How to pick a book cover designer

I'm excited to announce that I found a designer for the cover of my first novel, The Second-Smartest Dog That Ever Lived.

His name is David Drummond, of Salamander Hill Design Studio. Based out of Elgin, Quebec, Canada, David has won multiple awards for his work, and it's easy to see why.

His style is clean and vivid, often incorporating playful and surreal elements.

David's cover for Styles of Seriousness is emblematic, and was the first to catch my attention. Yes, it's simple, but it's the kind of image that makes you look twice, then smile.

Cover design by David Drummond.

Here's another one for a book called Radio Weather.

Cover design by David Drummond.

Upon first impression, these covers reminded me of Chip Kidd's more surreal designs, like this one for Magical Thinking.

Cover design by Chip Kidd.

I also appreciated David's sense of humor. This too reminded me of Kidd's work, like this cover for Man and Camel.

Cover design by Chip Kidd.

I'm not alone in being a fan of Chip Kidd, but he works solely for Penguin Random House, and I'm sure I couldn't afford him even if he were on the open market.

Fortunately there are plenty of talented freelancers like David who can deliver similar style and quality, even if they aren't (yet) as famous.

Some of these designers actually work for The Big Four as well as self-published authors, so it's becoming more common that talent is shared across trad and indie publishing, further blurring that boundary.

The tricky part, of course, is finding the right designer for you, as there are hundreds, or even thousands to choose from.

Here's my take on how to pick a book cover designer, including a step-by-step process, along with some tips for collaboration when you do find the designer of your dreams.

How to pick a book cover designer

Step 1: Know your book's genre

Let's clear up a common misconception. The main objective of a cover design isn't to impress a potential reader. Instead, the goal is to show, upon a glance, what kind of story lies beneath.

In other words, what is your book's genre?

Some writers may answer with ease. They may intentionally work in an established sub-genre, like detective fiction, or urban fantasy, or clean adventure romance featuring at least one man with a tattoo of a cat or...whatever.

This focus on sub-genre aligns with advice from self-publishing gurus like Mark Dawson.

Mark writes gritty crime thrillers that hit all the tropes, setting the readers of Lee Child's Jack Reacher directly in his sights.

Just look at how similar their covers are.

Lone dudes heading into the unknown.

Silhouette of lone dude? Check.

Realistic, dramatic setting? Check.

Author name over book title? Check.

This comparison is especially poignant because the Jack Reacher cover, at the bottom, urges readers to "accept no substitutes."

But...uh oh...here comes Mark Dawson, offering exactly that. And readers do move between these authors, allowing Dawson to rack up millions in sales.

So then.

If you are writing in a known sub-genre, and you also want to rack up millions in sales, then study your competition, and copy them closely.

Do not get creative, thinking you will trigger a new trend. I repeat. Copy them closely...while respecting copyright law.

How about another example?

Check out Colleen Hoover's It Starts With Us beside another contemporary romance, Lucy Score's Things We Never Got Over. Both are currently best-sellers released in 2022.

Book covers separated at birth?

Cool, calming background? Check.

White and yellow flowers? Check.

Even the titles are similar here, referring to "us" and "we."

This is not a coincidence.

People who sell millions of copies understand that book covers, when designed appropriately, target readers of similar books.

They want the transition from Hoover to Score, or Child to Dawson, to be as seamless as possible.

Step 1b (optional): Panic because you don't know your book's genre

Okay, fine, you say. Copying covers works for novels in a clear sub-genre, but what about me? What about me, with my giraffe-themed space opera narrated by Merlin in Old English?

Unfortunately, for you, life is going to be harder.

It's tricky to explain how giraffes could evolve toward interstellar travel. It's even trickier to put your book in a well-known genre or sub-genre..

No, I don't think you should put Giraffe Wars in a drawer to write the next Jack Reacher ripoff, but I do think you should pick a lane for your cover.

To be clear, this doesn't mean you need to pick a single category when marketing your book. Amazon allows three, and they can be as different as you like.

This challenge is often revealed in works of literary fiction, which often secretly identify as other, less respectable genres.

Take Lincoln in Bardo, for example. Outwardly it is literary fiction, as it is an "experimental novel" written by George Saunders, master of style and form, and MFA teacher extraordinaire.

But it's also a ghost story about Abraham Lincoln.

The book's three Amazon categories reflect all of the above, with literary fiction coming in last, based on sales.

Amazon categories and sales ranks for Lincoln in Bardo.

Still, the cover picks a single lane: literary fiction. This reflects Saunders' primary emphasis on art, since it's all...arty and stuff.

What's it about? Art, dude.

Even though Lincoln in Bardo is a ghost story, it is unlikely to appeal to readers of other ghost story sub-genres, so it makes sense that Saunders signaled literary fiction with his cover. He wasn't trying to attract readers of ghost stories. He was trying to attract readers of literary fiction.

And this makes sense, because I doubt anyone reading Lincoln in Bardo will next enjoy A Trunk, a Canoe, and all the Barbecue: A Jess and Libby Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Afterlife Issues Book 2), although I haven't read the latter, so I could be wrong.

Spoiler alert: They barbecue the cat.

(Joking aside, A.W. Harton hits all the paranormal cozy mystery marks with this cover, including kitty cat and spooky, but not too spooky, fog.)

While this may be frustrating, the cover really should reflect the primary genre or tone of the book. You are only going to disappoint readers who are expecting something completely different based on the cover.

Personally, I'm in the giraffe-themed space opera boat.

My book, The Second-Smartest Dog That Ever Lived, is about a dog with the intelligence of a human who goes on a quest with Pug who has the intelligence of a Pug.

Although the story revolves around a supernatural premise, and I joke about them going on a "quest," I think my book will appeal more to readers of "dog books" than fans of fantasy or science-fiction.

Specifically, I'm targeting readers who enjoyed The Art of Racing in the Rain. My cover will therefore prominently feature a dog.

It's about a dog.

This is probably the best approach for anyone in doubt of their genre.

Find the book that is most similar to yours—ideally a best-seller—and incorporate the same major elements on your cover.

The other Amazon categories you choose can offer further refinement.

Step 2: Find a designer with the right style

As I was looking for a book cover designer, I asked my friend, a graphic designer, how she would choose the right person for the job.

She was clear: Find a designer with a style that already matches your goal.

In other words, don't pick a designer just because you like their work.

Sure, they may draw the most incredible dragons and sorcerers for epic fantasy series, but if you are publishing a crime thriller, they may not know the importance of putting the lone dune on there, or how to render a realistic urban landscape.

You want someone who already creates designs like the one you have in mind. It is much harder, and more frustrating for everyone involved, if you ask the designer to do something unlike anything they have ever done before.

That's why I was excited when I came across David Drummond. I saw that he often worked in photographs, like the one used in Art of Racing in the Rain, but he was also adept at adding surreal twists.

I want the design to explain that my book is like Art of Racing in the Rain, including the canine narrator, but with reality bent even further away from the norm.

I'll let you know how that works out.

Step 3: Collaborate like a professional

Once I discovered David, I again asked my graphic designer friend how to approach the collaboration.

She suggested a balanced approach.

On one hand, you need a clear premise. If there are key elements — like a dog or lone dude or flowers — that need to be included, then be direct about that.

On the other hand, don't be too prescriptive. Designers are creative people, and controlling every last detail is going to stifle that creativity, resulting in a subpar cover.

Does the lone dude really need to be looking to the left instead of the right? Does the flower really need to have eleven petals instead of nine?

It's okay if the cover does not exactly reflect the story. Remember that it's more about conveying the general nature of the book, and nobody is counting flower petals but you.

Calm down. Let the designer do their job. Give them space to breathe.

And remember, it's okay to ask questions. Not all designers work in the same way. Some may want more direction than others.

David, for example, asked for the following: "A synopsis of the book, cover copy, and where you are at with the kind of cover you want — maybe some examples of cover designs that are in the right vein."

I spent about a week working on my response.

I can't wait to share the result.