Laura Thomas – Designer

I’m a book designer with extensive experience in trade publishing, specialising in cover design for fiction and non-fiction.

For many years I worked in-house at established Australian publishing houses, designing covers and interiors across a wide range of genres and formats — from commercial fiction to literary non-fiction, memoir, and illustrated titles. I’m accustomed to professional publishing standards, tight schedules and clear briefs, and I enjoy collaborating closely with editors, marketers and authors to create covers that are both visually distinctive and market-appropriate.

I now work freelance, offering the same considered, industry-level approach to self-publishing authors who want their books to look polished, credible and competitive alongside traditionally published titles. My focus is on thoughtful, purposeful design rather than trends — covers that suit the book, speak clearly to the intended audience, and still feel right years down the track.

I take a structured, publisher-style approach to cover design, beginning with a clear brief and market context, followed by focused concept development and refinement. I aim to make the design stage clear, considered and genuinely collaborative, without unnecessary complexity. I focus on custom design and don’t offer template-based covers or high-volume, rapid-turnaround packages.

I enjoy working with thoughtful authors and am always happy to discuss whether a project feels like a good fit.