7 Best Book Cover Design Services for Authors in 2026

Self-publishing your book has never been easier, thanks to the growing range of tools and services available to authors — including ones where you can get custom book cover design made.

The right cover design service depends on how much control, speed, and customization you're looking for. Some offer affordable premade covers, others run contests that generate dozens of concepts, while some connect you with experienced publishing professionals or premium design studios.

In this post, we compare seven of the best book cover design services on the market. Here's a quick overview:

Let’s look at each service in more detail. 

1. Reedsy Marketplace

• 💰 Price: $880 on average (see pricing by genre)
• ⭐ Trustpilot: 4.7 from ~1,900 reviews 
• 🔍 Turnaround: 2-4 weeks on average, but depends on each designer’s schedule

Reedsy is a marketplace for publishing professionals, including book cover designers, illustrators, layout designers, and typographers. Authors can browse designer profiles, filter by genre and service, and request quotes directly from their top choices.

Based on your design brief, each designer provides a tailored quote along with an overview of how they approach the project. The biggest advantage is quality: every professional has a proven track-record and many have experience working with Big Five publishers. Reedsy also handles the admin from start to finish — contracts, payments, and any refunds — so you don't have to worry about disputes or delivery issues.

The tradeoff is that there’s no set pricing to compare at a glance, and finding the right designer takes a bit more upfront browsing than using a fixed-price studio or a premade cover marketplace.

Verdict: Reedsy is best for authors who care about designer fit and want to hire a vetted publishing professional rather than buy a standardized cover package.

👍 Pros:

• Marketplace of vetted professional publishing designers
• Ability to send a brief to up to five designers at a time
• Supports cover design, illustration, layout, typography, and more

👎 Cons:

• No pre-made packages available
• Requires time to browse profiles and compare quotes
• Cost and turnaround depend on the individual designer you choose

2. 99designs

• 💰 Price: $299 for 30 concepts, $499 or more for 60 and other perks
• ⭐ Trustpilot: 4.2 from ~1,600 reviews
• 🔍 Turnaround: 7-day concept contest + 5 days for final handover

99designs takes a different approach from most book cover design services. Instead of matching you with a single designer, it lets you launch a design contest: you write a brief, designers submit concepts, you give feedback, and then you choose the winning cover. That makes it a good option if you don't yet have a clear visual direction in mind.

The Basic package starts at $299 and typically includes around 30 design concepts, while higher tiers unlock more submissions and access to more experienced designers. Once you select a winner, you'll receive production-ready files and full copyright to the final design.

The contest model isn't for everyone, though. To get good results, you'll need to write a clear brief and invest time reviewing submissions and providing feedback. Stock images can also increase the final cost, as any third-party licenses used in the winning design must be purchased separately.

One final consideration is the ethics of the contest model. Critics argue that dozens of designers end up working for free while only one gets paid. Supporters counter that many participants reuse existing ideas or don't invest significant time in early concepts. Whichever view you take, it's a factor worth considering before choosing this approach.

Verdict: 99designs is best for authors who want variety and are comfortable comparing a wide range of options.

👍 Pros:

• Multiple design concepts from different designers
• Fixed-price contest packages
• 100% money-back guarantee on contests

👎 Cons:

• Stock art may cost extra
• Contest quality depends heavily on the strength of your brief
• Requires time to sift through submissions and provide feedback

3. Damonza

• 💰 Price: Custom ebook covers from $395
• ⭐ Trustpilot: 4.9 from ~200 reviews
• ⏱️ Turnaround: 2–3 weeks

Damonza positions itself as a premium cover design service for independent authors and publishers. Its entry-level package starts at $395 and includes ebook and audiobook cover designs delivered within 10 business days. At the other end of the spectrum is the "Everything Package," starting at $1,895, which includes three initial concepts, a kickoff call with the creative director, multiple print formats, and other extras. There's also a 12-month subscription plan, which feels unusually complex for a cover design service.

Damonza's covers are generally polished and commercially focused, but they can look a little formulaic or rely heavily on familiar stock-image composites. If you're after a highly bespoke, experimental, or artistic cover, an agency optimized for efficiency and market appeal may not be the best fit.

Another common criticism is that you don't communicate directly with your designer. Instead, feedback goes through a project manager, which can slow communication and sometimes make revisions more frustrating.

Verdict: Damonza is a good choice for authors who want a structured, hands-off experience without spending time interviewing freelancers or negotiating contracts.

👍 Pros:

• Highly commercial covers
• Unlimited changes on Premium package
• Add-ons for print, hardcover, audiobook, formatting, and promo assets

👎 Cons:

• More expensive than many alternatives
• Odd subscription plan offers
• Covers are not very unique or “artsy”
• No direct communication with the designer

4. Ebook Launch

• 💰 Price: Custom ebook covers from $497, premade covers from $99
• ⭐ Trustpilot: 4.6 from 35 reviews 
• 🔍 Turnaround: 14 days for custom concepts, 2 days for premade covers

Ebook Launch is a family-run business that has built a reputation among indie authors for offering a highly structured, dependable design process with fixed pricing and clear expectations.

For custom covers, you receive your initial concept within 14 days. The standout feature here is their generous revision policy: they offer unlimited design adjustments until you are completely satisfied, backed by a 100% money-back guarantee. If you are on a tight timeline or a strict budget, they also boast a large gallery of premade covers that are retired immediately after purchase (guaranteeing that what you’re getting is unique) and delivered with your author name and book title within two business days.

The main drawback is that their custom tier is notably more expensive out of the gate than entry-level agency packages like Damonza. Moreover, if your genre demands completely bespoke vector art or an original painting, you will need to look elsewhere.

Verdict: Ebook Launch is best for authors who want the safety net of a money-back guarantee and unlimited revisions from a well rated, professional team.

👍 Pros:

• Unlimited revisions and a 100% money-back guarantee on custom designs
• Quality premade covers available for fast delivery
• Excellent customer service with direct, professional communication

👎 Cons:

• Higher starting price for basic custom ebook covers than similar studios
• Not suitable for complex, custom-drawn illustrations
• Relies heavily on stock photography compositions

5. Miblart

• 💰 Price: Stock-based ebook covers from $220, illustrated covers from $200
• ⭐ Trustpilot: 4.8 from ~370 reviews
• ⏱️ Turnaround: 7 business days for initial concepts, plus roughly 3–7 days per revision round

Miblart has carved its space in the indie community by offering decent cover polish at cheaper prices than competitors like Damonza or Ebook Launch. They operate on a unique client-friendly model by not requiring any upfront payment for their basic packages: you submit your brief, their team works on the concepts, and you only pay once you are 100% satisfied with the finalized design.

For their stock photo packages, they provide two different initial design options to choose from within roughly a week. They also offer illustration packages starting at $390, making them an affordable bridge for fantasy, sci-fi, and romance authors who need illustrated characters or worlds (though don’t expect premium illustrations). 

One important caveat is that since all communication goes through a project manager rather than directly with the designer, even small tweaks may require multiple rounds of back-and-forth to get right. So while the initial concepts arrive quickly, revisions can sometimes take up to a week per round, stretching the process into months. 

Verdict: Miblart is an option for budget-conscious authors who want unlimited revisions and risk-free payment terms, provided they have a flexible publishing deadline.

👍 Pros:

• No upfront payment required for standard packages 
• Unlimited revisions 
• Affordable pricing for custom illustration

👎 Cons:

• Revision rounds can be slow
• Difficult communication; no direct contact with your designer
• Heavy reliance on templated layouts for their cheapest entry-level options

6. Bookcoverzone

• 💰 Price: Premade covers from $99, custom design packages from $299
• ⭐ Trustpilot: 3.8 from 4 reviews
• ⏱️ Turnaround: Instant for textless premades, 24–48 hours for customized text layout; 48–72 hours for initial custom design concepts

BookCoverZone is primarily a premade book cover marketplace, with a large catalog organized by genre. Most covers on the homepage are priced around $99, and once a premade cover is purchased, it will not be sold again.

Its biggest strength is speed. If you find a design that already fits your genre, you can buy it, customize the title and author name, and move forward without waiting through a full custom design process.

The tradeoff is that premade covers are only a good fit if one of the existing designs genuinely matches your book. Customization can help, but it will not always turn a premade concept into something perfectly tailored to your story.

Verdict: BookCoverZone is an option for authors who want a polished cover quickly and affordably, especially if they are open to getting a premade design.

👍 Pros:

• Large catalog of genre-specific premade covers
• Premade covers are sold only once
• Fast custom-cover turnaround

👎 Cons:

• Premade designs may not perfectly fit your book
• Custom packages have limited revision rounds
• Best results depend on finding a cover that already matches your genre and tone

7. The Book Cover Designer

• 💰 Price: $70–$150 on average
• ⭐ Trustpilot: N/A
• ⏱️ Turnaround: Instant textless download, or 2–5 business days for designer font customization

The Book Cover Designer is another marketplace for premade covers, with a very large selection from different designers. Like BookCoverZone, its covers are one-offs: once a cover sells, it is removed from the catalog and will not be sold again.

The marketplace model gives authors a lot of variety. You can browse different genres, styles, and designers, then choose a cover that already feels close to your book. Many listings include customization, digital delivery, and optional paperback add-ons, making it a practical option for authors who need a cover without commissioning one from scratch.

The downside is that this is still a premade-first service. You are choosing from what already exists, so it is better for authors with flexible visual expectations than for authors with a very specific concept or look in mind.

Verdict: The Book Cover Designer is a good fit if you want a broad, premade marketplace and enjoy browsing until the right cover clicks.

👍 Pros:

• Large selection of premade covers
• Covers from many different designers
• Customization is included on many listings

👎 Cons:

• Pricing and options vary by designer
• Not ideal for custom concepts
• Paperback availability depends on the individual cover/listing

How to choose the right service for your book

Start by being honest about where your book sits today. If a low-cost premade cover or a budget service is genuinely all you can stretch to right now, that's completely understandable, and one of these services can help you get a usable cover for your book. 

It helps to remember, though, that your cover is the single thing most likely to boost your sales. If you're building a writing career rather than publishing a one-off, it's worth investing in a professional designer who understands your genre and the wider market and can guide you toward something that genuinely competes. 

Moreover, working with a great designer is about the relationship you build with them. They might become key collaborators in your publishing journey, or work with you on further books. To that end, a curated marketplace like Reedsy is hard to beat.

Good luck on your publishing journey. If you want some inspiration, browse our roundup of eye-catching book cover ideas, and see the best book covers of the year for genre-by-genre design trends.