Everyone’s got an opinion: publishers, art directors, authors, marketing gurus, and, of course, the readers. Cover artists often find themselves in the unique position of trying to please everyone while at the same time striving to satisfy their own creative needs. So what professional and personal guidelines do these intrepid designers follow?

Guidelines & Expectations: where things can get messy

April: Vendors, publishers, and readers all have expectations that we artists must meet.

Book covers are a commercial art, so naturally we follow the rules of commerce. Covers must appeal to the consumer and compel them to buy (as Anne states, they must be gorgeous!), and at the same time they mustn’t offend anyone. Our publishers aren’t easy to offend, but they have distributors who might be, so we give them no reason to refuse to sell our product in their stores. Bottom line, we show no pink parts.

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Damn it… you can’t snark them when they’re all this good. *mumbling* Stupid talent. Wouldn’t the e-publishing world be a much prettier, sexier place if all the covers were designed by these folks?

Ask anyone involved in the publishing field how to catch the attention of readers, and the answer is either attach Stephen King’s name on a book or start the title with “Harry Potter and the…” But in all seriousness, there’s no doubt that cover art is one of the most important factors in capturing a reader’s interest, especially in ebook publishing. A splashy cover can help introduce a talented new author to the masses, while a dull design can take the edge off even the best buzz surrounding a book. Go behind-the-scenes with freelance designers April Martinez, Frauke of Croco Designs, Christine M. Griffin and Anne Cain for a weeklong exposé on the muses and mayhem of creating cover art in this exciting industry.

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