First time author with publishing questions.
Hi everyone! I'm new to the writing community and I'm currently working on a dark romance novel that I hope to publish and sell someday. I have a few questions for more experienced writers, and I'm open to any criticism or advice you may have. Is it worth paying the expensive fees for a professional editor, or is self editing a good option for a first-time author? I'm also planning to make my own cover and found a base on Pinterest that inspired me, but I'm unsure if I can use it. Should I ask the original creator for permission, and could I get into legal trouble if I use it without permission? Also, would it be safe to publish a summary of my story to see if anyone could relate it to any existing books? I want to make sure I don't run into any legal issues or get labeled as a thief for accidentally stealing book concepts or plots. I'd really appreciate any tips, advice, or experiences from other authors! I tried my best not to make this seem as if im self promoting so i apologize if it seems as so.