Why You Should Tell Your Designer Everything

The stage where the idea gets discussed, before anything is drawn, is the most important part of making a cover — that is where the concept is actually born. Our job is to pull as much out of you as possible and turn it into artwork. But clients often stay quiet or forget to mention something, and it costs both time and quality.

Say the thing you think is too small to mention

It is worth not being shy here. Every detail has to be accounted for if you want the cover that was in your head rather than a reasonable approximation of it. The details that go unsaid are the ones that turn up missing at the end.

It works like a doctor's appointment

You describe what hurts, in as much detail as you can manage, so the specialist can find the answer quickly. Same here. Nothing you say is irrelevant, and editing yourself down only slows the process.

The result is not only on the designer

A cover comes out of two sides. The designer brings craft; you bring the material and the intent. When one of those is thin, no amount of the other fixes it.