Yes, that is a HUGE problem. I try to keep my rates reasonable for that very reason. I mean, I have to charge for my time AND materials.... but I so truly hate to see a book with a bad cover. The cover is your books face to the world, and if it LOOKS self-published, if it LOOKS unprofessional, as if the author didn't care enough to get it done right, well... they'll assume the inside is thrown together in the same manner and won't even try reading it. It's a sad fact. Last year I volunteered to re-do a friend's covers for free, they were THAT bad. Within days of putting up the new covers her sales had increased exponentially.

Exactly the lesson I learned here, Damian. As my ex-MIL used to say, 'Too soon old, too late smart!'

Thanks, Deb. The story is about an arrogant, full-of-himself bull rider, who reforms, so I needed arrogance. The abs were a bonus!

Yes, I think I will do a post in the future about working with a designer. Because no, I don't recommend making a mockup, and I do recommend NOT falling in love with an image or an "idea". You are much more likely to be happy with a designer's work if you are open minded. What you might "visualize" might not be possible, or it might not be good design.

I use Gimp. It's good, but not intuitive - but there are great YouTube videos.