Interview with Mountain Peak Edits & Design
For the second installment of my series on businesses that support authors and readers, I am sharing my interview with Madisyn from Mountain Peak Edits & Design! I had tons of fun with this one!!!!!
The interviewHi, Madisyn! Can you introduce yourself and Mountain Peak Edits & Design (MPED)? Focus on yourself as a designer/editor, etc, not as an author. We’ll mention that later.
Hello, Courtney. Thank you for having me.
My name is Madisyn, and I am the founder and owner of Mountain Peak Edits & Design, also known as MPED. My passion is to provide affordable, quality services for writers and authors. A few fun facts: I am fueled by chocolate-covered sunflower seeds and prefer the mountains to the ocean.
Why did you decide to start MPED?
There’s no direct answer for that, as this came about in an unanticipated way. MPED was not something I pondered for weeks or months. I was facing a choice about my future, and after a few sleepless nights of pondering and praying, the concept of MPED came to me. A few days later I had the site up and was open for business.
Based on MPED’s name, it sounds like you offer several services. What all do you offer? Which service(s) are your favorites?
While MPED initially only offered editing and cover design, it has expanded into graphic design (think BookBub ads, promo graphics), A+ Content, and marketing materials like bookmarks.
On top of all the hats you wear at MPED, you’re also an author. How does that affect your efforts helping authors with each of these different tasks?
One of the phrases I use to market MPED is, “By an author, for authors.” I have been on both sides of the aisle, so to speak, and know what it is like as both a client and a service provider. This provides me with a deeper insight and understanding of not only the process of editing, design, and publishing, but the perspective of both sides as well.
I want to hire you to help me with my project. Is there any reason you wouldn’t accept me?
MPED only offers services for clean and Christian books. So, if your book contains profanity, sexual content, or other indecent topics, MPED isn’t the right author services provider for you.
Editing“Edits” is the first part of MPED’s title. Let’s start there.
What’s your background in editing? Why should I trust you to edit my books?
My background in editing includes an English degree and an editing internship with Answers in Genesis. I want what’s best for every writer and author who entrusts their manuscripts to MPED and will ensure that only the highest quality is delivered.
Can you tell me about any of the books you’ve edited?
I’ve edited a variety of historical romance, contemporary romance, suspense, and fantasy. It’s enjoyable seeing every author’s unique flavor of writing.
You offer several types of editing. Isn’t an edit just an edit?
An edit is not just an edit. Some types of edits focus on the story’s overall plot and structure while others are meant to find errors, clean up rough sentences, or focus solely on character development. It is vital for you to know what type of edit you want before you contact an editor. Merely telling us, “I need an edit” doesn’t provide us with the information we need in order to assist you in making your manuscript the best it can be.
What’s your favorite type of editing?
My favorite type is developmental editing. This is the “broad picture” and focuses on plot holes and areas that require strengthening or adjustment.
What’s your biggest grammatical pet peeve?
Lack of oxford commas. Standard commas completely change a sentence’s structure and meaning. Utilizing the oxford comma is integral if you want your sentence to not only make sense, but flow well and sound good.
What controversial grammar rules are you most passionate about?
I wouldn’t consider this necessarily controversial, but there has been a push in recent years to eliminate words of “gender”. Take blonde/blond for example. I refuse to use the “gender neutral” spellings. They were implemented for a reason and ignoring them is to the writer’s detriment because then it appears like they do not even know proper spelling.
What does your pricing for editing look like?
I charge $0.003/word for manuscripts up to 50,000, and $0.002/word for manuscripts over 50,000.
Find more information about Madisyn’s editing services.
Cover DesignLet’s switch over to cover design (my personal favorite thing you do).
A book cover can’t possibly be that important, can it?
Allow me to fetch my soapbox.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who judges a book by its cover. If a cover is poor quality, has a heinous design, or doesn’t match the era or genre, then I’ll not only refuse to read the book, I won’t give it a second look. Covers need to reflect the story. Does a paltry cover indicate a paltry tale? Not necessarily, but it provides that message to any potential readers.
Your cover should not only match the era or genre in which your book takes place, but it should also be pleasing to the eye. Granted, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that certainly applies to covers, but you should always aim for a quality cover. Unfortunately, I’m seeing an influx of low-quality covers, which are particularly popular with Multi-Author Series in a specific genre.
Okay, maybe a book cover might be important, but is it really important enough to pay a ton of money for?
Unless you know what you are doing and can design a quality cover on your own, you will have to pay some money for a good cover. That being said, I do not recommend paying more than $450 for a cover (ebook + paperback). Don’t worry if you have a small budget. Some designers offer cover design tiers with varying prices.
But can’t I just get an AI cover design for free?
There is a massive debate about AI, which I won’t get into, but here are a few observations about AI and the covers generated with it.
No AI cover is truly “free”. AI art has been developed using the designs and artwork of real-life artists and designers. Case in point: I can scroll through a stock image site, see an AI-generated image, and know exactly which photo was used to “inspire” this fake image. So, monetizing AI is, actually, thievery. Not to mention there are almost always issues with AI “art”, such as extra teeth, additional fingers, or warped features.
AI, in short, not only looks atrocious, it’s unethical. Many readers will not only refuse to support authors who use AI, but they will boycott them altogether.
So, it’s just not worth it to use AI for a cover.
How did you get started designing book covers?
I don’t remember why I began designing covers. I just knew, when the idea for MPED came to me, that cover design would be included.
What types of covers do you design?
I offer the styles of typographic, illustrated, scene-oriented, portrait, silhouette, double exposure, photographic, and more.
What are some of your favorite covers you’ve designed?
Some of my personal favorites include:
Dreams of the Heart by Penny Zeller
Feels like Home by Jennifer Whalen
A Noble Life by C.K. Heartwing
And some other covers from Multi-Author Series that have yet to be revealed.
What’s the process if I want MPED to design a cover for me?
The process is simple. Contact MPED through the contact form, and let me know you need a cover. Be sure to include the genre and when you need it (next month, in the next five months, etc.), and I’ll then send you a questionnaire you can fill out. After the payment invoice is sent and paid, I’ll begin working on mocks. Once you’ve settled on a mock, I’ll work on the final cover.
What does your pricing look like?
I offer two cover design pricing tiers for custom covers. Tier One offers a custom ebook cover and paperback for $70 total and Tier Two offers a custom ebook and paperback for $150 total. The difference between tiers can be found here.
Cover design prices for Multi-Author Series begins at $45 and anthology covers begin at $75.
Information on custom cover design from MPED
MiscellaneousYou mentioned that you offer several other services earlier. I’ve probably already exhausted your patience with questions, but…
Can you tell me a tiny bit more about the other services?
Some of the other services include graphic design, A+ Content, marketing materials, and book revamp. The graphic design service offers designs for options such as BookBub ads, cover reveal graphics, and more. A+ Content is a free marketing opportunity offered by Amazon, and marketing materials include custom bookmarks and stickers. The book revamp is either a single service of creating a new cover for a book already released or offering a bundle of a new cover, one type of edit of your choice, and A+ Content graphics or two promo graphics.
Where do I find more information about these services?
All information can be found on my website, or you can reach out via email and I’m happy to answer whatever questions you have.
Which of these services is your favorite?
I think my favorites are tied between the book cover revamp and bookmark design.
Closing…Why should I choose MPED to help me with my book/website/social media/whatever?
MPED not only seeks to help your book or author career be as successful as possible, but as an author myself, I understand both where you’re coming from and the importance of quality author services.
Is there anything else I should know about your business?
My passion is helping writers and authors. There are premade covers you can check out, book revamp options, and packages that offer a bundle of services for a special price.
Publishing your book is a journey, and one you don’t have to travel alone. No matter your publishing experience, MPED is ready and available to help.
Where can I learn more about MPED?
My website is here and MPED is also on Instagram at @mountainpeakeditsanddesign. Insta followers are the first to see new premades, so if you’re on Instagram and in the market for a cover, you are welcome to stop by.
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all of my questions!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for having me!
GUESS WHAT??????Mountain Peak Edits & Design is currently holding a special flash sale in honor of Valentine’s Day where you can get 15% off all premade book covers! The sale lasts from today (2/12/2025) through the fifteenth! There are some truly stunning covers on that site that I’m hoping will find equally amazing stories to match up with!
MPED’S premade book coversThis post contains affiliate links. If you use one of my links, I will receive a percentage of the sale, at no extra cost to you! Essentially, you can buy a book, and support my blog at the same time!!!
related posts
