How I Design My Book Covers and Illustrations
My work is a collaborative process, with clients often liking my love for art direction and marketing insight to hone in on their ideal readers for stories. My main focus is the fantasy genre, especially with a romantic elemenet. If you are interested, you are welcome to inquire with me at hello [@] storywrappers.com, or if you would like to work with me, you can inquire here for pricing, booking schedule, and licensing information: Book with Story Wrappers
Book Process for The Gray Prophecy, by Maria A. Eden
First, you will out a form. We work together, and I create a sketch that once approved, becomes much fancier.
This is the longest part. Creating and building up the artwork, bit by bit, all by hand with lots of little details.
Even when that is done, there is the print wrap to be created. My favorite part is creating a seamless design.
After it is all done, things go to the magical printer where once done, a lovely book is within your hands.
My focus is cover direction and illustration in Fantasy – be it romance, cozy, gothic, or dark academia. If there was another world with magical flora and fauna, I am all in. First I make a sketch, then detail every little bit once approved. Next come the wraps, some with special foils and others with beautiful quotes.
If you would like to work together, feel free to fill out my form: Commission Form
The Accepted Sketch to Final Book Cover Design for Clients
Sketches allow a main direction for the cover, without every detail or idea polished. My sketches range from a bit more loose to tighter, depending on the project (or the day!) as sometimes, I like to mould a design a bit more as it goes. All of my work is hand illustrated, often using different programs without any use of AI at any step of the process.
How I Design My Dust Jacket, Hardback, Paperback and Hardstamp Case Wraps
I love creating dust jackets, hardbacks, paperbacks, and special editions. You can see a number of them below. For current clients, you can place a request for one here: Wrap Form
Would you like other items for social media posting? For current clients, you can place a request for one here: Branding Media Bundle
A Crown of Star and Ash | The Lady of Fire and Light (Indie Edition): Hardcover and Dust Jacket
Dust jacket based on the ideas from the hardback, but using shapes to flow around a custom text quote on the backside.
I created the hardback for the book first, using elements from the front cover on the back to make it feel cohesive and elegant with the text flowing around the shapes to feel more detailed.
The shapes for the dust jacket are moved around the quote again, making it unique to fit the longer quote.
For the sequel, I followed the same layout, except for the author photo that was requested to be omitted. The layout using elements from the cover continues on both, but for the hardback the elements are mirrored.
A Fate Inked in Blood and A Curse Carved in Bone, Sage of the Unfated (Probably Book Smut Box Edition): Hardcover Books
For this design, the book originally was published as an indie release.For the hardcover I created a theme of stars and darkness. Using my original line art for the front, I matched the back with a quote and created a green and gold palette. Now traditionally published, this same jacket was altered for a new release.
Roots of Darkness: Hardcover and Dust Jacket
The indie dust jacket version is now traditionally published with the elements staged for the publishers needs.
For this design, the book originally was published as an indie release.For the hardcover I created a theme of stars and darkness. I matched the back with a quote and created a green and gold palette.
The Cruel Dark (Special Indie Edition): Front Cover and Dust Jacket
For the special edition, the typography was foiled in gold once printed for readers.
Original cover design, extended for the dust jacket.