How would you recommend starting as a book cover designer?

I have been using Photoshop and Canva for years now, mostly for my own books and creative projects, and I am starting to think it might be time to turn some of that into a real service for other authors.

I am especially interested in doing more budget friendly covers for indie writers who want something that looks professional and genre aware without costing a fortune. I know how hard it is to be on the author side of this and still need something that looks good enough to actually sell a book.

For the designers here on Author Media, I would really love to hear how you got your first clients, what pricing felt fair when you were starting out, and what mistakes you wish you had avoided early on.

And for the authors here, I would love to hear what you actually want from a cover designer. What makes you trust someone enough to hire them? What feels like a red flag? How do you feel about AI assisted art being used in covers right now?

Thank you for your thoughts and help. This is truly the best community for authors on the internet. Blessings!