Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Or should you?

It’s a good place to start!

Why is Rebecka Jäger an exceptional Book Cover designer?

When I first began to think about finding a book cover designer, I had no idea where to start. I Googled everything I could about cover designing and found several informative articles on Pinterest as well as on websites such as Joanna Penn’s, The Creative Penn. Her site had extensive information about book cover designing from hiring a designer to designing one yourself. I also gained a lot of insight from several articles on Jane Friedman’s site and I highly recommend each.  But with my full-time teaching job and other professional and personal commitments, there was no way I was going to take on cover designing myself.

So, equipped with the knowledge I needed about what goes into a compelling book cover and how to choose a cover designer, I had some decisions to make. In choosing an exceptional book cover designer I looked for three important things:

1. Experience, professionalism & knowledge – I needed someone who was an expert at cover design. Someone who knew all the important details and expectations of the self-publishing and traditional publishing industries, printing presses and an understanding of what makes covers work in different genres.
2. A partnership – I wanted a designer who would work with me, understanding that as a new author, I may need some advice, honesty, and guidance on several decisions related to my cover. I knew I needed to come prepared as well.
3. Affordability – I was looking for a designer who understood my budget and was willing to work with me to accommodate my needs.

And then I found Rebecka Jäger!

Where did I find her? I researched several cover designers and considered a few from Fiverr and Reedsy, but none really seemed to stand out or fit with my needs. So I decided to search within an online writing group I’m part of called Active Alumni Writers. This diverse group of skilled writers comes from all over the world. Each member brings a unique talent to the group. I happened to hear that Rebecka who is also from this group is a cover designer and so I contacted her about my book. I knew almost immediately based on our first few discussions about my book and the services she provides that she was definitely an excellent fit.  What I also noticed that impressed me was that Rebecka is not just a cover designer, she is an author herself and she works tirelessly to bring relevant information about writing and publishing to other writers. So many times during the cover designing process, Rebecka went above and beyond in my opinion, providing me with articles, links, and examples to help me make informed decisions even beyond the designed cover.

Here’s how it started:

1. Right after our initial conversation, Rebecka sent me an article she had written about designing a cover and we went through all of the steps she listed focusing on details such as main character, setting,  genre, and theme. Answers to these questions provided Rebecka with something meaningful to work with regarding the intimate details of my book. This article was very thorough and informative and helped me tremendously.
2. She then asked for my author bio and cover blurb, two very important parts of a book cover. I asked her advice on this several times and she was always patient and helpful.
3. Next, she searched for symbols and images for the cover – we went through several ideas together and I often brought those ideas to my family and friends for their opinions.
4. After that, Rebecka provided me with examples of possible covers based on the information I provided and our discussions. She never once made me feel rushed or silly for not being able to make up my mind. I had some suggestions for minor tweaks and finally, we had a winner!

But that wasn’t it – our cover designer/author relationship wasn’t over yet. Once again, Rebecka provided me with resources and links to articles guiding my decisions about printing presses and finally how to upload the ebook, paperback and hardback covers to those presses.  Finally, she created images for my website, ads and social media posts. What I’ve written doesn’t even come close to everything. There are so many details within the details. She is very detail-oriented and efficient!

As I mentioned before, Rebecka Jäger is more than an exceptional book cover designer. She is a writer for all writers and I look forward to learning more from her!

If you haven’t seen the cover for Buried Secrets yet, please see below. I think it’s exceptional!

THANK YOU, REBECKA!