Q: When can I expect my custom book or album cover?
Initial designs will be sent to you within one week. Once the designs are completed I will send the finished file package within three weeks of ordering, after final payment is received.
Q: When can I expect my finished premade Ebook cover?
You will have the completed cover within one week of ordering. If you order a print wrap as well, please allow an additional week for final delivery.
Q: How many revisions do I get?
Each order comes with up to two (2) revisions covered by the cost of the order. Any additional revisions after that will include a charge of $25.
Q: Will anyone else have access to the premade I’ve just bought?
No, once you buy it it’s exclusively yours.
Q: Do you use AI in the design of your covers?
No. As the use of AI is controversial, I do not use it in the production of my designs.
Q: Can I use my own stock?
You certainly can, provided you have the appropriate commercial use license or have created it yourself.
Q: Do you require attribution?
I require attribution in the front matter under the name Aelestrid Studios, or Aelestrid Studios at https://aelestridstudios.com/.
Q: Can you finish or copy the design of another designer to complete my cover or series?
Unfortunately I will not edit the work of another designer for ethics reasons. In the case of keeping the style intact for a series, I will require permission from your past designer.
Q: What happens if I exceed 500,000 sales?
For an indie publisher, this will most likely not be a concern, but if this happens you’ll simply need to purchase an Extended License for stock used to cover the additional sales. You are responsible for maintaining the sales and licensing of any stock used to create your cover.
Q: Can I use the cover/marketing materials you design for swag, NFTs, or other merchandisable content?
For most stock providers you will need to purchase an Extended License for the right to sell merchandise using their stock. Check the terms of service for the stock providers.
Q: Can I have the .PSD file or edit/add the text myself?
I do not offer layered .PSD files to keep within the terms of agreement of asset licensing. The typography is also a part of the proprietary design and as such will not be editable. You will receive a flattened version of the final artwork. If you need further revisions, please let me know.
Q: What if I’m not finished with my book or formatting and don’t know the page count?
A final size, page count, and publishing platform are necessary to complete the file for print, but we can still work on the concept and design or cover for the Ebook while you finish those details.
Q: Can I get a refund on my cover? I changed my mind.
I do not offer refunds on premade covers. Once sold, it’s yours. In the event that you need to cancel a current contract, I will keep the 50% deposit fee and you will not be charged further. Once the contract has been completed, the payment received, and file sent, I will not issue a refund for completed work, even if you choose not to use the cover. The cover is still yours.
Q: What happens to my files after the cover is completed?
I will keep backups of your project files for a limited time, but you are responsible for maintaining your files. If you lose the files, you may contact me to see if I have a backup of them, but I cannot guarantee this to be the case.
Q: Will you use my finished cover in your portfolio? Can I opt out of that?
I may add your completed cover to my portfolio after six months (or a specific date you provide) to allow you time for first publication. If you would rather I not include your cover in my portfolio, you can opt out. Just let me know!
Q: What happens to any designs we created for my project that don’t end up getting used?
I may adapt discarded ideas for future premades, provided they do not reflect any content from the original cover (title or specific connected elements). You do not have the rights to any discarded designs at the end of the process.
Q: My Ebook cover looks different on the screen than my print cover does! Why is this?
Due to printing color constraints, CMYK (printing) values cannot capture the full color range of RGB (digital) values. As such, your print and digital covers may look slightly different. If your print cover comes out radically different than what was intended, we can revise and adjust as needed.
Q: Will you read the book first before designing my cover?
Due to time constraints, this will not be possible.
Q: I have an exact vision for my cover, and your design didn’t match what I had in mind.
Book covers are marketing tools. A cover needs to signal your book’s place in the market, on the shelf (digital or otherwise) with other books in its genre. Take a look at those other books. What kinds of covers are you seeing? Is your vision matching that look? Designers are creating with the intent to sell your book. If your vision isn’t going to bring sales, I urge flexibility and compromise on your part so I can create the best cover to position your book with its peers on the shelf.
If you are looking for true self-expression in your cover that does not match current design trends or expectations and you do not care about whether your book will make sales as long as you stay true to your unique vision, I respectfully urge you to consider another designer.
All prices are in USD and include taxes.
Terms of Service
By entering into a contract with Aelestrid Studios, you agree to be bound by these Terms.
AELESTRID STUDIOS WILL:
- Provide an exclusive license to the use of your fully completed cover design for your ebook, paperback, hardcover, album, or promotional materials as defined by the contract and upon receipt of full payment. Aelestrid Studios will retain the copyright over completed designs.
- Provide the finished design within 14 days. If more time is needed on the part of the client or designer, this must be communicated.
- Allow the use of your own stock to bring the book cover to life, provided that you have the rights to use said stock for commercial purposes.
- Require attribution under the name Aelestrid Studios or Aelestrid Studios at https://aelestridstudios.com.
- Allow you to decline the use of your cover in our portfolio. If not otherwise specified, Aelestrid Studios retains the right to showcase your finished cover in our portfolio or social media for promotional purposes.
AELESTRID STUDIOS WILL NOT:
- Provide a .PSD with editable layers or editable text. This violates the terms of stock asset providers. You will receive a flattened image from the designer according to the specifications of your publishing platform. If any additional edits are required, you must contact Aelestrid Studios. Significant alterations will require additional fees.
- Allow clients to edit text after receiving the final product. Typography art is part of the proprietary design. Please contact Aelestrid Studios if text alterations are needed.
- Edit or manipulate work from another designer. If you need a similar design to an existing one (such as in the case of the continuation of a series) you will need to provide permission from the original designer.
- Provide exclusive rights to the stock images used to create your cover. In the event that you need exclusive rights, you will need to purchase said rights through the stock provider and provide proof of purchase to the designer. The copyright for individual stock assets utilized remains with the stock provider.
- Assume responsibility when the sales of the book exceed the limit set by the Standard License of the stock providers used. It is the client’s responsibility to purchase an extended license through the stock provider to keep the cover within the providers’ terms.
- Assume responsibility for any damages that may occur due to the client’s failure to proof the final design before acceptance. Please understand that final print colors may differ from Ebook colors and plan accordingly. A test print is recommended. Aelestrid Studios will not assume any legal or financial responsibility for any costs or damages incurred due to use of the cover or design materials.
- Offer refunds for completed projects. The 50% deposit fee may be refunded in the case that we deem the creative fit between designer and client to be poor, or are unable to complete the work as promised.
- Allow the client’s usage of test concepts and rejected designs. You will receive exclusive rights only to the final product. Aelestrid Studios retains the right to use rejected concepts in premades or other designs, provided they are not identifiably connected to the client’s product.
- Provide individual stock assets used (images, fonts, etc.) This violates the terms of the stock providers.
- Maintain responsibility for client files after the contract has been completed. Please keep your files safe and backed up. You may contact Aelestrid Studios in the event of loss of files, but understand that this is no guarantee that we will still have them and we are not obligated to keep them beyond the completion of the contract.
- Sell your custom or premade cover design to another client, ever. It is yours exclusively.
- Allow the usage of purchased designs in any way other than those outlined by the contract (such as for NFTs, printed on swag, etc.).
- Allow any use of the completed design to be used in another design for any reason. Please contact Aelestrid Studios for series packages.
STOCK IMAGERY AND ASSETS
Stock images used are sourced from a variety of places, including custom 3D renders and custom photography. All stock imagery purchased for the design of your cover is subject to the terms of use as laid out by their respective sources. Stock is purchased with the Standard License, which generally allows up to 250,000-500,000 prints and Ebook sales. Stock is allowable for the book cover or for marketing purposes, but for print sales over 500,000 or printed products (swag or posters, etc.) you will need to contact the stock site and purchase an Extended License. The Standard License for all stock purchased is included in your cover design fee.
For more information, please check the licensing terms provided by the stock vendors that may be used for your cover:
You may provide your own stock imagery to be used as part of the design, but you must have the rights to either the Standard License or Extended License in the case that you have not created the content yourself.
Please note that public (as opposed to custom) stock images are available for other designers to use and are not exclusive to the buyer. You will need to purchase an Exclusive License through the stock provider if you need exclusive stock images.
We do not use AI generated images outside of the functionality of Photoshop (Generative Fill, etc.). The ethics and legality around the use of AI images are evolving and if, in the future, the designer feels fit to use them, this will be communicated to the client.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
All services will require a 50% deposit fee up front. The rest of the payment is due before the approved final product is delivered.
Once the final product is delivered, the contract is considered complete. Any and all changes must be made prior to this. Changes made after the final cover has been sent to you and payment has been received will result in additional charges.
All premades available are only sold once. Prices for all products are subject to change.
All premades are purchased As-Is and will not be refunded after final delivery. You may request a title change, author name change, and tagline (or additional text as needed). Alterations to the existing art will be charged the price of a custom.
All premades can be made into print wraps as well, for an additional fee.
For Ebooks, you will receive a high-resolution JPEG at your desired dimensions (standard dimensions are 6×9 or 1800x2700px at 300 DPI).
For print covers, you will receive a high-resolution PDF at the dimensions stated by the publishing platform of your choice. Initial fee is for one platform (Ingram Spark, Kindle Direct Publishing, etc.) Each additional platform requires a different template and will incur an additional fee, as stated in your chosen package.
You will not receive a layered .PSD file as this violates the terms of stock providers. You will only receive a flattened JPEG or PDF of your final cover. You may not alter the content of the cover once received. Only the final approved copy is allowable for use; drafts and concepts are not permissible to be used in any way outside of the initial consultation.
Please keep track of all files after purchase. Aelestrid Studios is not responsible for maintaining files after the contract has been completed. I may retain them for an unspecified time after the completion of the contract, and you may request another copy in the event of loss of files free of charge, but understand that this is no guarantee that I will have said files on hand.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
All content that appears on this site is the property of Aelestrid Studios unless otherwise stated (with attribution and permission). You may not distribute, share, or promote any content on the website unless attributed properly to the source. You may not use any of the website’s content as your own without permission. Likewise, all content we receive through communications with the client, including files and information exchanged as part of the service, belong to the client and will not be used outside of the contract.
After purchasing a cover, you are granted the exclusive rights to use said cover for your Ebook, printed book, or associated materials. The rights to your finished cover will not be sold to another client.
Your finished cover may be used as part of the website portfolio or associated social media accounts on display for demonstration or promotional purposes, unless requested otherwise. Finished covers will not be added to the portfolio until six months past the purchase date to ensure the author time for first publication.
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
Aelestrid Studios reserves the right to cancel or refuse a project at any time. I reserve the right to decline services for any reason. You will not be charged for the initial consultation.
If Aelestrid Studios cancels a project once the design process has begun, you will be refunded all fees paid. If you cancel before the final product is received, I will keep your deposit fee and you will not be charged further.
Reasons I may cancel a project include but are not limited to: time constraints, expectation misalignment, communication discrepancies, lack of communication, or if I feel I am a poor fit for your needs.
Once you have received the full product, your fees will not be refunded even if you decide to go with another cover/designer. You will still have the rights to use said cover as paid for.
You may not edit or alter cover design artwork or text once received. You agree to use the cover design only in the ways specified by the contract. You may not use the design as part of another design, for sale or profit in the case of printed materials or NFTs, or allow them to be edited by another designer.
Last updated March 01, 2024
These terms may change occasionally. As part of the contract with Aelestrid Studios, you must keep yourself informed of the Terms of Service. For terms of use, please see here.