Erin Craig

Erin Craig – Designer

Cover & interior designer/art director with 20 years at HarperCollins & Harlequin, designing across genres for bestselling & debut authors.

Overview

I live and breathe books! With over 20 years experience as a cover and interior designer and former creative director at HarperCollins and Harlequin, I’ve worked with debut authors, bestselling authors, and small presses across all genres, and I have a couple awards under my belt. I design covers that catch attention and sell, create interiors that are reader-friendly and engaging, and handle art direction and on-set photography when needed. I work closely with you on your cover brief to understand exactly what you want, and with my experience I’ll suggest the best solutions to make your book stand out. I’m happiest when we create something together that we’re both proud of.

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Historical Fiction Middle Grade Romance Women's Fiction Young Adult
Languages
English
Awards
  • RGD - In-house Design Award
  • Applied Arts - Design Awards

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2018 — Present
I’ve worked on independent projects spanning romance, middle grade, nonfiction, cookbooks, and children’s books. I bring decades of hands-on cover and interior design experience, collaborating with authors, illustrators, photographers, and typographers to create books that catch attention and resonate with readers. Beyond design, I guide the full production process, creating timelines, managing workflows, coordinating all creative elements, and drawing on my extensive network of trusted professionals across every area of book production. My goal is always the same: to create books that catch attention, resonate with readers, and reflect the author’s vision.

Harlequin, Harper Collins

Nov, 2005 — Mar, 2025 (over 19 years)
For 20 years, I led and designed covers and interiors for debut and bestselling authors across all genres, with a strong focus on romance. I was the lead for Harlequin’s creative teams and oversaw visual art for designers and art directors, including the Inkyard Press YA line, where I developed the look and feel for notable series like The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa. I’ve worked hands-on on projects including the Heated Rivalry series by Rachel Reid, Robin Carr’s Virgin River, Sherryl Woods’ Sweet Magnolias, Juicy J, Eve, Holly Mei, Harlequin romance series, and cookbooks like Ovenly. My work spans covers, interiors, typography, layouts, and on-set photography, collaborating with illustrators, photographers, and typographers to bring every book to life including titles tied to Netflix and other media adaptations.

Portfolio

Heated Rivalry

Rachel Reid

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A #1 STREAMING SHOW The epic enemies-to-lovers hockey romance from Rachel Reid, streaming on Crave in Canada and on HBO Max in the U.S."The book that got me i... read more
Cover Design Typography Book Interior Design
The Henna Artist: A Reese's Book Club Pick – A NYT Bestselling Historical Fiction Story Set in India (The Jaipur Trilogy, 1)

Joshi, Alka

MIRA

Cover Design Typography Book Interior Design
Who's That Girl?: A Memoir – An Empowering Hip Hop Biography of the Ruff Ryders First Lady

Eve

Hanover Square Press

Cover Design Typography Book Interior Design Production Management
The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei: A Middle Grade Adventure of Private School and Frenemies in Hong Kong (A Holly-Mei Book, 1)

Matula, Christina

Inkyard Press

Cover Design Book Interior Design Production Management
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages – A Kirkus Starred LGBTQ Historical Fiction Anthology

Mitchell, Saundra

Inkyard Press

Cover Design Typography Book Interior Design Production Management
The Sweet Magnolias Cookbook: More Than 150 Favorite Southern Recipes – A Netflix Series Inspired Guide to Comfort Food and Entertaining

Woods, Sherryl

Harlequin Nonfiction

Cover Design Typography Book Interior Design Production Management
Virgin River

Carr, Robyn

Cover Design Typography Book Interior Design

Erin has 2 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Brendan C.

Brendan C.

Apr, 2026

Pinned
Erin was a rock star, and exactly what we needed for DARK MESSIAH the first novel published by my new house, Navigator Books. She was both responsive and collaborative while adding her own creative insights, expertise, and flourishes along the way. She made a cover I could never have conceived as...
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Jennifer H.

Jennifer H.

Apr, 2026

I had an incredible experience working with Erin. I came in with a clear vision for my cover, but I didn’t have the skills to bring it to life and was worried about giving it over to someone else. From the beginning, Erin really took the time to understand not just what I wanted for my cover, bu...
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