There are a lot of choices out there for authors in the market for a book cover. One popular choice is a pre-made cover. Pre-made covers typically run from about $20 to around $100 for top quality ones. This can represent a significant saving over a fully custom cover.

Can pre-made covers work for you? If you find a pre-made cover you like ask the artist if they can make changes and what those changes will cost. Sometimes there is no charge, but sometimes the charges can add up to more than you might have paid for a fully custom cover.

Don’t be afraid to ask, even for considerable changes. A good artist will adapt a pre-made cover to your needs , and should be able to provide clear guidelines as to the cost. Here are two pre-made covers I sold recently, along with their final cover: