Menu

More apps built by Reedsy

Assemble a team of professionals

The writing app for authors

Writing courses, events and memberships

Get your book reviewed

Weekly writing prompts and contests

The best book cover designers for hire near Chicago

Sign up for free to meet top book cover designers on Reedsy

Home > United States > Book Cover Designers > Chicago
Ellen

Ellen 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Art director with more than ten years of experience in publishing, finding delight in all kinds of book design.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Picture Books, Young Adult, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Cottage Door Press
  • Albert Whitman & Company
View Ellen's full profile
Ashley

Ashley 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

I'm an agency Sr. Art Director with a MFA in creative writing. Background in illustration and branding. Designed 40+ books for Reedsy.

Genres: Humor & Comedy, Fiction, Poetry, LGBTQ Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Write Bloody Publishing
  • NPR - Austin, TX
  • Gap Online
  • Ladders
  • Democratic National Committee
  • Bully Pulpit Interactive
View Ashley's full profile
WJ

WJ 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Do you want stress-free outsourcing? A communicative picturebook Illustrator / character designer / general illustrator. Feel free to reach

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Classics, Historical Fiction, Cultural & Ethnic, Contemporary Fiction, and Design.

Work experience:

  • co.Aniframe
  • Self-employed
View WJ's full profile
Nicole

Nicole 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Designer and Art Director with 10 years of industry experience, specializing in YA and Adult. Has worked on 15 New York Times bestsellers.

Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Horror, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks
  • Self-employed
View Nicole's full profile
sarah

sarah 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Illustrator with a passion for drawing delicious food and drink! Also a comics nerd, and the artist behind the Let's Make! cookbook series.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-Employed
  • fathead design
View sarah's full profile
Samantha

Samantha 5 star rating

California, United States

Children's Illustrator and designer specialized in colorful, whimsical illustrations with experience from Disney.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Jam City
  • RockYou Inc.
  • Walt Disney Interactive
  • Book Buddy Media
View Samantha's full profile
Michelle

Michelle 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Kids designer/illustrator who loves storytelling, fun facts, cute macabre, fantasy, + nature. Let's create rad books—for the kid in us all♥️

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks
  • Self-employed
View Michelle's full profile

📞 Chat with our team

Need a hand finding the perfect professional? Our team is here to help. Get in touch for recommendations.

Candice

Candice 5 star rating

Iowa City, IA, United States

Award-winning fantasy illustrator. 100% hand-made with no generative AI. Providing cover design, typography, marketing assets, and more!

Genres: Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children's, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Bovard Studio, Inc.
View Candice's full profile
Andrea

Andrea 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

I’m an artist with a knack for illustration, hand lettering and painting. I love creating bold and colorful pieces!

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Romance, True Crime, Non-Fiction, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
View Andrea's full profile
Elynn

Elynn 5 star rating

South Orange, United States

A versatile, creative, collaborative book design professional who designs covers and interiors with a focus on the children's market.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade, Comics & Graphic Novels, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Freelance
View Elynn's full profile
Ashley

Ashley 5 star rating

Portland, ME, United States

I'm an art director, graphic designer and illustrator that loves book design, typography and the interplay of graphics and text.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Nature, Home & Garden, Middle Grade, Education & Reference, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • HarperCollins Publishers
  • Macmillan Children's Books
  • Sellers Publishing, Inc.
View Ashley's full profile
Jon

Jon 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Bold yet practical, iced-coffee-drinking book designer with 20+ years in publishing, ready to help make your book a bestseller.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Sports & Outdoors, Political Science & Current Affairs, Music, Parenting & Families, True Crime, and Travel.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Independent Publishers Group, Chicago Review Press, and Triumph Books
  • Chicago Review Press
View Jon's full profile
David

David 5 star rating

Guilford, United States

I believe that book cover design has the power to crystalize and elevate the author's intent and expression.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Poetry, Historical Fiction, Cultural & Ethnic, and Inspirational.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
View David's full profile
Caroline Teagle

Caroline Teagle 5 star rating

Brooklyn, NY, United States

I am not accepting any new requests to collaborate at this time.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Entertainment, Mystery & Crime, True Crime, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Penguin Random House
  • Random House
  • Penguin Publishing Group
  • HarperCollins
View Caroline Teagle's full profile
Taylor

Taylor 5 star rating

San Francisco, CA, United States

Experienced designer (+ avid reader) previously of Chronicle Books | Thoughtful editorial layout + covers | Booking for June 2026 + beyond

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Poetry, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, and Humor & Comedy.

Work experience:

  • Chronicle Books
  • Gershoni Creative Agency
  • Self-employed
View Taylor's full profile
Judith

Judith 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, United States

Lettering artist and illustrator for 25 years. Bold, clean, graphic style—bright color palettes—contemporary look.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Design, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Themes & Motifs, and Plays & Screenplays.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
View Judith's full profile
Dana

Dana 5 star rating

Kansas City, Missouri, United States

I have illustrated children's books for Scholastic, Random House, Penguin, Grosset & Dunlap, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Hallmark Cards
View Dana's full profile

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best book cover designers in Chicago, Illinois

Many authors overlook the importance of presentation and branding. Though DIY book covers are an inexpensive option, they rarely have the aesthetic qualities needed to attract readers and create a strong impression. This can make your book look unprofessional and deter readers from buying it as a result.

So unless you are an experienced designer yourself, you need a professional book cover designer to help you present your work in an appealing and effective way. Such a cover designer has all the experience needed to create a marketable outer appearance for your book. Depending on whether you want a photo-based or illustrated cover, you’ll need a graphic designer with the right qualifications — someone who knows what sells in your genre and how to apply that to your cover.

At Reedsy, we have some of the best book cover designers in Chicago. Sign up now and search our exclusive catalogue of cover design professionals, all of whom have been handpicked by our team.

How it works

Browse profiles, request quotes, then collaborate.

Step 1

Apply filters

Reedsy is home to thousands of professionals. Select the specific services you need and narrow your search based on your book’s genre and requirements.

Step 2

Browse

Then, browse professional profiles to find out more about their personalities and past projects.

Step 3

Request quotes

Request quotes from up to five freelancers at any time. They’ll look at your sample pages to give you a tailored quote as well as a sense of how they work.

Step 4

Collaborate

Once you agree on terms and a timeline, you’ll start collaborating using the many communication and editing tools available on Reedsy.