How long for an Author to learn to start making good book covers?

In general, to make covers as good as a Professional Cover Designer, you would need to have a similar level of practice and experience and skill as one

That means

1. 3 to 4 years of College to learn Graphic Design
2. 5 to 10 years of working as a Graphic Designer doing 5 to 8 hours of design work each week day
3. 5 to 10 years of working as a Book Cover Designer, doing 5 to 8 hours of book cover design each week day

Of course, this leaves out

1. Whatever natural talent or acumen for design the graphic designer was born with
2. All the time they spent drawing and practicing design in their free time before College
3. All the time they spend drawing and practicing design in their free time (because they love it)
4. All the reading on what is new and current in Design they do (again, because they love it)

So, now let’s get back to our Question

How Long for an Author to Learn to start making Good Book Covers?

Answer: Never. It is basically impossible for an author to make very good book covers

Because they simply do not have the time to do 4 years of College in Graphic Design, 5 to 10 years of work as a Graphic Designer, and 5 to 10 years of work as a Book Cover Designer

If you’re an author, focused on writing books, you are never going to have enough time to learn how to start making very good book covers

Modern society is based on Division of Labor for a reason. The Doctor cures you when you are ill. The Policeman makes sure you are safe. The Farmer grows food for you. And so forth

Trying to develop expertise in designing book covers violates this principle of Division of Labor

No, seriously, how long would it take an Author to learn to make good enough book covers?

If you want to sell your books, you have to have Very Good book covers

It would take you 5 to 10 years of 8 hours a day of design work to learn to make very good book covers

If you want to sell your books very well, you have to have Great book covers

It would take you 10 to 20 years of 8 hours a day of design work to learn to make great book covers

Those two options are off the table

To make ‘barely good enough’ book covers, it would take you 1 to 3 years of 5 hours a day practice

You would be taking that time away from your writing time

And you would still not have covers good enough to sell your books

Is it worth it to devote 5 hours a day for 1 to 3 years and learn how to make mediocre book covers that kill your book sales?

No, it is not

It is pointless for An Author to try and learn to make Book Covers

The only people who think it is a good idea for you to take time away from your core competency of writing books and focus on learning to design book covers are

1. People who sell courses on Book Cover Design
2. People who make software for ‘self’ Book Cover Design
3. People who are clueless
4. People who don’t understand how important book covers are
5. Authors who make their own covers, struggle to sell books, and yet don’t understand that one of the main reasons they don’t sell well is because they design their own book covers

Anyone who actually sells books

Anyone who understands the market

KNOWS that it is a Pyrrhic Victory if you start designing your own book covers

What ever money you save by designing your own book covers, you lose a lot more in terms of lost book sales