We are often told not to judge a book by its cover, but it is human nature to be drawn to cover art that is visually appealing and creative. One company that provides writers with the tools to create and design the graphics for their book is Book Brush.
In this Book Brush review, we will take a closer look at exactly what Book Brush is and whether they are worth consideration for writers looking for book cover designs.
What is Book Brush?
Book Brush is a virtual graphic design tool for authors. It is used to create cover art, back page artwork, blurb and marketing materials, etc.
One of the main aims of the tool is to be designed so that anyone is able to use it, not just those with graphic design skills already.
Think of it like a plug-and-play system. This design tool wants to champion and facilitate innovative and creative imagery that compels readers to choose a writer’s book to they can maximize the success of the writer.
Authors may use Book Brush to design work for a number of reasons including social media platforms, video platforms, cover art, eBook sales platforms, and much more.
Inside the platform, writers will find pre-made templates to help them get going, as well as easy functionalities like click-and-place, drag-and-drop, etc., alongside tutorials and walkthroughs to create the easiest and simplest experience possible.
On top of this, authors can actually use the tool to create virtual box sets, trailers for their book, and promotional materials like posters or advertisements.
The tagline on their website is “cheaper than paying a graphic designer and faster than doing it yourself” which is a great explanation of why a tool like Book Brush exists.
Book Brush Pricing
There are a number of pricing tiers with various features which we will take a look at below. Before we do that, it is worth noting that the company does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee with users able to cancel anytime.
Free – $0.00
- 1 Author Usage
- 15 image downloads
- > 1.5 million photos
- Author-Specific Stamps
- 200+ 3D Cover Templates
- 3000+ Author-Specific Templates
Plus – $8.25 Monthly
- 1 Author Usage
- Unlimited Image Downloads
- > 1.5 Million Photos
- Author-Specific Stamps
- 200+ 3D Cover Templates
- 3,000+ Author-Specific Templates
- Upload Fonts
- Animation Tools
- Priority support
- Cover Creator
Gold – $12.25 Monthly
- 1 Author Usage
- Unlimited Image Downloads
- > 1.5 Million Photos
- Author-Specific Stamps
- 200+ 3D Cover Templates
- 3,000+ Author-Specific Templates
- Upload Fonts. Animation Tools
- Priority support
- Cover Creator
- 2 Reader Hub Pages
- Instant Mock-ups
- Box Set Creator
Platinum – $20.50 Monthly
- 1 Author Usage
- Unlimited Image Downloads
- > 1.5 Million Photos
- Author-Specific Stamps
- 200+ 3D Cover Templates
- 3,000+ Author-Specific Templates
- Upload Fonts. Animation Tools
- Priority support
- Cover Creator
- 3 Reader Hub Pages
- Instant Mock-ups
- Box Set Creator
- Trailer Creator
- 10 Background Removal Credits
As you can see, there are various price points depending on the author’s budget and what they are looking to get out of a tool like Book Brush. Of course, some of the key features advertised on their website are only available at the higher price points of membership.
Pros and Cons of Book Brush
Next in our Book Brush review, let’s look at some perks and drawbacks of the design tool:
Pros of Using Book Brush
Professional Looking Graphics: The company offers a range of tools and templates that can help you create professional-looking graphics for your books, promotions, and social media posts.
Time-Savings: It can save you time by providing easy-to-use templates and tools for creating graphics, which can be especially helpful if you’re not proficient with graphic design software.
Variety of Templates: The tool offers a variety of templates designed specifically for authors, including book covers, promotional graphics, and social media posts, making it easier to create cohesive branding for your books.
Affordability: There are several pricing plans, including a free plan with limited features, making it accessible to authors with different budget constraints.
User-Friendly Interface: The platform is designed to be user-friendly, with drag-and-drop functionality and easy customization options, making it accessible to authors with varying levels of tech-savviness.
Cons of Using Book Brush
Limited Customization: While the tool offers a variety of templates, the level of customization may be limited compared to professional graphic design software, which could be a drawback if you’re looking for highly personalized designs.
Learning Curve: While the platform is designed to be user-friendly, there may still be a learning curve, especially if you’re not familiar with graphic design principles or software.
Dependency: Using the tool for your graphics means you’re dependent on the platform for creating and updating your designs, which could be a concern if the platform experiences downtime or if you decide to switch to a different tool in the future.
Cost: While the company offers a free plan, the more advanced features and templates are only available with paid plans, which could be a drawback if you’re on a tight budget.
Limited Functionality: The tool is great for creating graphics, but it may not offer the same level of functionality as dedicated design software, such as Adobe Creative Suite, which could be a limitation for more complex design projects.
Other Book Brush Reviews
It’s a bit difficult to find Book Brush reviews online, but we did find some on their Facebook account. Of course, you should take these reviews with a grain of salt, because you never know if they are paid reviews.
Most reviewers had positive things to say:
As you can see, many users found Book Brush to be a great use of their time and money. Of course, not all Book Brush reviews were positive:
According to the Book Brush review above, the learning curve of the tool is just too much for some users.
Book Brush Alternatives
It will come as no surprise to learn that there are a number of competing tools available for writers looking to use such a service.
Perhaps the primary one would be world-renowned Canva. Canva has an unrivaled amount of templates, images, and graphics available. However, it is not focused specifically on authors, so there are a lot of images or tools that would not be relevant for authors. It therefore may take more time to sift through in order to achieve what you want for your book design.
Canva’s free functionality is more extensive than Book Brush.
What’s interesting is that Book Brush actually has a comparison page on their own website breaking down all the differences between Book Brush vs Canva. Naturally, such a page should be taken with a pinch of salt, as there will be a level of inherent bias.
Book Brush Review: Our Final Take
It is clear that Book Brush is a valued tool amongst the writing community. Various pages showcase positive testimonials and they consistently hold between a 4 and 5 star rating on various sites.
It is also true, however, that writers will have further choices to make, primarily to use a competitor like Canva as well as which price bracket to select.
Ultimately, it will be up to each writer and their individual circumstances to decide which path is best, but factors to consider in doing so should be budget, how many projects are being worked upon, if they have any graphic design needs away from books, and which features are must-haves amongst others.
At the very least, it is unquestionable though, that every writer embarking on this stage of their self-publishing process should take a look at the free version of the tool and explore the platform for themselves.
If you are curious about other tools for improving your book, you can check out some of our other reviews:
- Quillbot Review
- Wordtune Review
- Ulysses Review
- Campfire Writing Review
- Grammarly Review
- ProWritingAid Review
Need extra help writing or designing your book? At selfpublishing.com, we have a team of writing, marketing, and design experts who can help you to successfully launch the book of your dreams with the perfect book cover. You can reach out for a free, no-obligation strategy call today to get started.