who have helped bring my work to life.
Cover Art by Christina Pankievich
My cousin and a truly wonderful artist. She was nice enough to take care of the first cover for me and I am greatly appreciative.
Cover art by Helder Olivier
Another great artist. When my cousin was unavailable to do the cover, I put a post out on my facebook page for a graphic designer and he immediately came up. He was a wonderful person to work with, his art is terrific and, as you can tell from this, he has quite the pension for jewelry design. I highly recommend checking out his page!
Helder‘s page
Cover art by Brett Warniers.
Every artist that I have worked with over time has been an absolute joy. Last and by no means least is the insanely talented Brett. His cover art broke the simplicity mode that I had confined myself up until now, thinking that it was the only way to attract attention… I was wrong and he showed me that.
He came recommended by a close friend and after seeing his other work, I could not refuse his talents. His work really speaks for itself and he has accepted the monumental task of creating the cover for the biggest work I’ve ever put out: Divinity. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with.
Tina is unfortunately (or VERY fortunately depending on which side you are on) very busy with other projects and doesn’t have a page anymore. However Brett and Helder are accessible through their pages and their art work is well worth the money! You will not be disappointed.
James Harringtons Creative Work 
The first cover in particular is very interesting. It kinds of looks like (and maybe is supposed to look like) DNA, which I wouldn’t necessarily expect for a story called ‘The Last Enchanter’. That catches my attention.
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Thank you! It was actually supposed to be a plasma bolt, but hey, I invite all interpretations and there is a some mentions of biology contributing to the story, so if that’s what caught you, I’ll take it!
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I´m very proud of this illustration, not only because it was a fun project but mainly because it was great to work with a very talented author who I’m sure will soon be published all over the world =)
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You were an absolutely joy to work with Helder! I’m sure you’ll go far with your art. Pandora would be foolish not to pick you up!
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Thanks for the “Like” on my blog “Red City.” I will be following your blog — looks interesting and filled with valuable information.
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Thank you!
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I’m pleased that you liked my post on “Swords, Specters, & Stuff.” You’re welcome back anytime!
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Your covers look fantastic. Can I ask a cheeky question? How much roughly would you expect to pay for cover art from a graphic designer? I’ve just published my first book with createspace and I panicked a bit over the cover because I thought it would be hundreds of pounds to get it done professionally. I ended drawing it myself and it looks a little a primary school drawing! Any advice would be greatfully accepted!
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Nothing cheeky about it, good question, so it really depends. Professional artists will usually go for $250-500, so for you probably around 300 pounds.
Your better bet would be to get an art student or one just starting out that is looking for a break through, they’ll often do it for less… or if you actually know a graphic designer, they may give you a discount.
Realistically, around $200 (125 pounds) is around what you should expect to pay on the low end.
One other piece of advice I’d give, I’ve worked very well with my current artist because I give him the plot synopsis, a rough description of the story and background, and he creates the cover himself. So definitely let the artist’s creativity fly, the cover will be infinitely better.
I will say this, both Helder and Brett were a joy to work with, and were reasonable, so I’d definitely recommend either of them. (That’s not to say Christina wasn’t, she’s just not taking on new clients right now.)
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Thanks very much, lots to think about!
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