A cover that introduces the book inside.

Share a synopsis, comparable visual references, author name, title and subtitle, intended formats, and any existing brand elements. References help explain your preferences; they are not instructions to copy another cover.

The proposal should identify the number of initial concepts, included revision rounds, and whether the work covers an ebook front cover, paperback wrap, hardcover case, or jacket. Custom illustration, premium stock images, and additional formats need explicit inclusion.

Print cover dimensions depend on production choices, including trim size, page count, paper, and binding. Final cover files are prepared against the selected printer's requirements after those details are confirmed.

Your agreement should explain licenses for stock assets and fonts, usage restrictions, and whether editable source files are included. A design containing licensed third-party material is not the same as owning every underlying asset outright.

A cover communicates genre, tone and hierarchy before the reader opens the book. It should be developed from a clear brief: title, author name, audience, comparable shelf, intended formats and the feeling the book should create.

Before discussing a schedule or a quote, describe the intended reader, what already exists and what you want to be different at the end. That short explanation helps separate the central task from work that may be useful later. A relevant excerpt, outline or file can make the conversation more concrete than a broad description alone.

Review covers at thumbnail size as well as full size. The title should remain legible, and the visual language should fit the reader’s expectations without simply copying another book. For print, the spine and back cover must be planned alongside the front.

Record those decisions in a brief that can be revisited. Include examples of the direction you prefer and explain why they are relevant. If several people will review the project, agree who consolidates their comments and who makes the final decision. Conflicting instructions are easier to resolve before a full draft or design is produced.

• The working title, subject and intended audience.
• The current version of the material and its approximate size.
• The result you want this stage to produce.
• Relevant references, examples and any established style preferences.
• A deadline, if one exists, and the reason behind it.
• The person responsible for approvals and consolidated feedback.

Explain any constraints early. These may include material that must remain unchanged, documents still being gathered, another contributor’s schedule or a planned release window. A proposal is more useful when it reflects those dependencies instead of assuming that every input is ready on day one.

The exact handover should be listed in the written scope. For this area, useful items to discuss include:

• A cover design brief.
• Agreed concept directions.
• Approved ebook and print files.
• An asset and licensing record.

Confirm the file format, number of versions and whether editable working files are included. Ask what supporting notes accompany the main deliverable and how unresolved questions are recorded. An initial sample, an in-progress draft and a final approved file are different milestones; each should have a clear purpose.

1. Define the formats. Review the material and identify what is ready, what is missing and which decisions affect the next stage. Confirm the intended audience and the specific result before committing to a detailed approach.

2. Approve a representative sample. Put the proposed work into a clear sequence. Identify the first approval point, the material needed from the author and the deliverables for that stage. Resolve questions that could otherwise affect the whole project.

3. Build the complete files. Carry out the agreed work in a manageable version. Share questions while they are still useful, and keep comments attached to the relevant passage, page or asset. Use the brief to judge changes consistently.

4. Inspect and prepare delivery. Consolidate the agreed decisions and check the final version against the scope. Record any remaining tasks, distinguish approved files from earlier drafts and explain what the next contributor or platform will need.

Collect feedback against the brief. Ask whether the design signals the right category, establishes an effective focal point and gives the title appropriate prominence. Consolidate comments before a revision round so conflicting preferences can be resolved.

Use one consolidated response for each agreed review round. Quote the passage, identify the page or name the file so the issue can be located. Explain the reason for a requested change where it affects the direction. Keep corrections, questions and new requests distinct; this makes it easier to understand which changes fit the original brief.

The size of the material is only one factor. Complexity, readiness, the number of contributors and the amount of new work can all affect the scope. A short but technically complicated project may need more preparation than a longer straightforward one.

A schedule should also account for your review time. If essential material arrives late, or if the direction changes after approval, subsequent milestones may need adjustment. Ask how those changes will be documented before work begins. The project proposal should identify service fees and separately charged expenses rather than leaving them implicit.

Illustration, photography, stock licenses, alternate formats and editable source files must be specified. A final print wrap depends on confirmed trim size, page count, paper and printer specifications; late production changes can require revised files.

Before commissioning, ask what happens if further work becomes necessary. A useful change process describes the additional task, its effect on cost and timing, and the approval needed to proceed. This protects the purpose of the current stage while allowing the project to develop when there is a good reason.

You do not need a polished presentation to explain your project. A working title, a paragraph about the book, the current word count if known and an honest description of the sticking point are enough to begin. If you already have a proposal from another provider, compare the defined tasks rather than assuming similar labels mean identical work.

Bring your priorities in order. Tell us what must be resolved now, what can wait and which decisions you want help making. The aim of the first conversation is a relevant next step and a clear understanding of the work—not a promise about outcomes no provider can control.