The duck and cover

Before this whole writer thing took over my life, I was a graphic designer, an art director, and later a creative director. (Think Don Draper, without the Slimline suit, the swooning secretaries or the perpetual martini buzz).

Because of that, readers always want to know if I was allowed to design my own book cover. The answer is…no. A joyful, gleeful, desperate no thanks! Honestly, I felt like a shopworn chef having someone else cook for a while. While I was worrying about the words on the page, it was a pleasure to let someone else worry about picture on the cover.

Speaking of covers, the AIGA (of which I used to be a member) has a nice gallery of their favorite covers. Some are squarely in the realm of designers designing for other designers, but some are a pretty cool. Ch-ch-check ‘em out.

Comments

[CharlesP]

I love that Emily Dickinson one... and the Kafka for that matter. My favorite book cover design (not on that list) recently is local YA author Jackson Pearce's Sister's Red.