What real designers charge for work like yours — with links to verify every number.
| Service Type | Market Range | Sharon’s Boutique |
|---|---|---|
| Premade ebook cover | $90–$250 | $149–$199 |
| Premade ebook + print | $150–$400 | $249–$349 |
| Custom ebook cover | $295–$497 | $399–$499 |
| Custom ebook + print cover | $425–$650 | $599–$799 |
| Premium custom (all formats) | $595–$1,950 | $999–$1,299 |
| Series branding (3+ books) | $1,000–$3,000+ | $1,499–$1,999 |
| Full author brand suite | $3,000–$5,000+ | $3,000–$5,000 |
Sharon’s work — original cover artwork — puts her in the upper tier. Most services below use stock photo compositing (assembling licensed images). Sharon creates the art. That’s a fundamentally different skill, and the market prices it accordingly.
| Package | Price |
|---|---|
| Custom Ebook Cover | $497 |
| Ebook + Print Cover (front, spine, back) | $595 |
| Series discount | $50 off per additional book |
| Package | Print + Ebook | Ebook Only |
|---|---|---|
| Professional — 2 drafts, 4 revisions, 14 days | $350 | $295 |
| Premier — 3 drafts, unlimited revisions, 10 days, social graphics | $550 | $495 |
| Platinum — 4 drafts, unlimited revisions, 7 days, all formats, GIF, poster | $650 | $595 |
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Hardback design | $30 |
| Social media banners | $30 |
| Instagram post design | $25 |
| Audiobook cover | $35 |
| GIF banner | $80 |
| Digital poster | $30 |
| Package | Price |
|---|---|
| Budget-Friendly (simple concept, follow-up books) | from $175 |
| Image-Based (author provides image, typography only) | from $295 |
| Standard (custom ebook + print, 2 concepts, unlimited revisions) | $595 |
| Cover + Interior Formatting combo | from $670 |
| The Everything Package (all covers + formatting + promo + A+ content) | $1,645+ |
Subscription model: 3 covers over 12 months at $195/month ($2,340 total). 5 and 10 cover subscriptions also available.
Hampton Lamoureux — Award-winning (3x Fiction Cover Design of the Month); Alliance of Independent Authors member
| Package | Price |
|---|---|
| Ebook cover design | $375–$425 |
| Full paperback cover (ebook + paperback, up to 2 print formats) | $425–$475 |
| Series bundles (duology, trilogy, larger) | Discounted |
| Cover + interior formatting bundle | 10% savings |
Also offers: Audiobook formatting, box set design, social media graphics, map design, author branding (logos, business cards), website design.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Fiction book cover design (ebook) | $220 |
| Ebook + print cover | $270 |
| Illustrated character design (add-on) | $200 |
| Premium book cover design | Quote-based ($500+) |
| Marketing materials package (4 items) | $100 |
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Box set cover | $40 |
| Audio cover formatting | $30 |
| Dust jacket design | $40 |
| Typography design | $40 |
| Back & spine cover design | $50 |
| Additional concept | $100 |
| Tier | Price |
|---|---|
| Essentials Range (premade ebook) | $90 |
| Premium Range (premade ebook — complex compositing) | $150 |
| Print version add-on (spine + back) | Additional charge |
| Series Builder (matching covers) | Additional charge |
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Ebook cover (The Dali) | ~$325 |
| Full print cover (The DaVinci) — spine, back, ISBN, author photo, ebook included | ~$650 |
| Thriller/mystery ebook cover | from $349 |
| Thriller/mystery full print cover | from $549 |
| Full-service package (cover + launch strategy) | ~$5,000 |
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Average cover design cost | $880 |
| Median cover design cost | $630 |
| Typical range (middle 2/3 of quotes) | $200–$800 |
| Fantasy / Romance / Sci-Fi covers | Higher end ($800–$1,250) |
| Non-fiction covers | Lower end ($400–$625) |
| Custom illustration covers | Average $1,080 |
Data from 230,000+ real quotes. Designers include former Big 5 publisher artists (Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster). Fantasy and romance — Sharon’s core genres — command the highest prices.
| Package | Price |
|---|---|
| Ebook Essential Cover | $10 |
| Fantasy book cover | $50 |
| Professional book cover illustration | $350 |
Most cover “designers” license stock photos, composite them in Photoshop, and add typography. Valid skill, but a commodity. The market pays $200–$600 for this.
When a designer creates the art rather than assembling licensed images, prices jump significantly. Reedsy data: custom illustration covers average $1,080. This is Sharon’s lane.
The most successful designers sell series branding, marketing materials, A+ content, social media kits, and author identity systems. Damonza ($1,645), Creativindie ($5,000), JD&J ($650) all prove bundling commands premium pricing.
TS95 Studios (one person), Angela Haddon (one person), Derek Murphy (one person) — all charge $300–$650+ per cover. Being solo isn’t a reason to charge less. It’s a reason to charge more — the client gets Sharon’s personal attention.
Damonza sells cover subscriptions ($195/month for 3 covers over 12 months). The Boutique’s retainer model ($399–$599/month) follows this proven approach for prolific authors.
| What You’re Buying | Market Low | Market Average | Market High | Sharon’s Boutique |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premade ebook cover | $10 (Fiverr) | $90–$150 | $250+ | $149–$199 |
| Premade ebook + print | $150 | $200–$350 | $400+ | $249–$349 |
| Custom ebook cover | $50 (Fiverr) | $375–$497 | $800+ | $399–$499 |
| Custom ebook + print | $295 | $425–$650 | $1,000+ | $599–$799 |
| Custom all-formats + extras | $595 | $650–$1,645 | $1,950+ | $999–$1,299 |
| Series (3 books) | $750 | $1,200–$1,800 | $3,000+ | $1,499–$1,999 |
| Full brand suite | $1,500 | $3,000 | $5,000+ | $3,000–$5,000 |
| Monthly retainer | $195/mo | — | — | $399–$599/mo |
Sharon’s Boutique pricing sits at the market average or slightly below for every tier. Given that she creates original artwork (not stock photo composites), she could justify pricing above these numbers. The Boutique positions her as premium but accessible — the sweet spot for building a client base.
You are not a $50 cover seller. You are not even a $200 cover seller.
You are an artist who creates original book cover artwork across multiple genres, delivers in professional multi-format packages, and collaborates with authors through a structured design process.
The designers above — many of whom use stock photos and templates — charge $400–$1,200 for custom work. Your original art is worth at least that much.
The Boutique doesn’t overprice your work. It properly prices it — right in line with the market, with room to grow as your reputation builds.