More Author Insight: Cover Designers

If your cover designer retired, whose would you steal to design for your books?

"I love the cover of Leanna Renee Hieber's upcoming book! It's so sparkly and pretty!" - Lia Habel, author of Dearly Departed.
 

"I love lots of covers, but Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children just dang kills me. If I ever write that mystery series I've been talking about (that I never start), I want that designer!" - Geoff Herbach, author of Stupid Fast.

"I love my covers! Drink, Slay, Love (my new book) has this brilliant red drip of blood that is sliding down the side of the soda bottle onto the 'R' in the title.

But if I didn't have any of my cover designers... Some gorgeous covers that I've seen recently are on: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (which is also a gorgeous book), Pegasus by Robin McKinley, and Huntress by Malinda Lo." - Sarah Beth Durst, author of Drink, Slay, Love.

"Anna Godberson’s cover designer for The Luxe series. Such gorgeous dresses, with such a luscious, rich historical feel!" - Jessica Spotswood, author of Born Wicked.

"First off, I will hold onto Sarah Hoy (the designer of Frost) with my cold, dead hands. I don't think anyone could have designed a more perfect cover for my book. But, let's say Sarah somehow slipped out of my clutches -- can I have Chip Kidd? He does adult stuff (Haruki Murakami, Donna Tartt, David Sedaris...), but I'd love to see what he'd do with YA. The man is a genius. If Mr. Kidd isn't available, I'd also be happy with the designers of the hardback of Nancy Werlin's Impossible, Francisco X. Stork's Marcelo in the Real World, or Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall." - Marianna Baer, author of Frost.

"I’ve been fortunate enough to have had several, very talented designers and since, in large part, the designer behind Ashes was my editor . . . if he retires, I think I might have to find a tall building and jump.
" - Ilsa Bick, author of Ashes.
 

"Most recently, I love the cover for Anna Dressed in Blood and Hourglass. I’m kind of over the close-up face shots of beautiful girls. I’d love an illustrated cover by Marie GrandPré, and not just because of Harry Potter—her illustrations for The Sea Chest are stunning." - Angie Frazier, author of The Eternal Sea.

 "I really love what Little Brown did with the cover of Sweetly by Jackson Pierce. It's a piece of art I'd love to have on my wall." - Stacey Jay, author of Juliet Immortal.

 

 

"Will Staehle. He did the cover for Kelly Link's Pretty Monsters. Gorgeous." - Stephanie Perkins, author of Lola & the Boy Next Door.

 

 

"Oh, no idea. I think a lot of the time covers are pretty collaborative, too. But I do love Melissa Marr’s covers for the Wicked Lovely books." - Amy Garvey, author of Cold Kiss.

 

 

"I design my own covers, so I doubt my designer will retire before I do.  ;)  But, if I was going to steal someone else to design for me, I'd definitely go with Jaxadora Designs. She does really lovely, artistic covers that I've had my eye on for years." - Gemma Halliday, author of Deadly Cool.

 

  "I love Cassandra Claire’s covers, Halo by Alexandra Adornetto, Everneath by Brodi Ashton, Steel by Carrie Vaughn … but, a little unknown fact, I get to design my covers so, I’d have to retire myself." - Brena Pandos, author of The Emerald Talisman.

 

"Wow. I don’t have a single cover designers, per se.  I have been lucky beyond measure to have two of my covers designed by Neil Swaab, who worked on Dangerous Neighbors and You Are My Only for my Laura Geringer Books: Egmont USA publications.  I’d love to work with him again.  But I can also say that I know a team has been hard at work on my Small Damages (due out from Philomel next summer) cover for a long time. I’m sure I’ll love that cover, too." - Beth Kephart, author of You are My Only.

Find out Tuesday what the authors think is the most difficult part of keeping themselves and their books in the public eye.

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