In considering a cover design, the next question I asked myself is, who out there is offering cover designs for a reasonable amount of money. Given that my budget is very low (zero at best), this was going to be a challenge.

Here’s some stuff I found:

CreateSpace (that Amazon sponsored self-publishing and e-publishing site) has all kinds of services, including interior and exterior book design. Their designs come with different packages, or you can purchase individual services (like cover design) for as little as $299, or as much as $1,499. Take a look at three covers, one at the low end, and one at the upper end, and the third around the upper-middle range:

Not bad, but then, did you see those price tags? Not good.

Lulu.com has two services, a basic book cover (template-driven) for $115, and a premium book cover for $450. Couldn’t get a sample of the basic cover, but the premium isn’t too shabby (image right):

Still, over budget for me.

Who else is in the game? There are a ton of independent designers, who will design your book cover, your web site, you refrigerator magnets, and even wallpaper your doghouse. I get too much spam already, so I never clicked on the “Instant Quote” button to find out how much these “services” would cost.

I also discovered I can download book cover software, for less than $200, which I can use to design all my covers. Hmm. I think I already have a program like that.

Or I can post a contest somewhere like digital point forum, and spend $20. Some people will do anything for a dollar.

So what’s an author to do? Luckily, I have Photoshop, and some iStockphoto credits to burn. Next time…the new cover will be revealed.