SFA 038 – Book Covers That Sell Books and Common Mistakes When Working with a Designer with Rebekah Haskell

We’re talking about cover design today—everything from common mistakes authors make to how to have a good relationship with and get what you need from a designer. The cover is the most important part of the book package, and as we all know, readers do judge a book by its cover. 
Our guest is cover designer and fantasy author Rebekah Haskell. She is the mastermind behind Vivid Covers, a cover design service that specializes in sci-fi and fantasy, and she’s also the author of the recently released Cover Your Book: An Author’s Guide to Working with a Designer to Maximize your Sales.
Here are some of the questions we came up with for Rebekah:
I know every genre is different, but what are some common things that we should be thinking about when we’re trying to get a rocking cover? 
What sorts of mistakes do designers and authors make when it comes to typography? Should authors keep design in mind when titling their books? 
Authors very often envision things as scenes. Thus, I think the average author is pretty likely to want to pull a scene from the book to be the cover, especially if they’re just getting started. Is that a good idea?
“Sex sells” is a common marketing philosophy. Is that true of books? Should people be sexying up their covers as a rule?
What trends are you seeing right now in the genres you work with?
Is it more important to meet current genre expectations or to stand out?
What should authors expect to spend for Photoshop-manipulation covers and illustrated covers? Are there any genres in which an author should feel the need to go illustrated?
Are cover designers likely to have specialties in the same way that illustrators do? Should you be seeking out someone who specializes in your target genre?
What should new authors expect when starting a relationship with a cover designer? 
What are some mistakes authors make in working with and communicating with you as a designer?  
How important are contracts and figuring out rights ahead of time?
Do you do pre-made covers? Where can authors go to find pre-mades?
We also had some questions submitted by listeners:
Bethany: What’s the etiquette around starting a series with one designer but not ordering all the covers at once? Also, when and how can you ask to have the templates of a design, so another designer could finish the job, if the first one disappears?
E. M.: How do you deal with customers (like me) who don’t know what they don’t want until they see it?
If you are interested in checking out Rebekah’s book, it’s available on Amazon: Cover Your Book: An Author’s Guide to Working with a Designer to Maximize your Sales.
If you’re interested in ordering a new cover or seeing Rebekah’s pre-mades, you can visit Vivid Covers.