Ever thought about using fiverr? It's a website that allows indie creators post ads for work at the price of...a fiver. This post certainly isn't a paid advertisement for them, I thought it might interest you to know my thoughts about the webstie.
The Job
I wanted a new cover. Publishing with KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) has many benefits, but a disadvantage is that you cannot keep the images you create with the free Cover Creator tool. There's an interface that prevents strangers from copy and pasting your cover in a high quality format, making it look fuzzy and pixelated. Making a cheap new cover should be easy right?
Wrong.
The Brief - Jul 28, 11:01 AM
I need a new book cover designed for my latest book, must have green (either grass or shiny green rock), the title "Rule Two Fifty" with each word on separate lines, in white, and my name "Michael Chaese" in white, at the top of the page. Template is available at (my google drive).
The guy thanked for me contacting him, sent an order request and agreed to complete within one day. This is when I should have been suspicious. One day guarantee? For a book cover?
Can you visit depositphotos.com and look for the pictures you'd like to see on your cover? You can either share their links with me or ID numbers. May I see any samples of the covers you like?
This is when I should have most definitely been suspicious. Asking the customer to do your work for you? I told him I did not have time.
We spent the next 27 hours trying to communicate that he had clicked the "Withdrawn" button on the offer, so I could not accept it. "Just because we're having communication issues doesn't mean there will be more communication issues". He sent me a picture of a mouldy rock. I shit you not.
Alarm bells should have been ringing, the Federal Brain Inspectors should have been knocking on my temple asking if I was OK in there. But I doubted.
Maybe he'll make this mouldy rock into something pleasant that even I can't envision? He's the professional, not me.
He asked me about font colour, name colour, every colour I had already detailed in the brief. It's safe to say that by now, I was skeptical.
Submission 1 - Jul 31, 11:54 AM
I received a green, mouldy rock. With my names on it. I could have cried.
I just wanted it to look as good or better than this [the old cover].
You have not used the template I sent you,
Submission 2 - Jul 31, 4:27PM
Hi Sir, is design really good? It's high graphic design! Don't waste my hard work!
I cannot even come to terms with this. It was a red book.
It gets worse.
Without my name on it.
It gets even worse.
With the title "CHINA in the next 30 years".
Maybe. He just. Sent the wrong file?
You find other file? It's a portfolio.
The other file of which the guy was speaking of, was MY ORIGINAL COVER. Pixelated and fuzzy! The exact file from KDP but with added contrast.
I cancelled the order. Fiverr refunded me. He didn't stop there.
I received countless messages telling me to customise the file myself.
If I wanted to customise my own file I wouldn't pay you for anything.
I received 2 repeat offers asking me to order again. I declined
I received another offer at 2000% the original price. I declined.
I received another offer at 100300% the original price. I reported him.
And that, ladies and gentlemen and the wonderful things inbetween, is my Fiverr nightmare. I cannot look at those images ever again, so I will not post them here. But Fiverr were there for me. They let me block him and gave me my money back. I spent double the money on a different Fiverr user, with an artstyle I thought would fit my novel the best. And I will be sure to use Yash Shenai again in the future. I don't know what I can recommend from this experience. Fiverr is great, but please find an artist you like, not a cheap one that "will do just fine". I'm going to dedicate the next section to Yash Shenai as a meditation exercise. Thanks for reading.
Yash Shenai (yashshenai) - July 31, 4:34PM
I employed without speaking to him first, including a brief in my offer. He thanked me for considering him, then asked to know a little more about me to cater the project to my needs. #Satisfaction
He confirmed the order specifications for me, asking me to upgrade for a more premium service. He asked lots of questions, understood the feel of the story, and showed me his first impression.
This was so eye-catching that my heart stopped beating.
He matched my tempo, enthusiasm and managed to capture my spirit in the cover. He made conversation about the weather. Very complimentary. We were an instant cohesive team. When it came to the revisions, we settled on an idea that took my ideas for changes into consideration, but retained the creative personality of himself. It was like making a baby. And here it is:
Aug 01, 12:31 PM
