Fiction Book Covers

Of Friction

S.J. Lee

Designed by Jason A.

Available to hire

"The priority was to create a consistent series look across all three books, focusing on the protagonist's arm transformation as the story progresses. S.J. prefers minimalist compositions and wanted to pay homage to the Southern Reach series, which was a big influence. We used a gridded title treatment and a textured background interacting with the protagonist's hand, tied to the book's events. These core elements will be carried through the entire series."

Burned Out and Bled Dry

Meredith Jacobowitz

Designed by Margarita C.

Available to hire

"My goal was to instantly convey the novel's genre—cozy mystery with a touch of humor. Inspired by Saul Bass, I created a shadow suggesting a murder scene, with the hurried protagonist walking over it, unaware of what's awaiting her at the car. The exaggerated, almost caricature-like shadow adds dark humor, softening the tension. The title treatment features an 'o' as an 'eye,' acting as a witness. The metaphor hints that the car holds a secret, with the shadow offering a clue to what's coming."

Tunnel of Mirrors

Ferne Arfin

Designed by Laura D.

Available to hire

"It was important that this beautiful novel have a beautiful, romantic cover without being trite. The story takes place in the 1900s and is about a young woman coming to New York from Ireland. The ocean is a big part of the story in various ways. The gull flying away from the other birds was inspired by the main character, a very independent, unique young woman. I wanted to add some interest by having the title look like it's sinking into the sea and being reflected like a mirror."

As The Fallen Rise

Sadie Hewitt

Designed by Rebecca F.

Available to hire

Returning to Carthage

Ben Sharafski

Designed by Owen G.

Available to hire

"For this short story collection, I aimed to evoke a sense of place and atmosphere without focusing on a specific narrative. The fig tree and Lorikeet, featured in multiple stories, serve as a tonal and geographical anchor. While botanical and avian illustrations are popular, I chose a less patterned approach with a mix of delicate and saturated colors. Starting with a subdued palette, I added rich, vibrant hues to bring the cover to life and reflect the warmth of the stories."

The Forest of Damned Souls

The Sinister Mind of Tully

Designed by Rafal K.

Available to hire

"It's a Scottish thriller featuring a fresh female constable solving mysterious crimes in the vast Scottish woods, blending thriller, fantasy, and a sci-fi twist. Scottish thrillers are often straightforward, with covers focusing on the main character or motifs. I wanted to go beyond that, highlighting the genre's greatest asset—mystery—without sacrificing artistic quality. The cover itself is a riddle, with the solution revealed only by reading the story, adding intrigue and depth."

The Killer Chorus

Jack Conlan

Designed by Latte G.

Available to hire

What to Eat During the Apocalypse

Vladimir Stefan

Designed by Christian S.

Available to hire

"This design highlights the quirky, funny title—dystopian recipes!—while presenting the dark backdrop in an engaging way. We chose a gas-mask-wearing chef to capture the book's strange spirit. Borrowing market trends like simple, solid colors and an illustrative style appealing on social media, we created a timeless look. The distressed sans serif typography is readable and suggests breakdown. We aimed for a design that lets the clever title shine."

Emergence

J. L. Daughtrey

Designed by Hampton L.

Available to hire

Model Village

Leo A. Murphy

Designed by Nejc P.

Available to hire

"The book is a dystopian novel about a shadowy authoritarian figure terrorizing a small Cotswold village. The cover needed to balance the village's cozy atmosphere with the looming fear of change. Inspired by Olly Moss and vintage Penguin covers of 1984, I used distinct color, shapes, and composition to convey the dystopian themes. A subtle visual easter egg is hidden in the design: the eye color on the cover matches that of the main character, adding a personal touch to the artwork."

MOFETTE JONES vs. CYRUS BECK

Jim Burgin

Designed by Joe M.

Available to hire

"For this title, the author wanted a rough, almost cinéma vérité feel to the cover since it deals with the ugliness of tabloid journalism. While using vintage elements like newspapers, etc., can sometimes feel trite and overly nostalgic, I tried to thread the needle by keeping the design bold and graphic while also being restrained and impactful. I believe I was successful, since the cover definitely grabs attention."

The Storm, The Calm and The Growing

Anna A. Blue

Designed by Nejc P.

Available to hire

"For The Storm, The Calm and The Growing, I aimed for an authentic, raw cover to reflect the story’s tone. I printed, tore, and photographed pieces of the title, and handwrote the author’s name to create a personal, intimate feel. The cover embodies the book’s themes: enduring hardships, finding calm in acceptance, and growing stronger. The tactile, torn typography and natural imagery evoke the emotional depth of the romance while visually representing the protagonist’s journey."

In the Joshua Sea

M. Stillman

Designed by Barış Ş.

Available to hire

"The cover art aims to visually encapsulate the author's deep connection to Joshua Tree National Park. The challenge was to harmoniously merge the desert landscape with oceanic elements, striking a balance between these contrasting environments. By combining unexpected imagery—such as a whale amidst the desert and Joshua trees—the illustration becomes both captivating and intriguing."

The Chancer

Fiona Graham

Designed by Vanessa M.

Available to hire

"I wanted the cover to be a whimsical and eye-catching representation of the book’s unique blend of Irish charm and Hollywood dreams. The image of an Oscar trophy, adorned with a traditional Irish leprechaun hat, immediately sets the tone for the story. I believe this cover effectively communicates the book’s light-hearted and aspirational tone, inviting readers to join the protagonist on his unforgettable journey."

Toska

Elizabeth C Cabrera

Designed by Danna Mathias S.

Available to hire

"The book is about a woman navigating adulthood. We used florals to symbolize her 'blooming beautifully' into it, with the crack representing the challenge of 'keeping it together.' The heavier serif title font, common in fiction, is balanced by the unique cover image and florals winding through the text. The contrast between the woman's cracked face and the beauty of the florals adds a unique, fun element. I also used texture in the title for cohesion and chose an unexpected title color."

Cautionary Tales

Mary Hickey

Designed by Patricia M.

Available to hire

Awoken

KT Cornelio

Designed by Richard L.

Available to hire

"Awoken immerses readers in the lives of highly sensitive characters, diverse in age, race, gender, ability, sexuality, and even species. The novel follows parallel timelines, and the visual solution was to use the title letters as canvases, displaying fragments of these scenes while forming one unified character when viewed as a whole. Straddling the line between sci-fi and literary fiction, the design reflects this duality, capturing the novel's complexity and depth."

The Wood and The Trees

P. G. Davies

Designed by Mark T.

Available to hire

"The design was drawn from ideas of the UK’s corporate culture business and personal excesses of the mid 1980s. The imagery of a paint-daubed Neoclassical statue is a nod toward the financial market background of the main character. The rugby ball has ties to the same character’s sporting background. Basically: work hard, play hard. The typography is cool and considered. The green colour scheme has a playful Penguin-esque vibe."

Confessions of a Kamikaze Geisha

M. A. Cooney

Designed by Rafael A.

Available to hire

The Test For Time

Craig A. Czuchna

Designed by Devin W.

Available to hire

"The author of this sci-fi-meets-dark-academia book wanted to see the story's two main characters on the cover, but divided by spans of time and space. I used double exposure photography mixed with glitchy visual elements to create a surreal movie poster style cover, and really let the book title placement create separation in the design."

The 38 Impossible Loves of Naoko Nishizawa

Monna McDiarmid

Designed by Caitlin B. A.

Available to hire

"For this YA novel, the author wanted to emphasize the relationship between these two characters, which was in line with common visual themes in the genre. The friendship is at the center of the story, so I was sure to use body language that showed a comfortability and closeness, and we wanted to be sure to spend a lot of time getting the features of each character correct, emphasizing the uniqueness of the girls, despite their uniforms."

Gitmo and Back Again

Glenn Fisher

Designed by Caitlin B. A.

Available to hire

"The author initially envisioned a ship crashing into a sailboat or icebergs adorned with peace signs, reflecting the story of a young man in the 1970s eager to escape his small town and join the revolutionary events shaping his country. To bring the 1970s counter-culture concept to life without falling into clichés, I opted for a collage-style design. Instead of the overused peace signs, I "cut" the icebergs from a psychedelic print, balancing clear messaging with a fresh, original aesthetic."

Diary of a Heretic

Ross Stein

Designed by Rafael A.

Available to hire

Bibi Blundermuss and the Tree Across the Cosmos

Andrew Durkin

Designed by Devin W.

Available to hire

"I leaned heavily into the young adult illustration aesthetic for this cover design. I worked closely with the author to understand his vision and incorporated several spooky elements in the illustration that pop up throughout the story. I illustrated the main characters in addition to designing a number of interior illustrations and a hand-drawn typeface. The author said it was fun to see his story come to life. It was a bit like getting to illustrate my own animated movie."

Cigars With Stalin

Christopher Hall

Designed by Liam R.

Available to hire

Island of Gold

Amy Maroney

Designed by Patrick K.

Available to hire

"This cover needed to feel lush and enticing while reflecting the historical period of the book. Gold border decorations and hand lettering were used to evoke a sense of a bygone era. Initially, the cover featured a hovering hawk, but we recently updated it to include the main protagonist with her hawk, aiming to appeal to a broader market and enhance its presence in the genre."

Quick Bright Things

Michael Golding

Designed by David P.

Available to hire

"Set in New York City in 1948, this novel follows a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. The cover is intended to evoke the glamour and magic of the theater. The gilded leaf suggests the forest, as the background conveys the enchantment of Shakespeare’s AND Golding’s stories."

Rapture of the Deep

Christopher Dainton

Designed by Nuno M.

Available to hire

"This cover features a striking, minimalist design that captures the themes of dystopia and Afro-futurism. The contrast between the textured, cracked background and the smooth figure creates a tension that aligns with dystopian narratives. Sharp, geometric typography reinforces modernity and futurism, while the muted palette of reds, blacks, and grays enhances the bleak atmosphere. The overall composition is visually balanced but evokes a sense of unease and contemplation."

The Great Deception

Hans-Dieter Schaede

Designed by Rafael A.

Available to hire

What You Meant to Me

Darren Chitwood

Designed by Lynn A.

Available to hire

"The story begins and ends in a chapel at a cemetery. The author and I envisioned a winter scene with a chapel on a hill, trees, and Crocus flowers, symbolizing resilience for the main character, Shannon, after her friend's death. I also wanted to convey the struggling with God portion of the story, while not making the cover look super religious. The pop of color in the flowers adds life, drawing attention and making the cover stand out, even as a thumbnail."

Earthly Bodies

Susan Earlam

Designed by Marta B.

Available to hire

Daughters of Men

J. Martain

Designed by Nada B.

Available to hire

"This book blends contemporary women’s fiction, literary, speculative fiction, with science fiction and paranormal elements. The author wanted an intriguing, modern, and fresh approach. I chose a quirky mix of photographic and illustrated images to highlight the surreal elements while grounding the story in a relatable world. I took an abstract approach, combining characters, places, and surreal elements to create an atmosphere that invites readers into the story's unique mood."

The Island

S. Usher Evans

Designed by Jake C.

Available to hire

Murder Between the Tides

Michael Campling

Designed by Patrick K.

Available to hire

"This was one of six murder mystery covers where a strong sense of place is central to the narrative. Each cover features a key landscape element and conveys a feeling of ominousness and foreboding. For this seaside hotel setting, I emphasized isolation by making the building small within the wild landscape. The birds add both perspective and drama, enhancing the eerie atmosphere."

This is You, This is Me

Renee Blossom

Designed by Jason A.

Available to hire

Jumping on the Drips

Eda Kara

Designed by Euan M.

Available to hire

"When working on a book, I prefer to start with the internals to fully immerse myself in the text and understand its mood. With Jumping on the Drips, the stories conveyed a sense of calm, clarity, freeness, and playfulness. The client wanted an abstract cover, so I experimented with various design concepts to capture this tone. Through several iterations, I refined these experiments to create the final design that reflects the essence of the collection."

The World, Silently Spinning

M.B. Maskovas

Designed by Matthew R.

Available to hire

"The aim of this design was to evoke a sense of quiet malevolence and dread, capturing the tone of the prose. We wanted to hint at the horror genre without resorting to a garish or overt design. The stag horns, while suggesting their source, also serve as abstract shapes. I used ample negative space and ensured the design interacted with the typography, creating a symbiotic effect rarely seen in traditional horror covers."

Begin Again

Kimberly Ellen Dredger

Designed by Danna Mathias S.

Available to hire

"For this cover, we started with the mountain range the author requested and expanded from there. The stormy sky and rainbow symbolize a new beginning emerging from a rocky past, with a gritty overlay to reflect the struggle in finding balance. We used clean, tracked-out sans serif text, popular at the time, contrasting with the texture of the sky to create a unique feel. I love integrating texture from the image into the text to unify the design."