You have spent months, maybe years, writing your book. The story is finished. The edits are done. Now there is one more job left, and it is a big one. Your cover has to grab a reader in about two seconds flat.
Northern Star Press works with authors across Dublin to design covers that look like they belong in a real bookshop, because they do. We build covers for print, for Kindle, and for every format in between, whether you are self-publishing your first novel or working with a small press.
A good cover is not just a pretty picture. It has to work as a piece of marketing, a piece of design, and a piece of art, all at once. We treat every project as one of our custom covers Dublin authors can call their own, not a template with your title dropped on top.
Some authors come to us with a clear idea already sketched out. Others have no idea at all, and that is fine too. Either way, our approach starts with your story: we read your blurb, ask about your genre and your readers, and look at what similar books are doing well right now before we settle on artwork and type.
Different books need different covers. A cover built without the right groundwork tends to look generic, technically fine but easy to scroll past. Here is how we usually break the work down.
Our novel cover design in Dublin works for everything from literary fiction to crime, romance, fantasy, and thrillers. Each genre has its own visual language. A crime cover needs to feel different from a cosy romance, and readers pick up on that instantly, even if they could not explain why. We study your genre before we design a single thing.
Non-fiction covers need to build trust fast. Whether it is a business book, a self-help title, or a personal memoir, the cover has to promise real value and look credible at first sight. We keep these designs clean and confident.
Our Kindle book cover design service in Dublin is built for how people actually browse online. A cover that looks great in a shop window can fall flat as a tiny thumbnail on a phone screen. We design and test how your cover reads at small sizes, so the title and key details stay clear even when shrunk down.
If you are writing a series, your covers need a shared look so readers can spot book two and book three at a glance. We build a design system for the whole series from the start, not just book one, so later titles fit the family without a full redesign.
Our clients come from all corners of the writing world. We regularly design for:
If you have a manuscript and a publishing date in mind, we can likely help. It does not matter if this is your first book or your tenth. What matters is that the cover fits the book and the readers you are hoping to reach.
Not every designer is the right fit for every book. Before you hire anyone, whether that is us or someone else, ask a few honest questions:
A good designer will answer all of these clearly, without dodging the question. If someone is vague about rights or revisions, take that as a warning sign.
Authors sometimes ask if a cover really matters that much. It does, and here is why:
Spending time and care on your cover is not vanity. It is part of finishing the book properly.
We keep things simple and straightforward from your first message to final delivery.
Send us a message with your book title, genre, a short blurb, and your rough timeline. If you already have ideas or reference covers you like, share those too.
We will ask a few follow-up questions about your story, your target readers, and any must-haves. From there, we send a clear quote and timeline, with no hidden extras.
Once you approve the quote, we design an initial concept based on your brief. This usually arrives within a week, depending on our current workload.
You review the concept and tell us what is working and what is not. We take that feedback and refine the design, moving through the included revision rounds.
Once you are happy, we prepare and send your full file set, print-ready PDFs, ebook covers, and any spine or back cover layouts you need.
You get a proper quote before any work starts, with no surprise fees later.
We look at what is working in your category right now, not just what looks nice in isolation.
You work with the same person from brief to delivery, so nothing gets lost between handovers.
Print, Kindle, Kobo, and Apple Books files are all handled under one project.
Once your project is paid in full, the artwork is yours to use.
Based in Dublin, we are happy to meet, call, or email, whichever suits you best.
We are not the only book cover designers in Dublin, and we do not claim to be the biggest. What we offer is close attention to your actual book, rather than a generic template with your name on the front.
We built our service list around the real gaps that stop authors from finishing and launching their books. Here is what falls under our roof.
Pricing for book covers varies a good deal, and anyone who quotes you a single flat number without knowing your project is guessing. The real cost depends on a few things:
Because of this, we do not publish one price for every project. Instead, we ask a few quick questions about your book and send you a clear, itemised quote before any work begins, with no obligation to proceed and no pressure either.
Writing, editing, design, printing and marketing under one roof. Pick the stage your book is stuck at and we will take it from there.
Your book deserves a cover that matches the work you put into writing it. If you are ready to talk through your project, send us a message with your book details, and we will come back to you with next steps and a quote.
We are happy to answer questions even if you are still deciding whether to publish yet, or whether to redesign an older cover that is not pulling its weight. No pressure, no obligation, just a straight answer about what your cover could look like.
Most single covers take one to three weeks from brief to final files, depending on how many revisions are needed and our current workload. Series projects can take longer, since we build a shared design system first.
We work with first-time authors regularly and are happy to explain each step in plain terms. You do not need any design background to work with us, just a finished or near-finished manuscript.
Yes. Most of our work happens over email and video calls anyway, so location is not a barrier. Being based in Dublin just means local authors can meet us in person if they prefer.
You will get print-ready PDF files sized for your chosen printer, plus ebook cover files for Kindle and other platforms. If your book has a spine and back cover, those are included too.
Both. We design across fiction and non-fiction, including memoir, business books, and self-help titles.
That is exactly what revision rounds are for. Tell us what is not working, and we will refine the design until it fits, within the rounds included in your quote.
It depends on scope, print versus digital, custom art versus composition, and how many revisions you need. We send a clear quote after a short chat about your book, so you know the full cost before committing.
Whether you have a finished manuscript or just an idea you keep coming back to, tell us about it. We will map out your fastest route to publication, free of charge.
Speak with a real publishing consultant in London. No bots, no pressure, just honest advice about your book.
Call us, email us, or fill in the form on this page, and a member of our team will be in touch.
Fill in the form below and our team will get back to you within one business day.