The Chicago-based hub for branding indie-romance and fantasy novel covers
Selected work includes my favorite book covers I designed and collaborations with Art Director, Sylvia Frost.
To provide authors with a unique cover reflective of their characters and stories while managing project scopes remotely during the 2020 pandemic, we relied heavily on stock photography for ease of access and communication. To tell the authors' story and be reflective of their visions, all covers are composited, light and color painted. Some covers, like Blood Hunted featured above, include as many as 20 different images to ensure the cover is an original, unique piece. (In particular, Blood Hunted composites 7 different stock images for the leading lady's leather jacket.)
To provide authors with a unique cover reflective of their characters and stories while managing project scopes remotely during the 2020 pandemic, we relied heavily on stock photography for ease of access and communication. To tell the authors' story and be reflective of their visions, all covers are composited, light and color painted. Some covers, like Blood Hunted featured above, include as many as 20 different images to ensure the cover is an original, unique piece. (In particular, Blood Hunted composites 7 different stock images for the leading lady's leather jacket.)
Searching for stock photography can take hours, and is the most important part of building an impactful cover. The process requires having an eye for what themes are trending in the book market, what photos are overused, and what images just won't work due to angle or lighting. A good sense of understanding the market and editing techniques is required, and Sylvia was especially vital to my success in that regard.
For all that it is worth, my time at the Book Brander truly felt like continued education.