How Much Does A Book Cover Design Cost? (UK Prices)
If you’re publishing a book in the UK, one of the first questions you’ll ask is: how much does a book cover design cost? The truth is, prices vary hugely depending on how you approach it. At the lowest end, you could use free DIY tools; in the middle, pre-made templates and budget freelancers; and at the top, bespoke professional cover design tailored to your book.
In this article, we’ll explore the full range of options, focusing on UK pricing in 2025.
What Does a Book Cover Really Cost in the UK?
Book cover design in the UK can cost anywhere from £0 to well over £1,000. The variation comes down to three main factors:
- Whether the cover is built from a template or created bespoke.
- How much customisation is involved.
- The level of market experience the designer brings to the table.
In 2025, two trends stand out. AI-assisted design tools are becoming more common, offering ultra-cheap and fast results, but they raise questions about originality, licensing and customisability. At the same time, pre-made templates continue to be popular among self-publishers, especially for eBooks.
DIY, Templates & Cheap Book Cover Design Services
For those on a shoestring budget, there are several cheap or even free routes to consider.
DIY tools like Canva, Adobe Express, or AI image generators allow you to put together a cover quickly and at little or no cost. However, the results are often generic, and Amazon now asks authors to disclose whether AI has been used in cover creation when uploading to KDP. Also, these tools won’t create your spine, back cover, format your blurb, create barcodes or size the work ready for print.
Another route is pre-made template covers sold through online marketplaces. These can look professional at first glance, but it’s vital to check the fine print. Will the licence cover print-on-demand distribution, or larger print runs later down the line? How many other authors might end up with nearly identical covers?
Finally, there are budget freelancers on platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork. They can deliver designs cheaply and quickly, but quality varies widely. Some rely solely on templates or AI tools with minimal creative input, and it can be hard to establish a long-term relationship with a designer found this way.
The downsides of cheap services often include:
- Limited originality and generic results.
- Unclear or restrictive licensing.
- Risk of low-quality or AI-generated artwork.
- Difficulty establishing a lasting professional relationship.
Cheap options can work for early projects or proof-of-concept drafts, but they often come with trade-offs in originality, rights protection, and overall quality.
Professional Book Cover Design
Investing in professional book cover design ensures that your book is market-ready and credible. Professional services in the UK generally sit in the mid-hundreds, with fees rising if bespoke illustration or complex artwork is required.
Several factors influence pricing:
- Whether the design involves custom illustration or photo manipulation.
- The experience and reputation of the designer.
- How many revisions are included.
- Whether licensed images or fonts need to be sourced.
The benefits of professional design go beyond aesthetics. A well-designed cover communicates genre instantly, builds trust with readers, and makes your book stand out in crowded online marketplaces. It’s not simply about creating an attractive image; it’s about giving your book the professional finish it needs to succeed.
Professional Book Cover Design with Spiffing: Your Vision, Our Expertise
At Spiffing, our philosophy is simple: the author remains firmly in control, while we facilitate the process of working with experienced designers. Unlike agencies that farm work out, we have an in-house design team with decades of combined experience. This consistency means you can return years later for matching sequel covers or plan a whole series from the start, as many of our authors have done.
We’ve produced hundreds of covers across genres, many of which you can see in our portfolio. Our process begins with a detailed questionnaire. For fiction, this might cover key themes or character descriptions; for non-fiction, it’s often about tone, authority, and positioning. From your answers, we create one strong concept, then refine it through revisions — with no extra charges for those revisions.
Working with Spiffing brings several advantages:
- Direct control over your book’s creative direction.
- A consistent, experienced design team you can return to for future projects.
- Transparent flat-fee pricing (£450) with no hidden extras.
- All files prepared for print and digital formats, tailored to your exact book size.
- Guaranteed transfer of artwork rights once the invoice is paid.
Our pricing is transparent and straightforward: a flat £450 fee for most projects, with only bespoke illustration incurring additional cost.
Every package includes print-ready files (tailored to your chosen trim size for KDP and IngramSpark), eBook versions, and optional square artwork for Audible. Once your invoice is fully paid, the rights to the artwork are transferred to you.
Choosing the Best Book Cover Design Option for Your Budget
If you’re on a low budget, the free or low-cost cover options can be a good choice to get your book over the line. However, if you believe in your book and know how important it is to make the right first impression, you’re always going to be better off working with a professional cover design company.
With Spiffing, you get an experienced team who understand the UK publishing market, prepare files correctly for print and digital, and ensures your book looks credible alongside the competition.
So if you’re serious about publishing, don’t leave your first impression to chance. Get in touch with Spiffing today and start working on a cover that does your book justice.
