I agree, don't skimp, but don't pay a million dollars for it either.

Any money you invest puts you in the red. Make sure you find the right people to work with. <<< This is harder than it sounds.

I have edited all of my own books first, and then had friends, family, and beta readers run through them as well. I haven't had a problem with bad reviews.

It was more important to me as a writer to publish my work than to not do it because I couldn't afford to pay someone a living wage for services.

I also didn't have much success with Fiverr cover designers. That's why I don't mention it in my article. It adds more moving parts to the process than there needs to be.

Utilize your network first.

Thanks for taking the time to write a well-thought-out comment.