Why do you need a book designer rather than design your own book?
• You want your book to look good—maybe even great.
• You don’t want your book to look low-budget, amateurish, or homemade.
• You value quality.
• You want to save time. After all…
…it takes time to design a cover.
…it takes time to find the best cover image that conveys your topic.
…it takes time to select the right typeface for your title and enhance the cover imagery.
…it takes time to set up the interior book file correctly.
 (How much time do you have?)

What can you expect when you hire a designer?
• Creativity! Ideas! Imagination! Talent!
• You expect a designer to understand your goals and vision.
• You expect a designer to “knows the ropes”—in design and production—and is technically savvy.
• You expect a designer to properly set up your book cover and interior files to meet industry standards.
• You expect a designer to understand and translate technical jargon and guide you through the book-production process.

Isn’t it frustrating when you don’t understand terminology or know how to do something?  
• You need a designer to answer your questions, even when you don’t know what questions to ask.
• You need a designer who has professional partners, such as editors, proofreaders, photographers, illustrators and printers.
• You need a designer who stays current on self-publishing.

If this is your first book, and you’ve never done this before …
• You need a designer who is knowledgeable, offer options, and can point you in the right direction.
• You need a designer to give you a realistic time schedule (with deadlines).
• You need a designer who is patient and responsive.
• You need a designer who can help with the print on demand (POD) process.
• You need a designer who will provide final cover jpgs for your website, Amazon, and social media sites.
• You need a designer who can create your marketing materials.

Why do you need to hire a book designer?
So you can focus on business, concentrate on building an audience, and promote your book. Hire a designer—for all of these reasons and for peace of mind.
Member: St. Louis Publishers Association (SLPA)
Member: Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)