Everyone's favorite question, right after how much, is how long?

For standard covers, the process normally takes 4-6 weeks from manuscript submission until the files go to press

For premium covers, it's typically 5-8 weeks.

These schedules are heavily dependent on the client's needs, our workload at the time, and the time the project requires.

We have turned major rush projects in a couple of days when necessary for existing clients, while many larger publishers work with much longer schedules, creating front covers for catalogs and marketing well in advance and then returning for completion weeks or months later.

We do our best to make the process and the schedule fit for as many clients as we can, and keep everyone on schedule.

We usually have 12-15 covers in house at any one time, with 5-7 projects on a waiting list for the next available slot or scheduled for future slots in our production schedule. On rare occasions we have an unexpected immediate opening in our schedule when a project gets delayed for some reason.

Jacket / Cover Design Process Overview

1. Review manuscript and supporting materials
2. Review competition/market niche
3. Review similar books you like and don't like
4. Prepare quote and deposit invoice
5. Receive deposit and add project to schedule
6. Concept development interview
7. Prepare three sample designs
8. Email PDF files and/or post the designs
9. Review and critique of initial designs
10. Prepare final front cover designs
11. Approve final front cover designs
12. Review remaining back cover and spine materials
13. Email PDF files and/or post full cover layout
14. Review and critique of full cover layout
15. Prepare final full cover layout
16. Approve final full cover layout
17. Prepare final press-ready files

Jacket / Cover Design Process Detailed Description

The first three steps allow us to get a feel for the project and make sure that we are an appropriate choice. While we work with virtually all subject matters and styles, there are some projects that we may not the best choice for, and we might refer you to another studio better equipped to produce the cover you want and need. An example would be a romance novel requiring a custom illustration, or a trade project very similar to another we are currently doing, for which we have a non-compete agreement with the publisher.

This initial review also allows us to make sure we can accommodate your schedule, as well as giving us an idea of the type and sophistication of cover design that you want, and that is appropriate for the project. This in turn drives the designs that we will develop and determines our fees.

1. We review the manuscript to get a feel for the content and the writing style. We also review all supporting materials that the client would like to be considered as elements in the layout, including author photos, logos, background images, etc

2. We review the competition/market niche as you define it. This helps us determine current trends in layouts, imagery, and color usage. This information helps us to determine if we want to design within the normal parameters and standards of the genre or if we want to "break the rules." You have to understand the rules before you can break them.

3. We review books whose appearance you like and would like to be similar to, as well as books you do NOT like appearance of. This includes books within the same genre as well as many other genres, and even other non-book items that might be appropriate design references.

4. We prepare a quote for the project, and invoice you for the $1000 deposit. This quote and deposit invoice are sent to you via email as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file, as well as mailed as hardcopy originals. This deposit may be paid via check or credit card.

5. Upon receipt of the signed quote and deposit, we officially add you to our production schedule and schedule a client interview session. This is usually within a couple of business days, though current production schedules might affect that.

6. The client and concept development interview.  We walk through our custom developed Concept Development Form with you, reviewing and discussing more than 30 different items including target market, target audience, competition, distribution plans and more. This interview typically takes an hour or so, and covers many different subjects that we don't detail here. Our concept development process is the heart of our design work, and is something we have developed and refined over the last 10+ years.

7. We prepare at least three sample designs for your review. These are typically front cover only, though we are factoring in and designing with the spine and back cover in mind. We usually supply three designs ideas, with 1 or more variations on each design showing different color combinations and type face treatments if appropriate.

8. We email PDF files to you for review and can also post these designs to our website for additional review and focus group feedback. Your page is private and password protected, so you can distribute the invitation to review to as many or as few people as you like. The page also has a space for reviewers to indicate their favorite cover and make comments. Their selection and comments are sent to you and to us. We've found it best NOT to post the comments on the page itself as it tends to lead to "group think" from subsequent visitors. See our article on Focus Groups for additional information on how to best utilize this service.

9. You review and critique these initial designs and request modifications and/or additional design development.

10. We prepare final front cover designs. This step may also include presenting the spine and/or backcover if appropriate to the design and/or project.

11. You approval final front cover designs.

12. You supply back cover and spine materials if they have not already been supplied, including a full jacket/cover template with all dimensions specified, marketing and sales headlines and copy, logos, etc.:

13. We provide full cover layout showing location and positioning of all elements, logos, and barcode(s).

14. You review and critique full cover layout and request modifications and/or additional design development.

15. We prepare final full cover designs. etc.

16. You approval final full cover designs.

17.  We prepare final press ready files and provide to you or the printer.

Of course this varies a little bit project by project, depending on how successful we are in hitting the mark with the first designs and the specific needs of each client and each project. Some wrap quickly, some clients prefer to make several rounds of changes and tweaks and the process takes longer <g>

And of course, each project has slightly different scheduling needs. Many of our larger clients are working months in advance and need front cover designs for marketing and catalog/sales conference purposes well in advance of publication, frequently even before the manuscript is finished. We perform the initial phases, then they come back months later for revisions and modifications that reflect the completed manuscript, and then we complete the projects weeks or months later.

Other projects are fully complete and ready to go to press as soon as we can finish the design and production work.