How Not to Get Scammed When Ordering Cover Art

There are a lot of accounts passing off our work and other artists' work as their own. We have seen covers of ours reposted by pages that then took money for them. These are the five checks worth running before you pay anyone.

1. Read the page properly

If the posts are all of a type and carry no original writing, the account is either very new or reselling someone else's portfolio. A real designer's page accumulates their own voice over time.

2. Look at the price

Cheap does not always match the result. And if someone is willing to do the work at any price and agrees to every condition without pushing back, the goal is your money rather than the cover.

3. Check whether they show the process

We publish screenshots and short clips of how a piece was built, and we recommend every artist do the same. Work in progress is difficult to fake and is the fastest way to confirm that the portfolio belongs to the person showing it.

4. Ask questions and watch how they answer

Write to them and test their competence. A professional gives confident, straight answers. If they ask you no clarifying questions about your artwork and want the payment as quickly as possible, that is the signal.

5. Pay through something with recourse, and keep your messages

Use payment systems where you can file a complaint against the seller — PayPal, for instance, gives you a route to your money back if you can show the seller defrauded you. Screenshot your conversations as you go if you have any suspicion. Those screenshots are the best evidence you will have.