Suggestions on Price Point for eCover Designs

No offense taken. Well some, but not much.

I'm able to work quickly because i've got a set of about 150 (very expensive) scripts that I've modified a little to produce HQ unique covers and no offense to you - but after having a look through your portfolios there isn't anything in there I couldn't churn out in a minute or two (i'd actually say you need better scripts, the lighting and shadow effects are a tad iffy)

Yeah I say if your stuff is quality you could easily charge over 50 bucks. The main problem is finding the people who are will to toss 50 bucks at something like that when it can be done for 5 bucks. Some people will pay for quality though so you never know.

^^ This is great advice. Charging higher prices is a great way to weed out low-quality customers and distinguish your services.

-Bryan

Especially on things you agree upon

I think that in my case it might have more to do with personal preference.

Personally, I am terrible at graphics. Never took the time to learn and I really don't want to. I enjoy setting up website and finding keywords, so I hire other people to do graphics for me.

I could list you off many different examples of good ebook covers that were done within that price range, but as I explained above, it might just be personal.

I've seen a handful of the membership sites come and go. They would absolutely (IMHO) have to have more than just graphics, they would need to be full pre-built sites with content or some additional value.

It would seem to me that the typical member here wouldn't be launching 3 or 5 new products every month as an example, so wouldn't need 3-5 new ecovers every month. They MAY want 3-5 new Adsense sites or product review sites though?


That's where I was heading with my previous post. There are people doing it for $247 or so for a complete minisite (usually one page). That's fine and dandy, but as you said, you live in the US, so that $247 will turn into about $175 or so by the time you pay your Uncle.

If it takes 5 hours to handle EVERYTHING, including all the changes/tweaks/revisions, that's $35/hr. Better than most ditch diggers to use your analogy, but not living the lifestyle of the rich and famous, especially when you probably won't be getting paid for 8 hours each and every day. (you could be, that would be awesome, but it's a reality to consider)

If that same project takes 10 hours with all the tweaks to the graphics, font changes on the sales page, etc., you're down to $17.50 an hour. Couple that with likely not getting paid for each hour of the day, and you're not in a great position.

I suppose it comes down to how much you want to make and how long it takes to do a design (realistically!)...

If you're picky (as you indicated) in order to turn out quality work, realize that you'll often underestimate the time spent - I know I did.

Take a brand new topic - scuba diving. Start your kitchen timer. Create a new ecover from scratch. I want it in a purple and black color scheme with strong highlights, maybe a spotlight kind of thing and some kind of texture or gradient in the background. Go.

I'll wait...

...


...


How long did it take?

Obviously a made-up scenario here, but get an ACTUAL time on your efforts. See if you can do the project in x hours in order to make y dollars per hour if you charge what you want to charge.

Compare that to other folks' offerings here, and keep in mind that many times IM'ers want things done cheaply.

FWIW, in IM or business in general, the larger the client, the more time it takes. If you do "bag the elephant" realize that he or she is often used to getting their design free so that the designer can put it on their portfolio. Not always the case, but something to consider.

I wish you all success Steve!

Gary

Well, recently I found CreateSpace. Maybe publishers there can use your services.

They have a forum where people that want to self-publish books, CD's and DVD's meet.

My idea was not making one ecover per day for $20. It's damn cheap. I though you are making 10+ ecovers with specified tools. To be honest, I don't know required living cost in USA. If you don't mind, share it. Because I live in a south asian country.

With respect, Steve, that doesn't change the fact that in selling this service, you're choosing to compete with people who live in The Philippines, India, Indonesia and other countries where skilled online designers can justify doing it for that price. Please excuse me if I'm stating the obvious, but the price is determined by the supply and demand of the market, not by your local cost of living.

Steve, if that's the case, then here's a few ideas:

• Offer a free wso to x number of folks to show us what you got.
• Contact anyone that you have had a recent conversation with (or thread, etc) that seems like a reasonable human being and offer to do their design free so you can showcase it. Let them know you would appreciate an honest review of course.
• Offer a WSO at a reduced price to generate buzz - if you're planning on $99, offer it at $9.99 or something CRAZY. (watch the amount of orders of course!)
• Run a giveaway contest - of course be careful now that this thread exists, you don't want to see as just blatantly advertising yourself - for x number of warriors - why they should be picked, etc.
• Try just putting it up as an offer - no discounts, just the price you want to charge. Include copy that explains your USP - why people should hire you vs the next guy or the cheaper guy.

Hope it helps.

Gary