General FAQs
The Author Buddy is run by two real life buddies, Rachel Christley and Perrin Brunson. Learn more about us here!
Turnaround time varies depending on the details of your order and our current schedule.
Please see FAQs below regarding Premade Book Cover turnaround time for more information.
No, we only sell each Premade Book Cover Design once. We never resell covers.
However, the images used in creating most of our premade cover designs are stock photos and are not exclusive to the author who purchases the premade cover design, so another author may have a cover that uses some of the same source images as the ones used on your cover.
We pride ourselves in creating unique Premade Book Cover Designs though, and regularly check online to see if other book cover designs are using similar images so we can try to avoid too similar designs.
If the artwork used in a Premade is original artwork, it is noted in the premade cover design listing.
Our specialty is Romance Book Cover Design, but we also offer designs for other genres. If you have a specific genre in mind and want to discuss it with us, feel free to email us at hello@theauthorbuddy.com.
Absolutely. For more information about custom cover design, visit our Custom Cover page here.
Of course! We love showing off our Portfolio!
Credit in your book is certainly not required, but we do appreciate it!
If your purchased a Premade Book Cover or Custom Book Cover designed by Perrin, please credit “Perrin of The Author Buddy.” If you purchased a cover designed by Rachel, please credit “Rachel Christley of Christley Creatives.”
Technically, no.
As the purchaser, once final payment is received, you will be granted exclusive license to the use of the final cover artwork for your book and promotional materials. No one else may use that artwork for their book.
We (The Author Buddy and Christley Creatives) retain full rights of the finished artwork as the cover designer (meaning you cannot claim that you designed the cover yourself), as well as the right to showcase all of the covers and other artwork we create in our portfolio and promotional materials, but we cannot resell them or reuse them in new Premade or Custom designs.
As most of our designs use stock photography/imagery, please note that the designs are also still bound by the terms of the stock imagery usage license, and the stock images still legally belong to the original creator. Most of the stock images we use in our designs are licensed under the Standard License.
Book Cover artwork should not be modified in any way. If you need revisions to your design in the future, please email us at hello@theauthorbuddy.com.
Absolutely! There may be an additional fee depending on the revisions needed. Please email us at hello@theauthorbuddy.com to discuss the details of the revision request.
Oh boy, do we! lol
- Premade Book Cover Design
- Custom Cover Design
- Cover Add-ons like Hardback Covers, Audiobook Covers, Social Media Graphics, Event Graphics, Bookmarks/Swag, Amazon A+ Content graphics – you can select these services when you place your Premade or Custom Cover order
- Beta Reading
- Line Editing
- Quote & Teaser Service
- Author / Book Promotions
- We often fill requests from our authors for other graphics not listed here, and we’re always adding new services! So if you don’t see what you need listed here, email us, and we’ll see what we can do!
Check out our Services page for more information about everything listed above.
Premade Book Cover Design FAQs
Of course! Check out our Premade Book Cover Design Portfolio!
We also have a Previously Sold Premades page that includes premade covers that were purchased but their books have not yet been published.
Premade cover designers all have slightly different processes, so it’s a great question to ask even if you’ve purchased a Premade from someone else before!
When you decide to purchase a Premade Book Cover Design from us, you’ll place your order on our website at theauthorbuddy.com. Please contact us through email if you have any trouble completing your purchase on the website.
Once we receive the order and the payment is finalized, we will send you a confirmation email within 48 hours. The confirmation email will include the details of your order, and we’ll provide information on any additional services you’ve requested, or additional customization requests.
If you already have your customization information for your eBook (title and author name) and provided that with your order, we usually send the mockup for your review with the confirmation email, or if our schedule does not allow that, we will provide an estimate on when you can expect to receive that with your confirmation email. A mockup needing only included customizations (title and author name) usually takes no more than two business days. For additional revision requests, turnaround time will vary.
Once you receive the mockup of your customizations and reply to us with your approval, we will deliver the final file package through email (a Google Drive link) usually within two business days. This can vary depending on our current schedule, the details of your order and any additional services you’ve requested.
The final eBook file package will include your eBook jpg file (1600x2560px) formatted for KDP and most other platforms, and Title Graphics, both in full color and solid black with transparent backgrounds, for use in your promotional materials and book. Your file package will also contain any additional services you have requested, such as Amazon A+ Content graphics, unless we have discussed other arrangements/timeline with you.
If you ordered the Print package (Paperback Cover) as well, in the confirmation email, we will ask for your book’s final page count, trim size, paper color, ad back blurb. If you do not have this information yet, that’s completely fine! Once you have this information finalized, just reply to our email with that information, and we’ll start on the customizations for your Paperback Cover. You may receive your file package in two rounds if your Paperback information is not finalized at the time of the eBook customization completion.
At that point, the cover is yours! If you have any trouble with your files during publishing, need additional revisions, or need anything else, just reply to our email thread. We’re always happy to help!
Absolutely!
Customization of the title, author name, and blurb are included for free with all Premade Book Cover Design purchases. Some minor revisions can also be completed for no additional charge, depending on the specifics of the design.
If you need additional revisions, just select “I need additional revisions” for your customization option when you purchase your design, and we will contact you about the details of your request.
You can also email us at hello@theauthorbuddy.com to discuss your revision requests before you purchase, and we can let you know if an additional charge will be needed for those revisions and an estimate for the fee.
Once we receive the order from our website and the payment is finalized, we will send you a confirmation email within 48 hours.
If you already have your customization information for your eBook (title and author name) and provided that with your order, we usually send the mockup for your review with the confirmation email, or if our schedule does not allow that, we will provide an estimate on when you can expect to receive that with your confirmation email. A mockup needing only included customizations (title and author name) usually takes no more than two business days. For additional revision requests, turnaround time will vary.
Once you receive the mockup of your customizations and reply to us with your approval, we will deliver the final file package through email (a Google Drive link) usually within two business days. This can vary depending on our current schedule, the details of your order and any additional services you’ve requested.
When you purchase the eBook package for a Premade Book Cover Design, you receive:
- eBook jpg file (1600x2560px) formatted for KDP and most other platforms
- Title Graphics, both in full color and solid black with transparent backgrounds, for use in your promotional materials and book
When you purchase the Print package for a Premade Book Cover Design, you receive:
- eBook jpg file (1600x2560px) formatted for KDP and most other platforms
- Title Graphics, both in full color and solid black with transparent backgrounds, for use in your promotional materials and book
- Paperback PDF formatted for KDP (or other printer if you choose) using the specifications you provide to us (trim size, page count, paper color)
Absolutely! Many of our authors do this.
Just select “I do not have the title and author name ready” for your customization option when you purchase your design.
You certainly can, and this is very common.
If you do not have the title and/or author name ready, just select “I do not have the title and author name ready” for your customization option when you purchase your design.
If you are purchasing the Print package and do have the title and author name, but do not have the final page count, trim size, or blurb, just complete your order and we can get that information from you through email when you have it.
You definitely can!
Just select “I do not have the title and author name ready” for your customization option when you purchase your design.
The only time limit is if you purchase the eBook with Print layaway package, the layaway must be cleared within 12 months of the date of the eBook purchase, or there will be an additional charge when the Paperback is requested after 12 months.
We do not hold or reserve Premade Book Cover Designs without payment.
However, you can order the cover on the website even before you’re ready to use it. Just select “I do not have the title and author name ready” for your customization option when you purchase your design.
No. We do not provide the native file format for cover artwork (PSDs, AIs, etc), and Book Cover artwork should not be modified in any way. If you need revisions to your design in the future, please email us at hello@theauthorbuddy.com.
We will provide the flat artwork for your cover with no title and no author name if requested.
Absolutely! Just check the box that says “I am interested in making this cover a series” when you place your order.
Yes. In order to keep our prices affordable, we purchase the Standard Image License for stock imagery, as this is sufficient for most author’s needs. The Standard Image License includes unlimited digital (eBook) sales and up to 500,000 units in a print/paperback run. This limit is set by the stock image provider. If you expect to go, or end up going, over these limits, please email us to let us know, and we will assist you in purchasing an Extended License for the images used in your cover.
We do not purposefully use AI in any of our cover designs or other artwork, and we make every effort to avoid it from stock photo providers.
Depending on our schedule, we release new Premade Book Cover Designs 1-2 times per month. We call these “drops,” and they’re announced in our Email Newsletter first, and then on our social media channels.
Yes, but we will ask for that information through email after purchase. We’ll need to know your trim size, page count, paper color, printer (like KDP), and we’ll need your blurb for the back of the book.
Yes, the Paperback charge is required for each finished file needed. So if you purchase a cover with a $30 Paperback fee, for example, and you’re using both KDP and B&N, the total Paperback charge would be $60.
Custom Book Cover Design FAQs
Coming Soon!
Payment FAQs
We accept payment through PayPal in US dollars. All website payments are processed through PayPal, and our invoicing (for customs, commissions, and other services) is done through PayPal as well.
No, you do not need a PayPal account to order through our website.
Yes, you can pay with your credit or debit card through our PayPal checkout processing. You do not have to have a PayPal account to do so. At checkout, just select “Credit or Debit Card” and then follow the prompts to pay as a guest.
We’re very proud to offer the option of Print Layaway to our authors, because we believe that flexible payment plans make prepublishing services accessible.
When you purchase a Premade Book Cover Design from our website, you can select the “eBook Package with Print Cover Layaway” option for your Cover Choice. You will pay the eBook price for the cover design when you complete your order.
We will send your confirmation email for your eBook just like any other order, and you’ll receive your eBook file and Title Graphics (and any additional services you’ve selected) in your file package delivery.
Whenever you are ready for your Paperback customization, just reply to our email thread for your order. We will send you a PayPal invoice, and once that is paid, we’ll get your Paperback file customized and delivered.
The layaway must be cleared within 12 months of the date of the eBook purchase, or there will be an additional charge when the Paperback is requested after 12 months.
We do not offer refunds on Premade Book Cover Purchases, Custom Cover Design Deposits, Beta Reading Deposits, or other Author Services Deposits.
