Overview

I'm an experienced Creative Director and Book Designer, working for major publishers in a variety of subjects: fiction (thriller, crime, romance, young adult), non-fiction (travel, essays, cookbooks, advice).

My Cover Design Process:

Sketches:
I usually ask clients to supply me with their requirements along with a summary of the book and/or the full text. There are often details in the book that are much more important to me as a cover designer than to the author. I usually prepare a set of 3-6 different cover designs using preview stock images, depending on the brief. Sometimes I stick to the agreed plan, sometimes I suggest my own solutions. You never know what might come out of a brainstorm!

Development:
We then pick one or two drafts for further development and we make one or two further versions, this time using full resolution images, if needed. These will have to be purchased and licensed by the client for use on their cover because of rights issues. Otherwise, when stock images are not used, the final design/illustration is completed using my own resources.

Chosen design:
A full jacket is prepared based on the chosen design and I provide a set of front cover, spine and 3D images for promotional use.

Printing:
I then prepare the jacket to print using the client's chosen printer's specifications.

Pricing:
I charge per cover, not per hour, so please ask for a personalised quote. Pricing depends on the predicted amount of work and, once agreed, is fixed. My rates start at EUR 500 + VAT for a photo-based design, please ask for a quote regarding your particular book.

For book interior layouts the process is much the same, but of course we are dealing with a much longer process and the inital design consists of a sample layout a few pages long.

I listen to my clients and make sure they are happy with whatever we publish together!

Services

Production Management

Languages

English

Fiction

Action & Adventure

Anthologies

Contemporary Fiction

Mystery & Crime

Thriller & Suspense

Young Adult

Non-Fiction

Biographies & Memoirs

Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits

Certifications

BA Book Design
MA Book Arts, University of the Arts, London

Publishing Designer

Self-employed

April, 2016 – Present (almost 7 years)

Freelance book designer, working with nearly every major publisher in Poland and some abroad. In my 18 years of professional practice I designed hundreds of book covers as a freelancer, not counting the ones included in full-time employment. This always included arworking to print-ready pdf files for various print houses and often preparing promotional material - banners, ads etc. I also designed quite a few logos and branding solutions. In addition to book covers, I designed layouts for dozens of books - front to back - ranging from cookbooks to catalogues to memoirs. All of these required extensive knowledge of the book production process including print techniques and ebook creation

Creative Art Director

Grupa Wydawnicza Foksal - a group of companies

April, 2013 – April, 2016 (about 3 years)

A design management position in a busy environment. Working to tight schedules, I managed a team of designers and artworkers in a variety of imprints within the publishing group. I also commissioned design and artwork assignments to external providers, making sure in-house procedures were adhered to and standards were maintained.

In-house studio I managed was responsible for sourcing illustration, graphics, cover designs, branding updates, production and artworking to final print and web output.

Publishing Art Director

Weltbild Verlag Gmbh

April, 2012 – April, 2013 (about 1 year)

Design and design management position after change in company ownership. I am leading a team of designers/artworkers in providing the publishing house with appropriate and bestselling covers for the Polish market. In addition, I implemented a German asset management system in my department and streamlined workflows.

Art Director

Świat Książki - part of Bertelsmann Publishing group

April, 2009 – April, 2011 (about 2 years)

Design and design management position. I was leading a team of designers/artworkers in providing the publishing house with appropriate and bestselling covers for the Polish market.

Creative Designer

Grey Group Polska

April, 2008 – April, 2009 (about 1 year)

Designer position involving work on nation-wide advertising campaigns for major banks, telecoms and consumer goods manufacturers.

Designer

Sage Publications London

April, 2005 – April, 2008 (about 3 years)

Designing book and journal covers for this leading academic publisher with offices in London, California and India (
Creating a visually strong image within the competitive market, working closely with editors, marketing managers and production teams to prepare layouts attractive to the very specific readers this publisher attracts.
Another aspect of the job is graphic design systems development. Configuring the team workflow to improve speed, efficiency and creativity. Setting up network solutions to provide up-to-date cover files for Marketing, Sales and Web teams.