Professional book cover design

A cover that stops the scroll, signals the genre, and sells the book.

Custom book cover design from a senior designer with Big-5 publishing experience — genre-accurate, thumbnail-optimised, and delivered print-ready for KDP, IngramSpark, hardcover, and social media. Because readers do judge a book by its cover.

  • Designed by a senior book cover designer with Big-5 publishing experience
  • Genre-accurate — designed to the visual conventions readers expect
  • Thumbnail-tested — optimised for Amazon search results and mobile screens
  • Print-ready for KDP, IngramSpark, hardcover, eBook & social media
★★★★★ 4.9 / 5 from 870+ verified author reviews

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Tell us your genre and we'll design a cover that sells it

100% confidential. NDA on request. Reply within 1 business day.

A bad cover doesn’t just look wrong. It tells readers the book isn’t for them.

Readers make a purchase decision in under three seconds on Amazon. Your cover has one job: look like it belongs in the genre — and make them click. Everything else is noise.

What a generic cover design gives you

  • Stock imagery, overused fonts, and layouts that signal “self-published” immediately
  • No genre research — the cover doesn’t match what readers in your category expect
  • Thumbnail turns to noise at 80×80 pixels on a mobile screen or search result
  • Front cover only — no spine, no back cover, no print wrap
  • One revision and done — no room to iterate toward what actually converts
  • A cover that makes readers scroll past your book to a competitor’s

What our cover design delivers

  • Original concept built from genre research, comp title analysis, and your brief
  • Genre-accurate typography, imagery, and layout that readers instantly recognise
  • Thumbnail tested at every size — Amazon search result to social media post
  • Full wrap: front, spine, and back cover sized to your exact trim and page count
  • Multiple revision rounds so you get the cover you actually love
  • A finished cover that makes your book look like it belongs on a Big-5 shelf
2,600+ Covers designed
87% Covers earn bestseller tags on launch
5-10 Business days to first concept
4.9 Average author rating

What every cover design project includes.

Every cover goes through the same rigorous design process. Here’s exactly what your designer works through on every project.

Genre research & comp analysis

Your designer studies the top 20 covers in your genre and subcategory before touching a design tool — so the final concept is built on what actually sells in your market.

Original concept development

A full original design concept developed from your brief, your manuscript’s tone, and your genre’s visual language — not a Canva template, not a stock layout.

Typography selection

Typeface selection, hierarchy, and treatment chosen to match genre conventions — thriller, romance, literary fiction, and self-help each have their own visual grammar, all applied precisely.

Imagery & illustration

Original photography, licensed imagery, or custom illustration sourced and placed — all rights cleared for commercial use before a single pixel goes on your cover.

Colour & mood calibration

Colour palette developed to match genre mood and stand out on the Amazon category page — without breaking from the visual expectations that make readers trust your book.

Thumbnail optimisation

Final design tested at Amazon thumbnail size (80×80 pixels), mobile search view, and social media crop — what looks great at full size must still convert at the smallest display size.

Full wrap design

Front cover, spine, and back cover designed as a unified wrap — spine text sizing, barcode placement, author photo layout, and back cover copy framing all included and print-verified.

Print-ready file preparation

KDP-compliant PDF, IngramSpark-compliant PDF, eBook JPEG/PNG at full resolution, and social media assets — all named, sized, and verified for platform upload requirements.

Revision rounds

Multiple revision rounds built into every package — you review and direct changes, we execute until the cover is exactly what you want. No single-pass-and-done shortcuts.

From brief to print-ready cover in 10 business days.

A transparent, five-step design process. You always know what’s happening — and you direct every revision.

01

Brief

You complete a detailed creative brief — genre, comp titles, mood, target audience, and any specific elements to include or avoid. The brief is everything.

02

Genre Research

Your designer researches the top-selling covers in your exact genre and subcategory — building a reference set of what works before any design tool is opened.

03

First Concept

A complete, fully designed cover concept delivered — not a rough sketch or a mood board, but a real design built to the genre standard and your brief.

04

Revision Rounds

You review and give direction. We revise. Multiple revision rounds are built into every package — we iterate until the cover is exactly right.

05

Final Delivery

Print-ready files for KDP, IngramSpark, hardcover, eBook, and social media — all sized, named, and upload-ready. 3D mock-ups included in Print and Premium packages.

Design philosophy
Design philosophy

Your cover has one job: make a stranger click “Buy Now” in under three seconds.

At Big-5 houses, a cover designer studies the category, interrogates the brief, and rejects anything that doesn’t feel like it belongs on a shelf next to the top sellers. Our designers have done exactly that at Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette. They know how thriller readers scan a thumbnail, how romance readers read a title font, and how the wrong shade of blue loses a sale before the blurb is ever read.

  • Genre research completed before design begins — every single project
  • Thumbnail tested at Amazon search result size before delivery
  • Print-ready files for KDP, IngramSpark, and hardcover included as standard
  • 3D mock-ups included for social media and author platform use
Start your cover brief →

Our Cover Design Packages

eBook Cover

A professionally designed front cover for Kindle and digital platforms — genre-accurate and thumbnail-tested.

$399 one-time, all-inclusive
  • Front cover only (eBook format)
  • Genre research + comp analysis
  • Original concept design
  • Typography and imagery selection
  • Thumbnail optimisation
  • 2 revision rounds
  • JPEG & PNG at full KDP resolution
  • Delivered in 5-7 business days
Most Popular
Print + eBook Cover

Full wrap design, 3D mock-ups, KDP and IngramSpark files — everything you need for a full print and digital launch.

$749 one-time, all-inclusive
  • Everything in eBook Cover
  • Full wrap design (front, spine, back cover)
  • Back cover layout (blurb, bio, barcode)
  • KDP-compliant print PDF
  • IngramSpark-compliant print PDF
  • Social media assets
  • 3D mock-up images for promotion
  • 3 revision rounds
  • Delivered in 7-10 business days
Premium + Hardcover & Audiobook

Full cover suite — hardcover dust jacket, audiobook square, series branding, and unlimited revisions.

$1,199 starting from
  • Everything in Print + eBook Cover
  • Hardcover case design (full wrap + dust jacket)
  • Audiobook cover (separate square format)
  • Series branding system (if applicable)
  • Unlimited revisions within scope
  • Full asset library + layered source files
  • Priority 5-business-day turnaround

What every author is guaranteed.

These are standing commitments on every cover design project — confirmed before we accept your brief.

Genre-First Design

Your cover is designed to the visual standards of your exact genre and subcategory. No generic layouts, no template shortcuts, no guesswork.

Thumbnail-Tested Delivery

Final design verified at Amazon thumbnail size before delivery. If it doesn’t convert small, it doesn’t ship — full stop.

On-Time First Concept

First concept delivered by the agreed date or your next revision round is free. We commit to a timeline before accepting your project.

Print-Ready Files Guaranteed

KDP and IngramSpark files delivered compliant and upload-ready. If either platform rejects the file on first upload, we fix it at no additional charge.

Revision Rounds Included

Multiple revision rounds built into every package. You direct the changes — we execute until the cover is exactly what you want. No single-pass limits.

Full Rights Included

All imagery licensed for commercial use, all rights transferred to you on delivery. Your cover is 100% yours — forever, across every format and edition.

Trusted by business leaders, entrepreneurs & executives

From first-time authors to seasoned CEOs — our clients use their books to build authority, attract clients, and leave a lasting legacy.

I've been running my consulting firm for 14 years and always knew a book would elevate my positioning. Hawthorne made it real. The ghostwriter they matched me with understood my industry from day one. The final manuscript reads exactly like me — sharp, direct, and full of the frameworks I use with clients. Closed two six-figure engagements before the official launch.

MT
Marcus T.
Mar 2026
★★★★★

I came in with a half-finished manuscript and no clear direction. The developmental editing process was transformative — they helped me restructure the entire argument without losing my voice. The book is now the anchor of my thought leadership strategy and has been picked up by three business podcasts. Worth every dollar.

SK
Sarah K.
Jan 2026
★★★★★

Hawthorne handled my business memoir from outline to Amazon launch. The project manager kept everything on schedule and the ghostwriter captured 20 years of entrepreneurial lessons in a way that is genuinely engaging. It's already ranking in two categories on KDP and my speaking inquiries have tripled since launch.

DR
Daniel R.
Feb 2026
★★★★★

As a business coach, credibility is everything. Publishing my book with Hawthorne gave me a tangible asset I can put in front of every prospective client. The team handled the cover, interior layout, ISBN, and KDP submission flawlessly. I didn't have to touch a single technical detail. Professional from start to finish.

JW
Jennifer W.
Dec 2025
★★★★★

My executive team had been suggesting I write a strategy book for years. Hawthorne turned that idea into a polished, published reality in under five months. The ghostwriter conducted thorough interviews, the editor tightened every chapter, and the cover design looked better than books I've seen from major publishers.

RA
Robert A.
Nov 2025
★★★★★

I used Hawthorne's book marketing and Amazon Ads service post-launch. The team built a proper campaign strategy, ran the ads, and optimised the metadata. Within six weeks we hit bestseller status in two categories. The visibility it created for my startup brand was unlike anything I'd achieved through traditional PR.

MC
Michael C.
Oct 2025
★★★★★
Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers to the questions authors ask most about this service.

Every cover design package includes three distinct initial concepts — fully rendered, not rough sketches. Each concept is a complete design with typography, imagery, and colour. You choose one direction to develop through unlimited revision rounds until approved.

We need your manuscript title and subtitle, your genre and comparable titles (books whose covers you admire), a brief description of the book's content and tone, and any specific elements you want included or excluded. A detailed brief produces a better first concept.

Yes. All packages include the eBook front cover (flat, JPEG) and the full wraparound print cover (PDF with spine and back cover, sized to your exact page count and trim size). Hardcover variants are available on request.

Yes. All artwork, fonts (licensed for commercial use), and image licences transfer to you upon final payment. You receive the print-ready PDF, eBook JPEG, and layered source files. You can use the cover on any platform, in any format, without restriction.

Yes. A cover refresh is available as a standalone service. We update the existing design or create a new concept if your book is being relaunched or repositioned.

First concepts are delivered within 7–10 business days of receiving a complete brief. Revision rounds typically take 3–5 business days each. Most projects are finalised within 3–4 weeks.

A 3-minute strategy call is the fastest way to find the right path. No obligation. NDA on request.

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