17+ Best Young Adult Book Cover Designers for Hire in the United States

Josh

Columbus, OH, USA

Illustrator for MG and YA publishing with a passion for captivating characters and emotionally driven narrative storytelling.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Short Story, Young Adult, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, and Children’s Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

Self-employed
Elevate Pictures
Pawn Creative
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Llewellyn Publishing

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shawn

San Diego, CA, USA

Award-winning Book Designer, Art Director, comic letterer, specializing in graphic novels and comics.

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

Self-employed
Magma Comix
IDW Publishing

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Lynn

New York, NY, USA

A Graphic Designer/Art Director with over 15 years of professional experience creating book covers. Approaches each project with passion.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, New Adult, Young Adult, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Historical Romance, Romance, and Contemporary Romance.

Work experience:

Penguin Random House
Bantam Dell Publishing
Freelance

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Karina

New York, NY, USA

Designer and Art Director of YA, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction and Picture books—including several New York Times bestsellers for all age groups

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Middle Grade Fantasy, Picture Books, Women's Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

Self-employed
Simon & Schuter (Pulse and Aladdin Imprints)
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - Hachette Book Group

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Nicole

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

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Glynnis

San Jose, CA, USA

I am a versatile cover designer, with additional skills in illustration, who specializes in bold lines, strong colors, and elegant designs.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

UC Press
GKoike Design
Asian Art Museum

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Ken

New York, NY, USA

Art Director with 12+ years designing award-winning covers and interiors at Penguin Random House, including Newbery and NYT bestsellers.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Fantasy, LGBTQ Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Historical Romance, Romance, and Romantic Comedy.

Work experience:

Penguin Random House

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Matt

Boston, MA, USA

With over 13 years of publishing experience, I'm a professional book cover designer that creates jackets that stand out on the shelf.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Young Adult, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Literary Fiction, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

Candlewick Press
Self-employed

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Ellen

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

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Mark

Athens, Georgia, USA

I'm an illustrator specializing in children, young adult books. I had worked with several independent authors as well as publishers.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Classics, Action & Adventure, Young Adult, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

Self-employed

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Matt

Castle Rock, CO, USA

Cover illustrator specializing in Fantasy and Sci-fi. Clients include Penguin / Random House, Blizzard, Ghostfire, Elder Scrolls and more.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

Self-employed

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Taylor

Seattle, WA, USA

Always open to hearing about new projects! I illustrate children's books and design covers, and I love to work in all genres.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade, Design, Non-Fiction, Short Story, Young Adult, Education & Reference, and LGBTQ Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

Self-employed
House Special

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Ashton

Norfolk, VA, USA

I'm a freelance designer passionate about book covers that are both beautiful and effective marketing tools to help your book stand out.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, New Adult, Young Adult, Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary Romance, and Young Adult Fantasy.

Work experience:

Self-employed
Orange Hat Publishing

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Charles

Seattle, WA, USA

Illustrator - Charlie believes in a future where somehow, against all odds, we make it. Tell me a story, let’s bring it to life. 🚫No AI🚫

Genres: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Gaming & LitRPG, LGBTQ Fiction, Space Opera, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

Self-employed
Coyote & Crow

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Caitlin

New York, NY, USA

Hello! I'm an illustrator, designer, and author with 20+ years of publishing experience, including self-publishing.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Home & Garden, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, and DIY & Crafts.

Work experience:

Self-employed

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Caitlin B.

Manitou Springs, CO, USA

Illustrator/designer with a love of color, texture & hand-lettering. Characters. Cover design + picture books. Collaboration + communication

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade, Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult, Women's Fiction, Science Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Romance, and Romance.

Work experience:

Self-employed

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Anthony

Washingtonville, NY, USA

15+ yrs in cover design—corporate & freelance. Specializing in mass-market, indie, adult & YA covers. I'd love to help create yours.

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Young Adult, True Crime, Non-Fiction, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience: