Blog post cover illustration by Lauren Hall
The Jobs Board service has been available to our visitors since December of 2023 and for the past 12 months has been buzzing with creativity!
Since its launch, the board has connected designers with 33 unique book cover projects, a sampling of which is displayed below.
These 33 cover projects have amounted to a total of $38,800 in income for the winning designers. Apart from the posting fee, INABC hasn’t taken a cut—which means that every cent from each project’s budget has gone straight to its chosen designer.
As we grow, we’re making a few changes to bring even more value to everyone involved—clients and designers alike.
Here’s what’s changing. Throughout 2024, job listings were open to anyone interested, but beginning in January 2025, designers must first apply and be an approved vendor to review and bid on future Jobs Board listings. Designers: apply now!
Why The Change?
This shift to an application-based, curated group comes in response to two big factors:
1. Prioritizing Custom Designs
We recently learned that a few studios offering premade covers were swooping in on jobs, undercutting the budgets, and making it tough for independent designers to accept fair, industry rates. This also confused authors who are coming to INABC to access top-tier talent, not sellers of pre-mades. By curating who can bid on jobs, we’re excluding certain companies that don’t align with our values.
2. Client Requests for Quality over Quantity
Our clients have spoken and we listened. We’ve heard from authors and publishers who’ve used the board that they are interested in reviewing fewer proposals from designers that truly stand out. By making the listings private, we’re ensuring that clients only receive bids from experienced designers who have the chops to bring their vision to life. This change also secures their contact information, per request.
So, What’s New?
Here’s what to expect from our new, application-based Jobs Board:
How to Apply
Interested in applying? Great! The application process is super straightforward. All you need to do is fill out this form and submit a one-time application fee of $50. We’ll review your application in 1 to 5 business days. You will be notified about the status of your application no matter what.
A paywall?
That’s right. A one-time admin fee that gives you life-long access to serious cover jobs. The first layer of curation begins with a simple paywall, as we believe that anyone who balks at this fee isn’t operating their business at the level we expect of designers of this caliber.
Timeline
If you’re already part of our design community, you’ll have five weeks to apply. During this time, you’ll still have access to public-facing job briefs. But heads up: starting in January 2025, only approved designers will have access to posted jobs. We’re giving you a fair head start to guarantee a smooth transition.
What Happens To The Application Fee?
Application fees will go directly toward marketing the Jobs Board, bringing in even more exciting and lucrative projects for our designers. It’s a way to keep the board growing, thriving, and full of opportunities for everyone involved.
In 2024, we offered 33 jobs to our designers. Those 33 jobs came from word-of-mouth referrals, podcast features, and organic marketing. In 2025, through enhanced digital marketing efforts funded by the application fees, we aim to increase that number threefold.
Questions?
If you need more information, feel free to reach out to the Admin Team handling this transition. You can contact them at ineedabookcover.assistant <at> gmail. They will do their best to respond to as many inquiries as possible.
Thank You
Thank you for joining us on this journey! Whether you’re an author looking for a fabulous book cover or a designer ready to showcase your skills, we’re excited to continue building and sharing this community of talent with you.
Here’s to quality, creativity, and the next chapter for INeedABookCover!
