Fiverr

[Justin]

I've been hearing a lot about this site within the last 5 month's or so and all of it is positive. From what I've gathered you can do just about anything within the range of 5 dollars such as market a book, hire an editor, cover designer, etc.

Has anyone tried the site, for what, how did it work out for you and what do you think of it?

I'm considering using it for a couple of things and I'd love to get some feedback and hear people's thoughts on it.

[Tom]

I recently used Fiverr to secure a few book covers, and I had a largely positive experience with the person I used, plus a few hiccups. This all happened after months of snubbing Fiverr for thinking that nothing good could be produced from it, and I realize now that you just have to search and negotiate for what you really want. Even if it ultimately isn't for you, it's definitely worth considering.

After a bit of research, I contacted the seller jimmygibbs, who had a stellar rating and a convincing portfolio for what I wanted. He was able to create three great covers for my upcoming books, and I plan on using him again in the future. But you only get one real image to work with, and major alterations/additions to that image don't occur at the $5 level. So if you want intense photo manipulation, you'll still have to spring for some of the extra gigs.

The greatest boons here were the time saved in creating my own cover (I'd have to pirate some Photoshop and watch a lot of tutorials just to get started) and also the quality of cover that I ended up getting (I've seen a lot of home-made covers that completely turned me off from a book, and I can't say I wouldn't have produced the same thing).

Unless you know what you're doing with that Photoshop wand, I would highly recommend at least using Fiverr to get someone with experience to throw together a crisp, clean cover. The $5 investment is definitely worth it over producing it at home, both in terms of time and quality, unless you happen to be incredibly gifted with art in addition to your writing.

The two five-dollar covers are now posted as photos on my profile, if you want to check them out.

[Justin]

That's quite helpful Thomas, thanks.

[Michael]

I turned to fiverr for the cover design of my first novel. After researching the various design shops, I found one that had sparkling reviews and customer testimonials. I did end up spending $15 for a couple of additional add-ons, but it was well worth the price. As a writer, I classify myself as a hobbyist. I don't look to make any money off of it, so fiverr definitely made sense for me.

Editing is a different story altogether. For the amount of time required just to proofread a novel-length work, the editor should be paid properly. I would not feel right paying so little for that amount of work.

[Michael]

Hey guys,

I got my book cover designed and book formatted on fiver. Cost me less than $50 to do both. They have many other services starting at $5 like website design, graphic design, illustration, book promotions, etc...

https://www.fiverr.com/s2/be74b697a3

If you use my referral link here, you can get a free gig (worth $5).

Good Luck!

[Doug]

I used Fiverr to fine-tune a map I was using in my second book, 'Five Weeks to Jamaica' to show a map of the journey the characters followed. It was a Photoshop pic, and I just couldn't figure out how to maneuver the image and add a legend. I found a Photoshop 'expert' and she did a good job of cleaning-up the map and adding a legend for me, all for the initial $5 fee. I am now trying to work with another Fiverr rep to help me make the book more visible online. I'm hoping this works as well as my first 'job'.

[Brian]

I read some advice recently that I plan on using - go to fiverr to find people to critique my author website, cover, and pitch.

It's so important to get knowledgeable and objective feedback.

[G.R.]

I used Fiverr some months back sort of as a low budget experiment for book promotion. I wanted to see if I could generate paid sales when the book was not on sale or for free on Amazon. I used two different gigs from people who would tweet about my novel to thousands of followers, put it on their Facebook page, etc. How many sales did it get me? None. But at least it was a minimal investment. I'm sure that Fiverr is an excellent place to turn to if you are looking to get a tangible product at a low price, but advertising and social marketing can be very finicky.

[Brian]

The Just-About-Average Ms M wrote: "And at five bucks, you get exactly what you pay for. Judging from the quality of the reviews you get from people who will say just about anything for $5, I don't place much confidence in any such ..."

I wouldn't expect to get much at all for $5.

My understanding is that you can negotiate to pay more for the service you need and that there are qualified people available for hire.

[Michael]

I've done both of my book covers with fiverr. The novel (in both paperback and ebook) set me back $20, while the novella (ebook only) lightened my wallet by $10. I was pleasantly surprised with both efforts.

[Justin]

I'm having someone from Fiverr edit my book. I went over the persons qualifications and looked at what they do in their process. All seems well and I hope this is the first of many transactions I make through the site.

[Nancy]

I've used Fiverr for book promotion, but only will use BKnights - known all over with a great reputation. When I used them for last free promo (now permafree), they got my book to #1, 2, and 3 in all my categories. I have another set up to help boost my same book that is now permafree back up the rankings, as it's in the top 100, but want #1 or close enough! Here's a link:
https://www.fiverr.com/bknights/promo...

[Justin]

Anyone have any recent stories about their Fiverr experiences? I've been receiving e-mails from them about possible deals but haven't done any yet.

[Jonathan]

Had some covers done via Fiverr and been very happy. It's a marketplace just like anywhere else, has some good gigs and some not as good. What I think some people miss is that it's global, so while $5 in the US sounds like a nit, to a kid in the Philippines going to school with strong art/ Photoshop skills it's worth more, so "you get what you pay for" is a little bit of a cop out. There is actually some pretty good talent out there. Make sure you look at the samples of peoples work (assuming it is something like a cover) and find something you like. There is going to be some variance in quality.

[Chuck]

Hi, I got my book cover from Fiverr and am very happy with Vikiana. She is backed up for about 6 days so you know she's good and in demand. I paid $16usd.

The base price for services is $5 but the price is often increased by adding various add-ons. So usually you will pay more than $10 for a book cover, for example.

[Justin]

Kelly wrote: "I got my cover art for Summoning the Demon from Fiverr. I paid $15, $5 of which was a tip. "

Nice cover Kelly. I actually ran your cover through Google image search just because I know sometimes when you get a cover that good for such a cheap price that sometimes it isn't a stock photo. Your seems legit although a video game background comes up and the house in the background is there. Nothing too bad but definitely interesting and curious.

[Justin]

Chuck wrote: "Hi, I got my book cover from Fiverr and am very happy with Vikiana. She is backed up for about 6 days so you know she's good and in demand. I paid $16usd.

The base price for services is $5 but the..."

Very nice Chuck, I have a cover artist in the UK who does my work. Although I do at times consider getting some covers thrown together on Fiverr for short stories or to save myself some money.

[Justin]

Anyone use Fiverr lately? If so for what purpose? I may be looking to go on there again soon.

[Aidana]

I tend not to trust Fiverr (and sites like it), but I have some serious biases against designers who manipulate photos (more often stolen than not) or use stock images to create book covers.

I think going cheap looks just that ... cheap, and devalues the book and what's contained within. But again, I'm biased.

All I know is I love to read and the books that have always attracted me to pick them up and read the blurb were books with amazing cover art (not photos). This attraction is why I went to art school to become a book cover artist and designer.

[Deborah]

I actually used to offer gigs on Fiverr. I quit a few weeks back. Just in case anyone pulls up this thread in the future, I'm more than happy to explain what happens behind the scenes.

Say you find a gig for $5. You end up paying $6 because Fiverr adds a processing fee. The seller gets... $4. And even though you paid upfront, the seller doesn't get paid until 14 days after you confirm you received the service/product.

There are gigs for $5, but for actual quality, you should be ready to shell out at least $50. For example: I (as a buyer) had a logo made by a Fiverr seller for $15. Ran a reverse Google Images search (exactly like Justin did above) and found the seller had just used a free logo maker online. The cheapest authentic logo maker I could find on Fiverr had packages starting at $45 (again, not including processing fees).

Same goes for artwork. Justin's concerns are correct. I got around this because I had a clear idea of the artwork I wanted--and I sketched it out on a piece of paper, and asked for artists who could follow that sketch. I found an incredible artist who not only followed that sketch's ideas perfectly, he even added a couple of suggestions of his own, after checking with me first. (I highly recommend him! He goes by "nelart" on Fiverr.) I paid $55 for that, I think, and I tipped him $10 after I saw the finished product.

Being a Fiverr seller means that buyers come in expecting lower prices. I was never able to sell my advanced editing package that was priced at $50--I always had to negotiate down to $25 or $20 just to make the sale. (Of which I got $20 or $16.90 respectively.) Imagine my surprise when I looked around online and saw that there are editors making $3,000 for the exact same work I was doing! And the lowest editing price I found was on CreateSpace (meh), $250 or so.

Plus, some of the buyers I dealt with were some real divas, which wasn't worth the $20. So I left Fiverr, added my services to my existing website, and am charging a base of $300 for basic editing. A few of my Fiverr buyers came along with me and have been spreading some good word-of-mouth for me, so I'm doing okay.

That's my Fiverr story. It ended up being longer than I expected, and I apologize if it comes off as a rant. (Trust me, I didn't even get into Fiverr's terrible customer service and seller policies.) But I hope that this will enlighten folks for if/when they decide to look for workers on Fiverr.

[Wanda]

I've used Fiverr for my picture book and was very happy with my first one. This time with the same illustrator, he's missed deadlines and doesn't respond to emails. So, I'll be searching Fiverr for another illustrator. Of course, the price for this kind of project is nowhere near $5.

[Shanna]

I love my gal on Fiverr that designed my book cover. She has been so patient with me over the last several weeks, tweeking my cover to my specifications even AFTER she marked the gig as "Completed." She made at least 8 different revisions for me with no complaints and such patience. I will definitely be using her again.

[Ben]

I got my first cover on Fiverr, and I loved it. He also made the banner for my website, which (I think) is awesome. I think I paid $40 for the cover; my friend said she likes mine better than hers, and she paid upwards of $300 for each of her covers.

[Justin]

Recently went on Fiverr to look for an editor. Looks like I haven't been on there in a while because holy crap people have went up on their price for editing! It starts out at $5 for a basic edit 1,000 then the price sky rockets!

[Marie]

Hi everyone
Base on your search
I highly recommended this freelancer which is on feverr for a great experience.website developer
https://www.fiverr.com/zeeshan_arriff/ s ce

[Jessica]

It's also worth mentioning that the suppliers of services on Fiverr are charged 20% by Fiverr on both the primary sale and any tips that are left. I understand recompense, but 20% is the tax rate in the UK. It is very difficult to do work that requires a lot of attention and time and charge a fair price to the buyer, whilst making enough for necessities.

Graphic designing if you have swift skills probably rates as some of the cheapest, but also the quickest (as with SEO etc), so it might be a bit more worth it for them. Those who manage it, kudos to them!

[Justin]

Anyone still using Fiverr? I've used it to get book covers done and may look into it for other types of things I need done for my books. I'm also considering using it to help fellow authors and writers out.

[Mirta]

Hi. I am working with a freelance editor who bid for the job on Fiverr. She had great reviews and I loved the samples she provided, the detailed fee schedule and the outline of expectations. I asked if she used AI and she said absolutely not. I told her that I write JAFF and am trying to emulate Austen’s tone and style. No problem, she said. She works with historical fiction and romance. Great. OK. I received her edits 2 days ago. She changed "man of the house" to "houseman." She apparently does not know what vexed means, or alacrity, naught, ought or pianoforte...ugh! She (or her AI program) edited a quote from the Talmud, Shakespeare, and a poem written by Austen. I have spent 2 days rejecting her modern vocabulary. I'm not pleased, but you get what you pay for, right?

[Sue]

Hi, Mirta.
First let me say I am not trying to hit you up for work. While I am an editor, I do not edit in your genre and wouldn't dream of going that far outside my personal wheelhouse - which is science fiction, fantasy, and related genres.
Now to Fiverr. When I was starting out I seriously considered working through Fiverr. I never did as their contract sucks - They take 20% of everything and do not let you communicate with clients off their platform. I also did some research by putting myself in the shoes of my prospective clients. I was not impressed. By looking at what would be my competition I found people trying to make a living as bottom feeders. I don't think they were all awful, but they may not have known they could do better outside of Fiverr. Because of that $5 hype, they were all racing to the bottom price-wise and it was just sad.
If you want to browse qualified editors there are many on Goodreads, and EFA has a rate chart so you can see the national average of what is being charged for different types of editing.
You do get what you pay for, and paying someone less than a living wage will not get you far.
On your current edit, before you spend any more time on correcting it, read a 2000-word sample from between 40-60% in. Is it worth your time to go through all the corrections, or should you just cut your losses now and find/hire an new editor and send them the unedited version? Tough call, but make it early.

[Pat]

Thanks for the warning!
Golden Boxty in the Frypan

[Lutz]

Mirta that is terrible. AI is hardly intelligent. Get what you paid for? Not even that. Makes a mess of everything and want to get paid for what, press F5 or F7 and it gets mangled by some algorithms, brainless of course and out comes, a mess. Just shows what reviews are worth as well. Glad you posted this.
I was a publisher long ago, internet only. My motto was: if it's readable its publishable. None had their work edited since they were, ahem, writers, and did not require it. Since every author is their own creative agency, so I won't say this is how, but what I did was take a break from the current mss, write something else, come back to the first and find the mistakes that weren't there before! Repeat until satisfied. My first self published print novel actually sold and two bookstores reordered. Saves heaps this way. Good luck.

[R.B.]

AI is n insult to the many talented writers.
Rosemarie B. Smith

[[deleted user]]

R.B. wrote: "AI is n insult to the many talented writers.
Rosemarie B. Smith"

Hear! Hear! AI is the tool of the intellectually lazy and of writers without real talent, who lack the imagination and story-telling skills needed to write good books by themselves.

[Justin]

I created this thread 10 years ago, and it's crazy to me that not only does it have over 980 views, but it's the most recent commented thread in the entire Paying Markets For Authors! Folder.

With that being said, in the last 10 years, not only have I looked into Fiverr, but it's been a place where I found some great cover artists to do many of my book covers. I highly suggest checking the site out for those who are working on a budget or are just looking for a variety of things they want to do for their books, but don't want to spend an arm and a leg.