FAQs

First of all, let’s discus the differences in the two. A graphic artist uses existing photos and vectors to create a new design. An illustrator draws or paints an image, among other things, and is usually much more expensive than the former. I’m a graphic artist and will not do any illustrative work.

I typically need a few days to change the text, but it might take longer under extenuating circumstances. What are these circumstances? They include but are not limited to:

• Will I have to find, buy, and install a new font to match the text with the other books in your series?

• Will you require multiple textual revisions? (I offer up to 3 for free.)

• Will I be able to respond to your emails within a few hours or a few days? (Expect 3 business days to be on the safe side.) And the same goes for you, email-wise. If it takes you a couple of days to respond to my messages, it will take me longer to complete the project.

So please let me know if you’re on a time-crunch with a cover reveal or release date looming, and I’ll try to get the cover done sooner.

No. Once I sell a cover design, I’ll remove the product sale page from my website. However, I reserve the right to add the cover to my portfolio to showcase my work, but I will never sell it again.

I’ll send the final ebook, paperback, and audiobook covers without watermarks in .jpg (.png is available on request). Also, for the paperback, I’ll send a .pdf.

At this time, I only accept Paypal.

Yes. After I receive your Premade Cover Request, I’ll send a Paypal invoice for the total amount due. If you decide to cancel the order BEFORE you approve of the final cover, I will refund you the full amount minus $10 USD as the retainer/kill fee. No refunds will be given once you approve of the final cover.

All sales are FINAL once the cover has been approved and the final invoice, if applicable, has been paid. No refunds/returns.

Premades are ready-made ebook covers that only need textual changes. Their compositions have already been decided on to make the cover the best it can be, so changes will not be made unless otherwise noted on the cover’s product page.

All Premade ebooks can be made into paperbacks and audiobooks.

–I’m not accepting Custom Cover requests at this time.–

Customs are made-from-scratch ebook covers. You have a lot of say-so in how the cover is designed and will need to fill out an art form. I will do my best to create your perfect cover and to also follow current trends to best fit it to market.

Please visit the Premade Ebook Cover page.

I do, on request. The contract will be sent as a PDF for you to digitally sign with the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC Fill&Sign function (if you don’t have Adobe Reader, it is free to download). If for any reason you cannot sign digitally, feel free to print, sign, scan, and email me your signed copy.

You can read the standard contract here. It’s for both Premade and Custom Ebook Covers.

One contract will suffice for both ebook, paperback, and audiobook covers, whether you order them at the same time or months/years apart.

When you “approve” a draft file, that means you are satisfied with the cover and want it finalized as is. If you change your mind and need changes made afterward, a $25 fee will apply for me to make the necessary changes and send you fresh files.

I will keep the .xcf file (what I used to create your cover) on file for 2 years from the completion date of your cover. So if you need changes made, do your best to contact me within the two-year mark.

If I accidentally lose your .xcf file within this two-year period, I will recreate the cover from scratch, and all you have to pay is the aforementioned fee.

If you need changes made after the two-year mark, and I’ve already discarded your file, I will have to recreate the cover from scratch. That will result in a hefty fee, depending on the complexity of the cover.

Please visit the 3D Box Set Cover Add-On page.

That depends. It’s $35 for Amazon KDP; $45 for IngramSpark.

Please visit the Custom Paperback Cover page for more information.

I use a KDP template. The cost is $35.

After I receive your Paperback Add-On request, I’ll download the right size template from KDP if I don’t already have one to your specifications. KDP will add your ISBN and barcode to your book during the publication process (I have nothing do with the ISBN or barcode).

Creating covers for IngramSpark is more difficult and time consuming than doing so for KDP. That’s why the price is $45.

If you wish to publish through IngramSpark, make sure you note that in your Paperback Add-On Request form (my default is KDP). I’ll need to download an IS template set to your specifications (your ISBN and exact page count are required to create the template), or you could create the template yourself from this site and send me the PDF copy. Your ISBN and barcode will come with your finalized IS cover.

Wow! You’re adventurous!

You’ll need to purchase the Paperback Add-On request ($45) for IngramSpark. I’ll charge $10 to convert the final IS cover into a ready-made KDP cover. That will be easier for me and cheaper for you than to commission two separate Add-On requests.

I’ll send you the final print-ready .pdf for you to upload to the retail sites and .jpg copies to keep for your records.

If you purchase both a KDP and IS cover, you’ll notice the colors may look a little different from each other. That’s normal. In my experience, KDP prefers covers to be uploaded in the RGB color scale even though they’ll convert it into CMYK at the printer. IS, however, requires the CMYK color scale for you to upload your cover. Please see the question about RGB/CMYK color scales Why do the colors in my printed paperback wrap look different than the colors in the digital files? for more information.

I’m not responsible, financially or otherwise, for any mishaps or errors resulting in the printed copy of your book. You’ll have to contact the retailer/printer for help. Good luck!

Certainly! Click the Custom Paperback Cover Add-On ($35 or $45) and/or Custom Audiobook Cover Add-On ($35) pages to find out more. The price is the same whether you buy it at the same time as the ebook cover or later on.

Not at this time.

Ebook covers – 5×8 inches (1600×2400 pixels) at 72dpi

Paperback covers – 5×8 inches (full wrap: 10×16 inches with extra for bleed and spine) at 300dpi

Audiobook covers – 2400×2400 pixels at 72dpi

These are my default sizes and resolutions. They work perfectly for Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple, Google Play, and others (this is what I use for my personal covers).

Let me know if you want a different size for your paperback. I’ll create the cover using your preferred size.

First of all, DPI stand for “Dots per Inch.” The difference between 300 and 72dpi is the number of pixels in the image.

Retail sites require ebook and audiobook covers to be 72dpi or higher. The higher the dpi, though, the larger the file size. Most sites won’t accept a cover that’s larger than 2 megabytes, so it’s best to keep the dpi at 72 to avoid the retailer possibly rejecting your cover.

Print covers, however, must be 300dpi for it to print professionally. The images need more pixels for the color to transfer better to paper.

FYI – Whether an image is created at 300dpi or 72dpi, the Internet will always view the image at 72dpi. That’s standard for viewing any image online.

That’s because the digital cover is in the RGB color space while the printed paperback cover is in CMYK. RGB is used for digital images and looks brighter/more vivid. CMYK is used for printing, and it’s difficult for the printer to match the digital color quality when using ink or toner on paper.

So please remember that the digital proof of your ebook and paperback wrap (whether it’s printed from Amazon KDP or IngramSpark) will be a little brighter than the actual paperback that you’ll hold in your hands.

If there’s ever a problem and the retailer rejects any of your covers (ebook, paperback, audiobook), please let me know and tell me what the issue is. (IngramSpark, in particular, is very picky when it comes to accepting paperback covers.) I’ll amend the cover free of charge and send you new files.

Yes and no.

Yes – If you buy two or more Premade Covers to create a new series, you’ll need all the fonts, styles, placements, and possibly colors to match for branding purposes. In that case, pick the font design you like best from any of your chosen covers, and I’ll use that for all the covers.

Yes – If you’re purchasing one or more Premade Covers to fit with your existing series, please let me know the name of the font you used on the previous covers, and I will try to accommodate. (There may be an additional fee if the font I need to buy is super expensive.) If for any reason I cannot find, purchase, or use your preferred font, I will let you know. At that time, you’re free to choose a different font, cancel the purchase order, or allow me to select a new font that will be as close as possible to your first option.

Yes – If you own the license to your preferred font and the license clearly states you can share the font with other people, then feel free to send it to me (.otf and .ttf files accepted), so I can use it on your covers. After I’m done, I’ll delete the font file from my computer.

No – If you want to purchase one or more Premade Covers to use individually (no series branding needed) and you simply don’t like the fonts, then I won’t be able to change the fonts. Choosing professional, appropriate fonts for specific types of designs is a painstaking task and one of the most important aspects of creating an on-genre cover—and it’s the designer’s job to know what works best.

All the fonts I use are for commercial use. I procure them from Font Bundles, My Fonts, 1001Fonts, Font Squirrel, Google Fonts, and similar places.

To protect my business, it goes against my policy to reveal the name of the font(s) used on the covers. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.

Please visit the Social Media Graphics page.

I’m not creating any custom work like that at this time. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.

For your ebook and/or paperback book, please credit as follows: Cover by Amber Daulton/Satin Rose Designs. Place this credit in the copyright section.

For audiobooks, please use the same credit tag somewhere in your book’s description on the retail page. (Most narrators don’t narrate the copyright pages of the books, so no worries there.)

The photographer owns the copyright to the photographs, which cannot be distributed in any manner outside the book cover design. Meaning, I can’t send you unaltered, original copies of the photos used in making your cover.

Since I created the cover design, I own the copyright and should be credited as: Cover by Amber Daulton/Satin Rose Designs. You are purchasing the cover and the rights to use the cover under the same third-party license agreement in which I purchased the stock images. Meaning, you own the cover once purchased, but I retain the copyright of the design, and the photographer(s) retain the copyright of the individual images used in the cover.

I use royalty free, Commercial Use stock photos and vectors from DepositPhotos, YAYImages, Scop.io, and occasionally 123RF. To read the licenses, click on the hyperlinks below.

DepositPhotos – Standard License – unlimited use for digital – 500,000 use print run

YAYImages – Standard License – unlimited use for digital – 500,000 use print run

123RF – Standard License – unlimited use for digital – 500,000 use print run

Scop.io – Standard/Extended License – unlimited use for digital – 100,000 use print run

A brief overview for DepositPhotos, YAYImages, and 123RF:

You’re free to share your cover as a digital file wherever you like, and you can sell as many ebooks with that cover as you want. If you purchase a paperback cover or wish to use your ebook cover in printed media, then you can do so with the Standard License (the most commonly used license) up to 500,000 usages.

For example, let’s say you sell 400,000 copies of your print book and you print off 100,000 business cards and/or bookmarks that feature your cover, then you’ve reached the 500,000 limit on the Standard License. (This is just an example. You can reach the 500,000 limit through any combination of printed uses.)

The Standard License DOES NOT cover physical products like t-shirts, mugs, candles, bags, stickers, etc. You will need to purchase an Extended License for this type of usage.

A brief overview for Scop.io:

Scop.io is a little different from the other sites. Their Standard and Extended Licenses are purchased together for one price, but the Standard only permits unlimited digital use. Their Extended License permits up to 100,000 copies of print use.

For another example, let’s say you sell 90,000 copies of your print book and print off 10,000 bookmarks. You’ve reached the 100,000 threshold and would have to contact Scop.io customer support for additional licenses. (Again, just an example. You can reach the 100,000 limit through different ways.)

This Extended License DOES NOT cover physical products like t-shirts, mugs, candles, bags, stickers, etc. The client will need to contact customer support to inquire about what’s needed for this type of usage.

It’s your responsibility to know when you’re getting close to hitting the 500k or the 100k marker, and you—the author/client—will have to buy additional licenses for each photo/vector used in the cover that falls under the maxed-out license.

With the purchase of each cover, I’ll send a “Read Me” file that says where your images came from along with the image ID and what kind of license they have. But please know it’s not my responsibility to track your usage or buy any additional licenses for you.

I also use royalty free, unlimited Commercial Use vectors, textures, and overlays for digital and print media from sites like DealFuel. These may or may not be listed in your “Read Me” file.

The Extended License is usually very pricy. Some covers are made with multiple photos, so my cost would skyrocket if I bought the EL for each photo. And that cost would be passed on to you, the author, making my premade covers much less affordable. Some authors may never reach the max print usage anyway, so there’s no need to buy an EL before it’s warranted.

Yes, if you like. I always think it’s a good idea to arm yourself with as much information as possible.

Yes, you may sell it to another person. In order to do so, you must contact me, the Designer, so I can make the textual changes. You cannot sell the cover for more than you paid. The fee for changing the text is $25, to be paid via Paypal by the New Licensee, in which three free textual review rounds will be given.

This option only applies if you’ve NEVER used the cover/distributed a book with the cover to retailers. Why? It’s because retailers do not allow the exact same cover with a different author name to be listed on their site.

Sorry, but no. I have the copyright on the cover design, so only I can change or manipulate it to create a paperback or audiobook cover.

I try to respond as quickly as possible, but due to family obligations, different time zones, and the craziness of life, I might not be able to. But you should expect a response within 3 business days. If I haven’t responded by then, please send a friendly follow-up. Perhaps your message landed in my Spam box, which I check every few days, so it’s always good to send a follow-up.

If we’ve already started a project and you’ve paid some money upfront, please know the 3-business-days rule still applies.

Please contact me here.