Newest Testimonials
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"As a first-time published author who had never done this before, I had a lot of questions for Deborah at Tugboat Design when I first started looking into getting a professional cover made for my already-published book. Thus, my relationship with Tugboat Design started with a series of emails about all aspects of the process, from "how much information do you need to do the cover" to "what trim size should I use for the paperback." Deborah answered each of my questions with kindness, patience, and grace, and without fail her responses came by the next business day. Nothing impresses me more than responsiveness, and although her library of example covers was impressive, it was her responsiveness that sold me. And then I got the first draft of the cover. That was when I knew I had made the right decision. Deborah was able to take the answers to a few questions about what I wanted for the cover and capture the FEELING of the book so precisely and elegantly. It was unbelievable. She accomplished in one page of a cover illustration what I (hopefully) accomplished in 300 words of a story. I am so grateful to have come across Tugboat Design and recommend Deborah without hesitation to anyone looking for an amazingly talented, extremely patient, and impressively organized and responsive cover artist."
~ Kathryn Amurra Soothsayer |
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"When I first contacted Tugboat Design per a friend's recommendation, I was in a bit of a bind. My book was set to release in a few months, and I was scrambling for a cover, as the situation with the previous designer had just fallen through. Deborah's professional, polite, and warm reply immediately put me at ease. She was able to create some fantastic mockups for me under a tight deadline, and she's worked efficiently ever since, always quick to reply and never missing a deadline. Throughout the few years we've worked together, she's answered my every question and gone above and beyond my expectations. Her three covers for my trilogy receive praise all the time; I couldn't be more pleased with them. I highly, HIGHLY recommend Deborah!"
~ Adelaide Thorne Whitewashed Series |
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"This was my first book and my first foray into the publishing world. It was a steep learning curve to understand everything that needed to get done. Deborah at Tugboat Design was a true blessing in disguise. She listened exactly to what I wanted and then gave me something with a bit of a different twist which I fell in love with the moment that I saw it. There are moments where you see something and your entire being knows that it is just for you. Deborah gave me this moment when I initially saw my cover design. Every transaction that I had with her was professional, on time, and awesome! She was even able to move the timeline up a bit when I received my manuscript from my editor ahead of time. I 100% recommend Deborah and Tugboat to anyone who requires their services. I am one very happy customer 😊"
~ Carla Feagan A Life Worth Living |
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"I was thrilled when I learned that my first book JEEP TOUR had won a makeover. I was even more excited, once I had the chance to work with Deborah at Tugboat Design. She asked all the right questions and truly understood my book and what I was looking for better than anyone. I had the chance to survey my friends and family about the options she presented and to make a few tweaks as well. I am so pleased with the way the cover turned out and have already hired Deborah to update another book cover for me!"
~ Gail Ward Olmsted Jeep Tour |
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"Deborah Bradseth’s new cover for my book Dog Sitters is a home run. She captures the interconnectedness of the story’s three main characters: a man, a woman, and a dog. The title conveys the playful tone of the book. And the stars and fireflies add allure to the excitement of new romance captured on the cover.
Bradseth captured every idea I suggested for the new cover. I asked for silhouettes instead of stock photo images. She delivered. I wanted the couple in a park at night with the dog next to them. She delivered it. I asked for the dog to interact with the couple. She came up with a jumping dog instead of a sitting one. Deborah was fast to turn things around, responsive, and clear when she disagreed with something I suggested. She explained her rationale for every image placement and every text font. She was easy to work with and delivered professional results. Without question, I will use her for my next book, if she’s available. The new Dog Sitters cover gives readers an exact idea of the story they'll find inside: total escape, a few laughs, and a heartwarming romance that comes about when two people search together for a lost dog. Thank you to Deborah Bradseth at Tugboat Design and BookLife for bringing alive Dog Sitters with a knockout cover design." ~ Rosza Gaston Dog Sitters |
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"Deborah Bradseth at Tugboat Design is a consummate professional. I searched for a long time before I found her, and I’m so glad I did. Her knowledge of the industry and helpful suggestions have proven invaluable to me as I navigate the various independent publishing platforms for the first time. She’s always quick to respond to any questions I have, which helps everything run much more smoothly. I also appreciate her transparent pricing structure; you always know exactly what to expect. She designed a beautiful cover for my first book, created a terrific promotional postcard to advertise it, and did an excellent job formatting the interior of my novel. I highly recommend her, and will definitely use her for the rest of my series."
~ Kristen Casey Finding Home |
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"Deborah at Tugboat Design was recommended to me for help with my first novel. She worked with me on every aspect of the book, and as a first time author, believe me, I had a lot of questions and knowledge gaps. Deborah was responsive, thorough and professional. Her pricing is very reasonable given the high quality of her work. I have received overwhelmingly positive comments on her cover design.
I can fully endorse Tugboat and Deborah without reservation. I am working on the sequel to Steelton and Deborah will be the first person I call when it is completed." ~ Keith Warner Hall Steelton |
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"I'm an author, not an artist. Perhaps the most daunting task in completing my novel was finding the right cover art. For me, the fonts, colors, size, contrast, and picture had to be not just good, but great.
Deborah delivered three excellent choices, and with just a little modification, I ended up with a truly great cover design. Deborah was on time, easy to work with, and patient with my questions. Working with her was a very good experience." ~ Jeff Siebold Lilac and Old Gold |
Client Testimonials
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"As a newly self-published author, the whole cover design and formatting thing was quite the mystery. After a considerable amount of searching and sifting, I decided to give Deborah at Tugboat Design a shot. I liked the fact that her offerings were very transparent, the samples impressive, and the prices very reasonable. I chose a graphic from one of her sources and gave her a brief idea of what I wanted her to incorporate with that. I couldn't be more impressed or pleased with the results. On the formatting side, we hit a few snags that were all on the distributors end and she worked diligently, quickly and professionally in resolving ALL of them. To cap it all off, Deborah designed a very attractive business card for me as well. If I have another book in me, I will most certainly be knocking on her inbox again as well as referring her to any other would be authors in my travels. If this were an Amazon review it would get 5 Stars all the way! Great job Deb!"
~Rolf Ankermann The Freedom to Recover |
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"My first journey into self-publishing and cover design didn’t work out too well. I already had a plan to find a new cover designer once I realized that my first cover might be the reason for flat sales. I searched the internet for artists or designers that would want to redesign my initial cover. I stumbled onto Deborah’s website and fell in love with her designs. I knew from that moment that she could be the one to redesign my initial novel and also work on the sequels. I sent her an email and got a quick response. She asked a number of different questions about the redesign and what I was looking for as an author. Deborah’s attention to detail and constant contact throughout the process reassured me that I made the right decision in hiring her as my cover designer. When I got the final product, I was skeptical. Yet, the more people I showed the concepts to, the more they loved the new direction. This solidified that the design was a winner. Deborah is truly gifted and knows what to put on a cover for any genre. Within a week of updating the cover, I’ve sold more ebook and print books than I did the past three months. I can’t wait to get the new promotional materials Deborah also designed for me! Things are definitely looking up for my first novel and the St. Aelred High Series that Deborah just created the branding for with her awesome design talents. Deborah is definitely the best in the business. Thanks for everything!"
~Dan E. Arndt Angels & Bullies of St. Aelred High |
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"I sent emails to half a dozen different cover designers, desperately hoping for a quick reply in order to make my fast-approaching publication deadline. Tugboat Design's response was extremely fast, enthusiastic, positive, and professional. My entire experience with my designer Deborah was the same way. Her first drafts were all so good, I spent far longer deciding between them than she took to design them. From first contact to finished project, Deborah was professional, friendly, and helpful. Her design is beautiful, professional, and exactly what I wanted for my first novel. I've already recommended Tugboat Design to several other self-publishing author friends of mine, and have already begun talking with Deborah about the cover for my next novel. Unhesitatingly recommended!"
~Christopher Bailey Starjumper Legacy: The Crystal Key |
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"I learned about Tugboat Design among some forum posts between book authors discussing cover designers.
I visited the website and liked some of Deborah's work, although I noted most of her designs were for romance/fiction novels and I was putting together a cookbook. I contacted Deborah via email and she was quick to respond. I communicated what I was looking for and Deborah agreed to take on the task. After a couple of weeks, Deborah presented me with 3 designs, and after a handful of edit requests, I finally decided on a favourite. Deborah was quick to make edits and was patient and professional throughout the process. I am very happy with the final cover! If you have a vision, communicate this to Deborah and I'm confident she can produce a great cover for you." ~Rico Barone The Calabrian Kitchen |
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"I happened upon Deborah’s name and company, Tugboat Design, while reading the acknowledgements page of a book I had just finished. As a new author I had been searching for resources to fulfill my needs as someone new to this business. I contacted Deborah and immediately felt like we would fit. She was professional, as well as helpful in so many ways and made the process so easy. Self-publishing is a whole new world and Deborah helped me navigate it with her great designs and formatting, to answering the numerous questions I had along the way. I purchased my book cover from her Ready to Go collection and have had so many compliments on it! Deborah and Tugboat Design is a winner for sure and I would recommend her services without reservation. "
~ KD Bryan No Regrets with You |
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"I am a newly self-published Indie author who did not know what to expect with my first go at self-publishing. The company I went through to do my editing, cover design and marketing essentials did a well enough job with everything but the cover design. They didn't understand what I was trying to portray with the cover art and I really didn't want to keep paying for additional options I wasn't thrilled about, therefor settling for something I wasn't 100% happy with.
Shortly after publishing I realized how much a cover really does make a difference in grabbing a readers attention and selling the story, not just a book. A month later I made the difficult decision to re-brand as well as reformat so I could offer my debut novel on multiple platforms. This is when I contacted Deborah at Tugboat Design. A known and established author who I admire recommended Deborah, and from that alone, I was sold. I went onto Tugboat Design’s website and was thrilled to not only see samples of previous covers, banners, etc. but all the wonderful testimonials from previous/current clients. Even though I knew re-branding was the right decision I was still nervous. Deborah immediately put my anxiety to rest with her very first email to me. Not only is she professional, approachable, and down-to-earth, but she also knows and understands the ins and outs of cover design and formatting. She answered ALL of my questions and never once ignored an email. She takes pride in her work and her finished product is topnotch and proof in itself. I know I've said a lot in my testimonial, so to sum up Deborah at Tugboat Design with a single word, she’s Awesome-sauce. I look forward to working with her on future projects." ~T.R. Cupak Alexa Crushed |
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"Losing my designer when I was about to publish my second book 'Peace, Power and YOU' was a real blessing because I found Deborah Bradseth from Tugboat Design. She was professional, diligent, timely, incredibly easy to work with, her fees were very reasonable and she did an amazing job with the cover and layout of my book. I’ve already received wonderful feedback. I highly recommend Deborah for your next book design project :)"
~Annemarie De Seriere Peace, Power and You |
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"I came across Tugboat Design on Twitter and was curious, so I visited their website. I saw a couple of ready made covers I instantly fell in love with and snapped them up for two novels I'm working on. The whole process was so easy. Deborah guided me through the purchase and was always quick to respond to my emails. I'm delighted with the covers I've bought and would definitely recommend Tugboat Design to all my contacts."
~Lacey Dearie Baked! If It Makes You Happy |
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"I was impressed with the professionalism at Tugboat Design, from the cover design to formatting the manuscript of my short-story collection, Laments. Deborah was very thorough and responded to every question or concern I had during the process. And she was supportive after publication in promoting the book and making sure I was satisfied with the final product. I highly recommend Tugboat Design, and will use their services again."
~Michael Embry Laments |
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"It is with great hesitation that I recommend Deborah Bradseth of Tugboat Design. I worked hard to find someone who could take my vision and make it happen. And finding someone who is honest and doesn’t give a lowball price, only to bump it up with lots of unanticipated charges, is difficult as well.
Deborah designed the cover for the second edition of my first book and both the cover and the interior for my second book. I have several additional projects in the works and plan to send them to her as well. So if you are considering Deborah for your book, stay away! Find someone else! You’ll only make the waiting list longer for those of us who found her first. All kidding aside, any author or indie publishing company choosing to work with Deborah has taken a critical first step in making their book(s) successful." ~ Marty Essen Endangered Edens Cool Creatures, Hot Planet |
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We designed a temporary cover for Melissa Foster's upcoming novel "Have No Shame".
"Deborah is professional, quick, and efficient. Her attention to detail and personal commitment to customer satisfaction make her a pleasure to deal with. Highly recommended." ~ Bestselling Author, Melissa Foster Have No Shame |
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"Working with Deborah at Tugboat really helped me to nail down my concept for the cover design and the end result fits my novel perfectly. She took the time to understand what I was looking for and I was able to bounce ideas back and forth until we found the right images. I would recommend Tugboat Design to anyone looking for an affordable, professional cover design."
~Evie Gaughan The Cross of Santiago |
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"I had a very specific design in my mind’s eye and even looked at stock photos on the websites Tugboat Design uses, therefore I was able to give Deborah a lot of information. My preliminary designs arrived within 2 weeks, and not only had Deborah followed my instructions precisely, she had also created another option based on her own ideas. I had an idea mid way through the process and instead of simply providing another design according to my suggestion, she told me exactly why, in her professional opinion, it would not be ideal, and then supplied the design anyway just to satisfy me that I had researched all options. I was most impressed that she didn't simply provide the image without giving me her own opinion as to why it would not work. I’d much rather take a professional’s advice than go full steam ahead with my own ideas and make a big error in judgement (as happened with my first cover). I won't hesitate to recommend Tugboat Design to other authors. The experience has been most pleasurable and so very exciting!"
~Alice Huskisson The Man In A Haystack |
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"Recently, I commissioned Tugboat Design to create a cover for my print and digital novel. As a debut author, I had no experience on the process or what would attract the eye of the reader. Deborah, patiently and expertly walked me through every phase, answering all my questions. Together, with my vision and her insight, we created the ideal cover that reflects the essence of my story. Additionally, Deborah provided me with the interior formatting for both the print and e-book. Not only was the formatting professional and beautiful, but it also loaded onto the publishing website without any issue. I’m looking forward to working with Deborah in my future projects. I feel fortunate to have found this great design company."
~Effie Kammenou Evanthia's Gift |
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"We had a wonderful experience working with Deborah at Tugboat Design. We asked her to design a new cover and prepare submission-ready print and digital versions of the third edition of our nonfiction book. We were frankly blown away by Deborah's professionalism and the quality of her work. She not only designed a cover that beautifully and intelligently conveys what our book is all about, the process was as satisfying as the end result. In preparing print and digital versions of our book, Deborah was consistently respectful of our preferences, tireless in her efforts to identify and fix any minor problems, and just as invested as we were in the quality of the finished product. We enthusiastically recommend Deborah to fellow authors. She's a class act! She offers authors a delightful blend of expert guidance and respect for their ideas and preferences."
~ Steve Levinson and Pete Greider, Following Through: A Revolutionary New Model for Finishing Whatever You Start |
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"Tugboat Design's beautiful covers are outstanding, they are a treasure to find for authors! No one tops Deborah when it comes to fast, efficient and informative feedback, formatting services and cover art design. She's been a joy to work with."
~ Karen Massari It Guards the Grave The Ghosts of Time |
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"Thank you Deborah for taking the stress out of this step on the 'self-publishing' journey, with both the design and the formatting of my novel.
There is a lot of information available for 'self-publishing' and 'first-time authors' and it can be overwhelming at times but I kept coming back to your website because the information was easy to access and it made sense - I loved your designs, information and the way the packages were structured. Your knowledge, patience and help throughout this process has been invaluable. The professionalism and the quick responses to my emails, despite the time differences was fantastic. We all know that we do judge a book by it's cover, especially e-books where you only have a tiny small space to capture the readers attention and your attention to detail really captured the essence of what I was looking for in a cover. I absolutely loved the designs you put together for me I wished I could have used all three of them. I am just so thrilled with the final look. It has been thoroughly professional experience with a personal touch and I would highly recommend Tugboat services and look forward to working with you again, thank you Deborah." ~ Suzanne Nicole Unravelled in New York |
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"I have worked with other book cover designers, but they don’t measure up to the level of service I received from Deborah at Tugboat Design. She’s efficient, wonderfully creative, a good listener, and always professional. She’s all that, and her prices are reasonable on top of it. I am delighted with the cover of “Red Clover” and receive frequent compliments on it. I can unequivocally recommend Tugboat Design for book cover design and formatting as well."
~Florence Osmund Red Clover Regarding Anna |
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"Tugboat Design made my publishing experience seem effortless. I browsed their ready-made covers, found one right away that suited my needs, and they worked with me to give it a personal touch. They prepared 3 different formats for my book and offered instructions on how to upload them to the online retailer's sites. I was completely satisfied with Tugboat Design and happily give my stamp of approval!"
~ Jan Romes Married to Maggie Stella in Stilettos No Sweat Pants Allowed - Wine Club |
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"I have written two books, IRS Whistleblower and What to Do When the IRS is After You, and worked with Deborah on both books. She does excellent and meticulous work. She also produced the cover on my second book and it really captured the essence of the book.
She designed three covers and I picked the most conservative and boring design. But it was exactly as I had requested her to design. After 33 years in the IRS, I do not have an original eye for quality. When I received the three designs I showed all my friends, family and colleagues and they all chose the cover that I was least attracted to. So that is what I chose. It was the best decision I ever made. It is red, white and blue and has very mysterious just like the IRS is. I love it! I also loved how patient, understanding and available Deborah was. She gently guided me along in her formatting work, offering many choices and opportunities to make my work more polished. I am putting out a third book bext year and Deborah Bradseth and Tugboat are going to do all the work for me again. I am so glad I found her." ~Richard M. Schickel What to Do When the IRS is After You |
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"When I recently published my first Kindle novel, I attempted to create a cover for it myself. Big mistake. The longer I worked on it, the worse it got. I needed a pro! I contacted Deborah at Tugboat Design and she enthusiastically took it on. I was frankly skeptical about how anyone could create a cover that could convey the atmosphere and complexities of the story. When I received her design, though, I was amazed at the cover’s startling depth of feeling and stunning visual impact. I could not have been more pleased.
Working with Deborah was a delight. She took all my suggestions seriously and incorporated them with speed and creativity. And near the end of the process she responded rapidly and positively to some final tweaks I requested. The result was a not only a great cover, but a superb working relationship with a true professional. Deborah has put an end to all my worries about book covers for future projects. I fully recommend Tugboat Design for anyone seeking powerful visuals for any ebook or print book project." ~ O.W. Shumaker Anna’s Bear: 5 Days of Moral Conflict and Pursuit, Nazi Germany, 1939 |
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"I had been writing my novel for months. Finally it was time to think about the cover. I had a stock photo, but I knew I couldn't put the book's title and my name on the book and make it look professional. I am so grateful to have found Deborah at Tugboat Design. She was wonderful to work with. I absolutely love the finished product, and her prices were so reasonable. She can work with an image you have or design something from scratch. Her ready-to-go covers are really clever too. I hope to work with Deborah again in the future."
~Allyson Simonian Brave Love |
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"As a first -time publisher, I appreciate Deborah’s professionalism and always prompt response my questions and concerns. She has impeccable communication skills that serve her extremely well in her work. I found it to be refreshing to work with a person who is considerate of time. She establishes seamless and professional trust, is well informed, and efficiently guided me through processes to come up with the results that I wanted. Ask questions and get clarification along the way but know in advance that Deborah is the best."
~ Mable Singleton-Murrell A Blessing to Be Blue |
Twitter Interactions
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Awards Won
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