Am I Really Going to Do This?

If life was fair, I would happily slip $1,895 to Damonza to get a beautiful book cover, one that's genre-conforming and visually tells a story. One that's designed by actual artists.

The consensus is that my book cover sucks. Bear in mind, its current iteration is way better than the first one. So, I obviously won't be applying to design school anytime soon. 

Is my cover holding me back? Maybe. But is it really? Will a "better" cover sell more copies, or would that just more ill-spent money? Everybody says that if your book isn't selling, it's either due to the cover or the blurb. But what if the book just doesn't sound interesting? I've redone my blurb...I don't know...maybe twenty times? The one I'm currently using is the one I like best so far, but reworking my blurb cost me zero dollars. I had absolutely nothing to lose.

Buying a cover design is going to cost me dollars, and I can't go with everybody's cheapo recommendation, the one that costs $35.00, because while the place may be good for fantasy or whatever the hell this portfolio represents, I find the designs ugly, prefab, and lacking any artistic sensibility. If that place was my only choice, I'd keep my sucky cover.  

If I (in my dream world) went with Damonza, I'd need to sell 948 copies of my novel just to break even. I've now sold 32. And now with the outfit I'm considering, I'd still need to move 135 units just to recoup my money. Just to be clear, I can't really afford the cheaper site, either, but if I knew it was worth it, I'd make it work. But what if they can't do a decent job? I'm still obligated to pay, whereas doing my own cover costs me nothing.

I almost...almost went with it tonight. I was all ready to place an order, but while the site's FAQ's state that the cost can be paid in two installments, I couldn't find any box to check on the order form for it, so I sent them a message. But now I'm rethinking the whole thing. I'd love to have a cover I could be proud of, but this place is no guarantee of that. For folks with money, ordering a cover they might ultimately hate is no big deal. They'll just get one designed somewhere else. But it's a huge deal for me.

I think I should have another look at Canva.