Transparency and Disclosure: I just launched a new service — ebook cover designs — which explains my sudden interest in doing posts on this topic. But don’t let that bother you — the info is useful and relies not an iota on my service in any way for you to put any of it to work. So onwards…

Here’s a very common questions that if I had a penny for every time I heard or read it, I’d, well, have a whole bunch of pennies! The question:

Can I design my own ebook cover myself?

Of course you can, Grasshopper! But the question really is… should you?

Look at it this way:

Of course you can slice yourself open and take out your own appendix. But should you?

OK, so that’s not exactly a fair question — perfectly true, yes (News of the Weird true, in fact, and no, no clickthrough link here — dang story makes me squeamish), but not quite on par with the issue we’re actually wrestling with.

But so what? I’ve got something better: An honest-to-goodness test that will help you tell in an instant whether you should do this ebook cover design thing yourself or not. Ready? Here you go:

If you have to ask…

That’s it. If you have to ask if you should do it — or heck, even if you have to take the freaking test — the answer would be a definite no.

Well, at least not yet. Heck if I know what you’re really capable of, huh? Even without any formal education or training, given enough practice, experience and time, who’s to say you can’t become the abso-freaking best gosh-darned book cover designer this side of the continental divide? (I have it on good authority that the absolute best — a dudette who at only 9 months old and from nothing more than pure instinct just started designing covers so good they make you cry — is on the other side.) Thing is, you’re not there yet, and if you have to ask, you aren’t even close enough to be able to pull off the job your book deserves in the time frame I’m pretty sure you want it by.

Straight talk: No questions asked, you know in your gut what you’re capable of in short order. If your book deserves no more than your, um, “design,” knock yourself out.

Stay tuned for more straight talk on your ebook cover designs!

For more information on my ebook cover design service, click here now! >>>

Related posts:

1. Pro Quality eBook Cover Design Straight Talk — Why it Matters
2. Pro Quality eBook Cover Design Straight Talk – What It’s Really All About
3. Teachpreneur: eBook Cover Design

design, eBooks, Publishing General