Jason Arias

Jason Arias – Designer

14 years designing covers with versatility + imagination. Clients: HarperCollins, S&S, Scribner, Timber Press, Verso, W. W. Norton, etc.

Overview

I'm a freelance cover designer and illustrator with previous experience working for Simon & Schuster's adult trade imprint, as well as Scribner and Avid Reader Press. I have experience working on bestselling memoirs, literary fiction, historical nonfiction, mystery, popular science, and self improvement. I aim to create covers that are striking at first glance, but convey the author's deeper themes on further inspection.

Select clients include: Bloomsbury, Google, HarperCollins, Harvard Business Review Press, The New York Times, Nonesuch Records, Pluto Press, Restless Books, Simon & Schuster, Timber Press, Verso Books, and W. W. Norton.


Design Process

Assessment:
You will provide the scenes and/or symbols that are the most ripe for visual depiction, and a selection of book cover inspiration that you feel encapsulates the look and feel of the cover you're envisioning. This will include the style of artwork, typography, and color scheme. Once we have all of these elements we will discern 1-3 different concepts to focus on and the desired art direction to take.


Round 1:
I typically create between 5-7 cover designs that vary in concept and aesthetic style. The first round of designs are usually delivered within 5 days.

Round 2:
You select your favorite cover from Round 1 and offer design edits, if necessary, to help bring it to a near-final stage. I will address all design edits and submit a new round of covers, typically within 5 days.


Round 3:
You will select a final cover from Round 2 and offer final adjustments, if necessary. I will submit a final design typically within 5 days.


Timelines:
Most projects are completed in 3 weeks. Projects on a shorter timeline are possible, but require a rush fee.


Deliverables:
This will depend on your specific requests, but most commonly I will send a package including:

— Print-ready PDF

— Hi-res cover JPG for eBooks

— InDesign package containing original layout and art files

— Mockups for marketing and social media promotion


Additional services:

— Marketing materials (print/digital advertisements, bookmarks, stickers, wallpapers, apparel, etc.)


*** Are you ready to work with a designer? ***

For printed books:

— Are you printing hardcover, paperback, or both

— The dimensions of your book(s)

— The company who will be printing your book(s)

— Spine width (determined by the page count of your designed book interior*)

— Jacket text (book description, review blurbs, author bio)

— Author photo

— ISBN and price (required to generate a barcode)

— Publisher logo (if applicable)

— A selection of book cover inspiration


*After your manuscript has been finalized, the interior of the book will need to be designed to the specifications of your book dimensions. The page count of your designed interior is then used to calculate the spine width.


For eBooks:

—Front cover copy (title, subtitle, author, quotes, etc.)

—A selection of book cover inspiration


Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Humanities & Social Sciences Math & Science Nature Political Science & Current Affairs
Fiction
Literary Fiction Mystery & Crime Science Fiction
Languages
English
Certifications
  • BFA Graphic Design, School of Visual Arts (New York, NY)

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2009 — Present

Jason has 52 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Blake F.

Blake F.

Oct, 2024

Pinned
Jason has done a phenomenal job with all of my covers so far. After my original cover designer got a job in a different field, Jason was able to pick up where he left off and not only continue the style with my subsequent books but add a lot of extraordinarily helpful direction. Jason is very tho...
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S.J. L.

S.J. L.

Jul, 2024

Pinned
If you are looking through the reviews to try to make an informed decision, you can stop here. This is my second book project (technically, fourth collaboration) with Jason and will not be the last. Professional, quality, value, responsiveness, flexibility, candid feedback? You'll have that all w...
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Maha K.

Maha K.

May, 2024

Pinned
Jason is a highly talented, creative visionary who will help your project to the finish line. He's sweet, kind, and responsive. I look forward to working with him again. His work is top notch and you're lucky if he's available to add the perfect touch to your book. I am thrilled with my handbook ...
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Justin P.

Justin P.

Apr, 2025

Jason did a fantastic job of quickly and efficiently help me get my ebook out the door. Highly recommend his services!
Rebekah B.

Rebekah B.

Mar, 2025

I've worked with a lot of book cover designers, and the collaboration with Jason definitely ranked among my best experiences. The prompt responses and careful attention to my requests made the whole project run smoothly and efficiently. I would confidently recommend him to anyone else, and I will...
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