Paul Hawkins

Paul Hawkins – Designer

Designer, 100k+ bestselling author and self-pub geek. Bold eye-catchers that pop as thumbnails, hit genre cues and convey core idea clearly.

Overview

Hi! I'm Paul. I write, illustrate, design, typeset and market books. Check out my bestseller The Bloody British on Amazon to see how my work comes together; title, subtitle, cover and blurb all working together as an inseparable conceptual package. That's what I love doing.


I specialise in bright, bold, loud, attention-grabbing covers that jump off the page and work well as thumbnails, catching the eye of the reader against the plain, all-white backdrops of online marketplaces like Amazon.


I focus on genre markers and setting reader expectations, while making sure the book's title "pops" and the design concept remains legible in thumbnail size - how online audiences likely first encounter it. For me, design is about clear thinking, and clear communication. I try to get to the very core of what the book is about and communicate that effectively and memorably.


(This often means helping authors tighten the conceptual nuts and bolts of other major branding elements like title, subtitle and blurb, so everything works together to pull readers through the marketing funnel.)


As well as a designer for hundreds of authors, I've had 12+ of my own books published with traditional publishers - including Random House, Ullstein (Hachette group), C. H. Beck, Langenscheidt, PONS, Donkey and W. F. Howes (#1 in audiobooks). And I'm catching up with self-pub titles, so I know both sets of processes inside-out. I can offer guidance at every stage of the (self-)publishing process and provide (hopefully) valuable insights from two decades of creative and publishing experience.


I can design/typeset/layout interiors, write blurbs or marketing copy, format eBooks, illustrate and make graphics for social media and beyond. (And I also know great editors, marketers and translators, if you need connections.) As your cover designer, illustrator or creative consultant, I can help make your book/brand more commercially appealing at a glance. As an author myself, you can trust me to "get" your work, understand your priorities/constraints, and care about getting everything right as much as you do. Plus it'll be fun*.


*Until we get to the topic of ISBNs.

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Entertainment Self-Help & Self-Improvement Travel
Fiction
Children's Humor & Comedy Literary Fiction Romantic Comedy
Languages
English

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2012 — Present

Clients, publishers, publications, etc.:

Goldmann Random House, Ullstein (Hachette), C.H. Beck, Langenscheidt, PONS, W. F. Howes, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, BILD, 4Talent, Crossover, Sheffield DocFest, CineParrallel, Satel Film, Enjoy! Entertainment, Seriencamp PITCHPOOL, Hamburg Open Online University, Bournemouth University Skillset Media School, The Fix! Magazine, Frankfurter Algemeine, Frankfurter Rundschau, Hamburger Morgenpost, Berliner Kurier, ORF, Matador, Venture Village, Donkey Products, West End Press, Prideaux Press, Albatross Publishing, Mash Stories, etc.

I am represented by the literary agency Landwehr and Cie.

Portfolio

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design Production Management

Paul has 40 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Yorsad N.

Yorsad N.

Feb, 2024

Pinned
Working with Paul has been an absolutely remarkable experience. Initially approached to design a cover for my 50,000-word sci-fi novel, Paul exceeded all expectations. Rather than simply focusing on the task at hand, he delved into the essence of the book, immersing himself in its intricacies and becoming a genuine advocate for the project as a whole. His commitment was evident from the outset ...
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Emmanuel M.

Emmanuel M.

Jan, 2023

Pinned
Paul was amazing! He was much more than a cover designer; he ended up being a sort of "book coach." First of all, he took the time to go through the book manuscript to understand what it was all about (which is already far more than other designers do). He told me - respectfully - that, while my title was okay, other options may be better. In all honestly, the title was accurate but awfully bl...
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Christopher S.

Christopher S.

Jan, 2021

Pinned
Paul is great. For me, three things about his work on my covers really stood out: 1. He understood my book. The cover has to convey the genre in a split second, but it also has to communicate the book’s feel and style. That last bit is the hardest to get right, but Paul did it. 2. He understands Amazon. Designs have to stand out as tiny thumbnails on a crowded page, as well as working on the ...
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Ann A.

Ann A.

Sep, 2024

Big, big thank you to Paul Hawkins, whose thoughtful design work and sensitive editing of my manuscript were invaluable contributions to getting my book published to a high quality standard.
Alistair J.

Alistair J.

Jun, 2024

Paul went above and beyond the brief I gave him. Not only did he typeset my novel professionally and design a gorgeous and unique cover, but he also read my whole book, offered little bits of publication advice (eg we changed the title and the format of some chapters), set up calls with me, consulted fellow professionals, and gave me a lot more time and attention than I had ever expected. He cl...
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