Gareth Southwell

Gareth Southwell – Designer

Experienced illustrator with humorous, quirky, detailed style. Offers illustration, project management, book formatting and cover design.

Overview

I'm an illustrator, book designer and writer from the UK with 20 years' experience in the publishing industry. I've worked for a number of high profile clients, providing illustrations for books (covers and interior pages), magazines, websites and other media.


I'm also a traditionally published author of popular philosophy (occasionally also providing illustrations for publishers of my own books) and a self-published writer of fiction, so I understand the publishing and book production process from all sides.


I don't use stock photos or images, and my covers usually incorporate some form of illustration. My style suits humorous fiction and non-fiction, satire, or quirky and unusual subjects.


I also offer book formatting (both print and ebook) and interior design, production management (seeing your book through the publishing process, uploading to Amazon, Ingram Spark, etc), and I'm happy to provide free advice on other book-related matters.


Whether you are a self-published author or a fellow industry professional, I'll try to accommodate your budget. Please get in touch to tell me about your book and to chat about your requirements.

Services
Fiction
Cozy Mysteries Humor & Comedy Middle Grade
Non-Fiction
Education & Reference Philosophy Political Science & Current Affairs Psychology Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Languages
English

Work experience

Self-employed

Nov, 2003 — Present

Portfolio

Made with Reedsy
Vengeance in Vermont (Moose on the Roof Books Mysteries Book 1)

Stock, Bonnie

Moose on the Roof Books

Made with Reedsy
Money Bags

Browne, Michael G.

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Cover Design Illustration
Made with Reedsy
Cracking the Quantum Mystery

Seabrook, Garry

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design Production Management
From the William Hill Award-Winning Author of A Lot of Hard Yakka comes Cricket's Greatest Rivalry: A History of the Ashes in 12 Matches by Simon Hughes.A fast-paced, distinctive history of th... read more
Illustration
Cover Design Illustration Typography
Cover Design Illustration
What is Nigel Farage’s favorite novel? Why do Brexiteers love Sherlock Holmes? Is Philip Larkin the best Brexit poet ever? Through the politically relevant sideroad of English Literature, writ... read more
Illustration
Philosophy: Key Themes is a beginner's guide to understanding and critiquing philosophical arguments. Each chapter introduces one of the major themes in philosophy. Baggini's approach combines... read more
Illustration
What Would Nietzsche Do? uses the key ideas of more than 80 philosophical thinkers, past and present, to shine new light onto today's everyday problems.Ever wondered if Schopenhauer could fix ... read more
Illustration
What Would Freud Do? uses the key ideas of more than 80 psychological thinkers, past and present, to shine new light onto today's everyday problems. Ever wondered what a great therapist like F... read more
Illustration
Ever thought about what Tinder advice Naomi Wolf would give you?Ever wondered what Andrea Dworkin would think about your Brazilian wax? Or what Mary Wollstonecraft would think about the 'fairy... read more
Illustration
What Would Keynes Do?

Tejvan Pettinger

Have you ever wondered what Adam Smith would have to say about you playing the lottery? Or whether Jeremy Bentham could cure your hangover (through economics)? Ever pondered over what Milton F... read more
Illustration
A concise and very readable summary of Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, geared toward students embarking on their studies and general readers. It is an ideal companion for those new to the st... read more
Illustration
What Would Marx Do?

Gareth Southwell

Have you ever wondered what Kant might have to say about your addiction to social media? Or whether Plato would be able to help resolve your constant arguments about what to watch on TV? Or if... read more
Illustration

Gareth has 40 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Bonnie S.

Bonnie S.

Jul, 2024

Pinned
I am so fortunate to have worked with Gareth on Vengeance in Vermont. He brought my vision of a bookstore in a small town to fruition. Gareth was an excellent collaborator. He listened to my thoughts and added his artistic knowledge of what it takes to make a great cover. And the cover was indeed remarkable. I've had so many compliments. Gareth also formatted and uploaded the book to various pl...
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Gareth S.
Thank you so much, Bonnie, for your lovely feedback. It's been a pleasure getting to know you and to work on your book. I'm so pleased you're happy with it, and I wish you luck with this and many m...
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John W.

John W.

Mar, 2022

Pinned
I approach this review with the concern that my prose may be inadequate to properly sing the praises of Gareth S. I have now had the pleasure of working with both sides of Mr. Southwell's brain. Previously, he contributed gobsmackingly awesome illustrations for my short story collection The Devil's Own Piss and Other Stories. This time, he did the interior design and formatting for my first...
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Gareth S.
Well, I don't know what to say! I am as I'm typing printing out this lovely review for my motivational wall. It's been a sincere pleasure to work with John on what is a beautifully crafted, witty a...
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Jerry D.

Jerry D.

Apr, 2020

Pinned
I have so thoroughly enjoyed my collaboration with Gareth. My only sadness is that, as with all things, it has to end. He is more than just a cover designer. First of all he is an incredibly talented illustrator. He took time to read some of the manuscript in order to really get a feel for the book and its prospective audience. he took tremendous interest in understanding my sense of vision be...
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Gareth S.
It really has been a pleasure to work on this. Given the current crisis, there was some inevitable disruption, and Jerry was very understanding and accommodating. He wasn't tied to one vision and g...
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John W.

John W.

Nov, 2024

Gareth has done the interior formatting for all three of my Santa Lacrimosa books so far. He also has contributed what we've come to call the chapter doodle, a small illustration that appears on the title page and chapter headings. His attention to detail is phenomenal, he is incredibly knowledgeable, and he is an absolute joy to work with. I hope he will be onboard for all of my future work. I...
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Gareth S.
Thank you again, my friend! It was a pleasure, as usual! :)
Brett M.

Brett M.

Oct, 2024

Gareth transformed my book into a masterpiece and he was an absolute joy to work with. He's very professional and creative, he catches all the things I forget and shepherds me along this journey of self-publishing in a way that was both enjoyable and successful. I would recommend him to anyone looking to produce a high-quality and eye-catching product
Gareth S.
Thank you for your kind words, Brett! It was a pleasure to work with you, and I'm very pleased with the result! Good luck with the book, and please get in touch should you need anything else.

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