A cover is two things…

It’s the bait that attracts the reader to pick the book up, and it’s a promise of what the book has to offer on the inside.

That’s why it all begins with the interior, the tone of everything that comes from it emerges from the heart of the book. And not only is the design inspired by what’s inside, it must also serve it: fonts, margins, colour palettes, paper stock, page size, chapter headings – they are all puzzle pieces and come together to complete the picture.

Like any effective bait, a book cover needs a hook, something that intrigues the prospective reader and holds their attention long enough to make its enticing promise. And part of the coded language of a book’s exterior is the genre, the tone, and the target audience. Everything needs to be evident at a glance. And now that the majority of books sales are online, that message needs to be communicable in a single, digital thumbnail image.

Above you will see a selection of books I have designed, some have won awards, some became New York Times best sellers. Some offered great challenges, but every one of them was very satisfying to design.