FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

You can fill out the form on my contact page. Or you can send me an email at info@mooneygraphics.com.

I prefer to do all design correspondence by email. That way we don’t have to worry about time zones, or coordinating call times. It also means I’ll have a searchable written record of everything we’ve discussed, and fewer details will fall through the cracks.

First have a look around at some of my past work, and decide whether I could be a good fit for you. Familiarize yourself with the services I offer. Then request a consultation with me on my Design Request page, and we’ll start discussing your project.

No problem! When you fill out a consultation form on my Design Request page, there will be a question asking which package you’re interested in. You can choose “Not sure yet”. Try to provide as much of the other information as possible. Then I’ll talk through your project with you and help you decide which package you need.

If you have a hard deadline in mind, it’s probably best to contact me ahead of time. There’s no limitation to how early you can schedule a project, but there are limitations to how late you can wait. Book covers usually take 10 to 15 business days and websites can take up to a month. I also sometimes have a flood of queries and I’ll be booked a couple weeks in advance.

I do have rush options available, if you have an emergency. Contact me for more details.

Yes, I do!

Please note: I only offer it in certain design packages.

First, be sure to take a look at my work and the packages I offer, and then decide if I would be a good fit for you and your story. You also need to able to provide some information about your book, whether you’re ready to publish or your still drafting. It’s going to be hard to design a cover for you if you don’t know the title of your book, what it’s about, or what pen name you want to use. A good way to test whether you’re ready to start the process of getting your cover commissioned would be to take a look at the form you need to fill out in order to request a consultation with me. See how many of the questions you can answer.

“I don’t know what I want, but I’ll know it when I see it” is one of the most dreaded things clients tell their designers. Because when you say that, you’re basically telling us to guess. And I, for one, do not possess special mind reading skills. Asking a designer to show you concept after concept until you see one you like, is going to be a lot of unnecessary work them and a lot of unnecessary cost for you.

Not everyone is a visual person, and that’s okay. If you don’t know what you want, you can do some homework to make it easier. Trying looking at the book covers you like best, and figure out what you like about them. You could also look at movie posters, album covers, magazine ads, etc. You can draw inspiration from anywhere.

Maybe you don’t know what you want, but you’re not picky. That’s okay too. The best thing for you, then, may be to find a designer who has designed covers for other books like yours that have been successful, give them as much information as you can, and just trust them.

Knowing exactly what you want for your cover can be an advantage, but it can also be a big disadvantage. Having a very specific vision for your cover means you need to have really good communication skills to explain what you want. It means you should choose a cover package that offers more rounds of revisions, because even the most thought-out explanation may not convey everything you’re thinking to your designer. It also means you should consider buying a design package that includes custom illustration, because there’s no guarantee that there’s a stock photo out there of a model who looks exactly like your protagonist, in the clothes that character would be wearing, in the exact position you want them in.

Another disadvantage to having a super specific vision is that it may prevent you from taking full advantage of your designer’s skills and knowledge base, because you’re restricting their creative freedom. The best thing you can do for your book is find a designer that you really trust, and then trust them.

It depends on the package you choose. My Budget, Standard, and Premium cover packages take 10 business days. The Premium+ and The Works packages can take 10 to 15 business, depending on the client’s needs.

Find more information on my book cover packages on my Services page.

All of my pricing information is laid out on my Services for Authors page. If you’re looking for something I don’t have listed, please contact me for a quote.

Unfortunately, I am unable to read every single book I design a cover for, so as a rule I don’t read any of them. Instead, I ask for a description, and I will discuss your book with you until I know what kind of cover would work for your story.

1600×2400 pixels at 300 DPI.

Absolutely! But the cost will be different, based on who’s paying for it. My fixed rates are for independent authors to make publishing more affordable when you have to do everything yourself. So if you’re funding the cover yourself or if you have a small publisher on a tight budget, then those rates will probably work for you.

If you’re with a bigger publisher, it will require a bit more discussion and I’ll need to give them a quote. It’s also likely they’ll need the full rights to the cover, instead of my standard license.

This is the process for the Standard Book Cover package. Keep in mind the process is slightly different with each package.

1. Once you’ve looked at the services I offer, and you’ve decided you want me to design your cover, you need to fill out a consultation form on my Design Request page. We’ll discuss scheduling and budget. I’ll ask you some basic questions about your book and what you want for your cover.

2. I’ll send you a contract and an invoice for a 50% deposit. After the invoice is paid, we’ll have a more in depth discussion about your design if needed.

3. Over the next 5-7 business, I will put together two mock ups, or cover concepts, for you to choose from. These concepts are my first drafts and may sometimes show watermarks on photos because the stock photos won’t be purchased until we’re certain we want to use them.

4. We’ll discuss what you like and dislike about the cover mock ups. You’ll choose one the you like best and request any changes you want to include in your first round of revisions. I may offer advice about proposed revisions to help you make smart design decisions. At this point, I will go over the stock photo costs with you and get your approval.

5. I will revise the cover over the next 1-2 business days, depending on the complexity of the revisions requested, and send you the first proof. We’ll have a final discussion about the cover. You’ll give me any last changes you want to include in the final round of revisions.

6. I will revise the cover over the next 1-2 business days, again depending on the complexity of the revisions requested, and send you the second proof. If at this point you’re happy with you cover, I will send you an invoice for the balance. Once that is paid, I will provide you with a full sized cover file. However, if there are still changes you want to make you’ll need to purchase an additional round of revisions.

Once the eBook cover process is over, if you’ve ordered a print edition of your cover or you’ve purchased promotional add-ons, we’ll begin working on those.

Additional revisions are available for a fee. If your book cover has been finished and the last invoice has been paid, you can purchase an additional round of revisions.

I will work with you until you’re happy with your design, but I do have fail-safes put in place so you can terminate the project and save some money, if you’re unhappy with the design.

Here’s how termination works:

1. Deposits are nonrefundable. They are my guarantee that you’re not going to start a project with me and never pay for it.

2. After receiving your mock ups, if you are unhappy and are not willing to continue working with me to find a design that works for you, you can terminate the project. You will not be obligation to pay the remaining balance.

3. After your first round of revisions, if you are unhappy and no longer wish to continue, you can terminate the project, and you will only be obligated to pay a portion of the remaining balance. If the package you purchased includes 2 rounds of revision, you’ll be required to pay 50% of the remaining balance, not including stock photos that have already been approved. If your package includes 3 rounds of revision, you’ll be required to pay 33% of the remaining balance, not including stock photos. If your package includes 5 rounds of revision, you’ll be required to pay 20% of the remaining balance, not including stock photos. And so on and so forth.

4. After each revision, termination works the same way. For example, if you have 5 revisions total, and you want to terminate the project after your second round, you’ll owe 40% of the remaining balance, not including approved stock photos. And so on and so forth.

5. If you’ve exceeded the number of revisions included in the package you purchased and you’re unhappy with your design and no longer wish to continue working on it, you must pay the remaining balance. However, after the balance is paid you are not obligated to purchase additional revisions or work on the project any further.

This depends on who you’re going to have print it. Each printing company has their own requirements. If you’re using CreateSpace, for example, I need to know the trim size you’ve chosen, the final number of pages (after formatting), and whether the pages will be white or cream (this affects the width of the spine). I’ll also need the copy for the back (75-200 words).

To find out the requirements for other printing companies, you can look at their book cover template builders. On my resources page, I have links to the template builders of all the common printing companies (shown only on desktop site).

Absolutely, I can customize your paperback/hardcover edition to meet the specifications of any printing company. Just let me know which one you’re using.

Note: I may charge a reformatting fee if you’re using multiple printing companies, because the cover will need to be changed for each one.

Absolutely!

The recommended length is 75 to 200 words.

From webopedia: “Stock photos (stock photography) are professional photographs… that are bought and sold on a royalty-free basis and can be used and reused for commercial design purposes.”

Basically, using stock photos is a legal way to use images without having to hire a photographer, thus saving you money.

The short answer is no. You can’t legally take an image you find on Google and use it as your cover image. You have to either purchase the rights to that image, license it, or obtain permission from the owner that you would be able to offer as proof if it’s ever called into question.

The long answer is more complicated than that. There are situations where using someone else’s image is legal, such as in parody or as a derivative work. But you have to be careful, and really do your research.

As a designer, I play it safe. I use stock photos or I create images myself. Occasionally, I go to Google to find an image to use as a guide when I’m creating something from scratch, like when I’m trying to paint realistically shaped eyelashes, or I need to see the way shadows act on certain surfaces. Because the guide images aren’t present in my artwork, and my design is so far removed from them, it’s safe to use.

Every image you see on the internet is subject to copyright. As with many things in life, if it’s not yours, you can safely assume it belongs to someone else.

Of course! If you’ve fallen in love with a photo and want to use it on your book cover or website, I can definitely incorporate it into my design. However, I will ask for a link to where you got it, or to see your written permission to use it, just to make sure everything’s legal.

This answer is different for every design. It depends on which of my packages you purchase, how detailed your design will be, how much of it will be created from scratch, how many different elements you’ve requested to be present in the design, etc. But I will always discuss stock photo costs with you before I license them, and you will always have a chance to give your approval. If you are on a budget, I can work with you to keep costs down.

Firstly, because the need is different for each design. One may require 10 stock photos and the next may not need any at all. I could raise my prices to have the cost of stock photos built in, but in order to offer the lowest rate to each author, I don’t include them.

The other reason you pay for your own stock photos is so that you have the rights to use them. When I add a stock photo to your book cover or website, I license it in your name. That means you assume full responsibility for it. It also means if you become the next Amanda Hocking and sell a million copies, you’ll be able to extend your photo license and continue using your cover, and you won’t have to worry about repurchasing the stock photo.

Not unless you sell over 250,000-500,000 hard copies, depending on where you buy the stock photo. And if you’re selling that many copies, an extended license would be well worth it.

I use dreamstime a lot. They’re really affordable and they have a good selection.

Some other sites you could try are:

• iStockPhoto
• shutterstock
• Period Images
• Bigstock
• Thinkstock
• fotolia
• depositphotos

A quick Google search could also turn up some more options.

It needs to be a very high quality image. The standard ebook cover is 1600×2400 pixels at 300 DPI, so your photo should be at least that large. Keep in mind if it needs to be cropped, it should be larger.

This is the process for the Standard Web Design package. Keep in mind the process is slightly different with each package.

1. Once you’ve looked at the services I offer, and you’ve decided you want me to design your author website, you need to fill out a consultation form on my Design Request page. We’ll discuss scheduling and budget. I’ll ask you some basic questions about the kind of books you write and what you want for the look of your website.

2. I’ll send you a contract and an invoice for a 50% deposit. After the invoice is paid, we’ll have a more in depth discussion about your design and how you want your website set up. I will also talk you through the steps you’ll need to take to purchase a domain name and web hosting, and to set up temporary passwords to give me access to your web hosting and WordPress accounts.

3. Over the next 5-7 business, I will put together two mock ups, or website concepts, for you to choose from. These concepts are my first drafts and may sometimes show watermarks on photos because the stock photos won’t be purchased until we’re certain we want to use them.

4. We’ll discuss what you like and dislike about the website mock ups. You’ll choose one the you like best and request any changes you want to include in your first round of revisions. I may offer advice about proposed revisions to help you make smart design decisions. At this point, I will go over the stock photo costs with you and get your approval.

5. I will revise the website concept over the next 1-2 business days, depending on the complexity of the revisions requested, and then send you a new mock up. You’ll give me any last changes you want to the website graphics for the final round of revisions.

6. I will revise the website concept over the next 1-2 business days, again depending on the complexity of the revisions requested, and then send you a new version of the mock up. If at this point you’re happy with the look, I will begin building a website template using the graphics you’ve approved.

7. Building the template will take 3-7 business days, depending of the complexity of the design. Then I will send you a preview of the design.

8. Over the next 5 business days, I will get your hosting set up if needed, install WordPress, install your custom template, and set up your Front Page, Blog, your About page, your Books page, and your Contact page.

9. Once the website is set up and I’ve made any changes needed, I will schedule a video walk through with you, where I will give you a tour of the website, and answer any questions you may have about how it works.

10. When all this is finished, I’ll send you an invoice for the remaining balance. Once that is paid, I’ll send you the log in info, and turn the website over to you.

It can take anywhere from 10 business days to 6 weeks, depending on the design package you purchase and the complexity of the design.

All of my pricing information is laid out on my services for authors page. If you’re looking for something I don’t have listed, please contact me for a quote.

WordPress requires you to have web hosting when you use a custom design. This is because uploading a custom design requires storage. When you use one of their premade templates, it’s free, because it’s already stored in their database, so it doesn’t take up extra space like a custom template does.

I prefer to work with WordPress. Blogger doesn’t work as well for custom designs. If you have your heart set on Blogger though, contact me, and I’ll consider it.

I usually work with GoDaddy’s Cpanel hosting, and I recommend the Deluxe package.

The GoDaddy Cpanel hosting I usually work with is about $8 a month, but if you pay yearly instead of monthly, you can save quite a bit. It’s about $100 a year.

Usually about $11-$18 a year. I recommend purchasing through GoDaddy.

Yes, you can order website maintenance in 1 hour blocks for $25 an hour. Just contact me with a list of the changes or updates you want to make, and I’ll give you an estimate on how long it will take.

Of course! I set up author websites with a WordPress Content Managing System, so you’ll be able to control it just like any other WordPress website.

All of my pricing information is laid out on my services page. If you’re looking for something I don’t have listed, please contact me for a quote.

At this time, I only accept PayPal. But PayPal accepts all major credit cards.

Yes, all of my cover design and web design packages require a 50% deposit before any of the work begins.

I will send an invoice as soon as the final round of revisions is complete and the design is approved. The final payment is due upon receipt of the invoice and must be paid within 48 hours.

No, I don’t do refunds. When you commission me for a project, you’re not only paying for the final product, but also for my time, and that’s something I can’t get back. But I will work with you until you’re happy with your design, and I do have fail-safes put in place so you can terminate the project and save some money, if you’re unhappy with the design.

Here’s how termination works:

1. Deposits are nonrefundable. They are my guarantee that you’re not going to start a project with me and never pay for it.

2. After receiving your mock ups, if you are unhappy and are not willing to continue working with me to find a design that works for you, you can terminate the project. You will not be obligation to pay the remaining balance.

3. After your first round of revisions, if you are unhappy and no longer wish to continue, you can terminate the project, and you will only be obligated to pay a portion of the remaining balance. If the package you purchased includes 2 rounds of revision, you’ll be required to pay 50% of the remaining balance, not including stock photos that have already been approved. If your package includes 3 rounds of revision, you’ll be required to pay 33% of the remaining balance, not including stock photos. If your package includes 5 rounds of revision, you’ll be required to pay 20% of the remaining balance, not including stock photos. And so on and so forth.

4. After each revision, termination works the same way. For example, if you have 5 revisions total, and you want to terminate the project after your second round, you’ll owe 40% of the remaining balance, not including approved stock photos. And so on and so forth.

5. If you’ve exceeded the number of revisions included in the package you purchased and you’re unhappy with your design and no longer wish to continue working on it, you must pay the remaining balance. However, after the balance is paid you are not obligated to purchase additional revisions or work on the project any further.

Keep in mind, if you’re purchasing one of my design packages for indie authors, you’re already receiving a discount. I offer these low fixed rates exclusively to independent authors. If you were a publisher, I’d be charging you more, or by the hour.

If you’re ordering one of the higher end packages for several books in a series all at once, I may consider offering a discount. I deal with these situations on a case by case basis.

No, once you’ve licensed a book cover, it’s yours to use for as long as you wish.

No. The book cover is not yours to use until the final invoice has been paid, and even then only the final version is legal for you to use.

You can use your book cover wherever you like for the purpose of selling and promoting your book.

What you can’t do is use it for a purpose other than selling and promoting your book. You also can’t use it for a different book.

Yes, on your copyright page, you must include a line that says “Cover Design © Stephanie Mooney. All rights reserved.”

If I design your cover, the design will be licensed exclusively to you, but the rights will be owned by me. This only applies to the design itself. If it includes stock photos, those images are owned by whoever licensed them to you. If it includes someone’s artwork that you had permission to use, that artwork still belongs to the creator.

The full rights to the design are available for an additional fee, if you need them.

All of my custom cover designs for independent authors and my premade covers are licensed to the client who purchased them. This is why these services have fixed rates and are cheaper that the projects commissioned by larger publishers. I don’t relinquish the full rights of my cover designs without an additional fee. This is for my own protection and to ensure that a cover design purchased at a lower rate for an indie author remains with that author and is used only for that purpose.

If you were to own the full rights to your cover design, you wouldn’t necessarily have to credit me with the work; you could modify it and resell it; you could give it to a publisher, who would make a much greater profit from it than an independent author would; you could use it for multiple books in a series without re-licensing it; you could allow anyone to use the design. Licensing the cover instead, means I can be sure you will credit me with my work, that only you will use it, and only for the purpose of selling and promoting the book you licensed it for.

Nope, never.

Nope, no one. I will never resell your design to anyone else, and you also can’t give it to anyone else to use. If you get picked up by a publisher who wants use the design, either you or they will need to contact me about the full rights to the design.

The credit on your copyright page should read:

Cover Design © Stephanie Mooney. All rights reserved.
Cover Art © (Artist Name). All rights reserved.