After my last blog post where I talked about steps I was following to help me to get a job in publishing, this post is a deeper look into a specific role. Having spoken about book covers and typography I thought I would look closer at book cover design. 

 Penguin Random House has a great section on their website where they feature video interviews with employees discussing their job. Here is the one I watched on book design:

 

 I thought it was really interesting that Marianne described designing a cover as ‘Visual storytelling’, she said it wasn’t about the words but using images and texture to convey the message/story of the book. It is so simple but so important to get right so that the correct/intended people pick up the book. I think it would be vital as Marianne said to read as much of the manuscript as possible before designing a cover because the completed story may have an overriding tone that has to be conveyed to the readers. 

 For a designer it is so important to be constantly performing market research and ensuring that they are aware of trends within their market. This helps to make sure that the book is easier to market and will hopefully drive sales. 

 Another interesting part of a designer’s job is collaboration. In publishing it is key that all departments work together as much as possible. For designers they need to work with editors to ensure that the book is represented by the story that the author is portraying. They also need to work with marketing and sales to make sure that they feel that the book is sellable or if other things (like colours) would help to drive sales. 

 There are many alterations and versions of book covers before they are agreed upon and sent to print. From the author’s perspective the amount of involvement they have changes. For some they are heavily involved and can say yes or no where as others have very little say. 

 To be a cover designer you don’t need to work in a publishing house, there are many people who are looking to self publish who would hire freelance designers. This can also be a great way to gain experience In cover design. Some publishing houses also look for freelancers although it is likely they would look for someone with lots of experience. 

Is this a career you would be interested in?