Author services site Reedsy conduct a semi-scientific test into the relative marketing merits of a better designed cover. The signal seems pretty clear, though one would want to make such tests on a much larger scale to fully quantify the effectiveness. But of course there is a reason mainstream publishers invest a lot of effort into eye-catching genre-appropriate cover designs — it very much works, and catches the segment of the buying public interested in that specific kind of title.
Recent Cover Designs from the House of WorkingType
New Book Covers for December 2022
A few new covers, some drafts, some finalised, with the usual range of subject matter…
Book Cover Designs for September 2022
An interesting variety of topics covered in the latest round of cover designs in progress…
Book Cover Designs for July 2022
A small selection of current cover designs, with the usual variety of subject matter…
Book Cover Designs for June 2022
A few recent book design offerings from WorkingType Studio. A variety of topics and treatments…
Recent Covers
A variety of recent cover designs…
Recent Cover Designs — January 2022
A fairly wide variety of designs for January 2022. High contrast, bold type and strong colours.
Book Cover Designs for October 2021
The usual wide variety of topics and typefaces and approaches this month. Never a dull typographic moment…
Book Cover Design for September 2021
A few of our recent covers and cover drafts, covering the usual broad range of subject matter. Striving for high contrast and high impact and interesting type combinations.
July 2021 Cover Designs from WorkingType Studio
The usual variety of subject matter — book cover design is never boring. Literary fiction, crime fiction, children’s books, business advice and local history. “Fragile Power” uses variable typefaces (Acumin), which is a powerful new design tool.
More Recent Book Covers and Drafts from WorkingType
Five New Cover Artworks
The usual range of topics, with typefaces ranging from Alternate Gothic to Molde to Bourton Layered and ITC Avant Garde.
The Sentinel book cover design
Jacqueline Hodder’s excellent book The Sentinel is out now. She reports satisfaction with the cover design, which was a very interesting task involving lighthouses and persons in period attire. And who doesn’t like working with louring skies and dramatic storm-torn coastlines? Here is the bliurb for Jacqueline’s book:
“Escaping from a disastrous relationship, Kathleen Devine flees to an isolated lighthouse off the Victorian coastline. Taking up the position of Head Teacher to the lighthouse keepers' children, she is ensnared in the lives of those marooned on the lonely outpost and soon realises no-one can escape their past. When the fearsome Head Lightkeeper, Mr Johannsson forms an unlikely friendship with the daughter of one of the keepers, it threatens to destroy their fragile peace. Can Kathleen find the strength to survive and answer the question that haunts them all: what happened to Isabella and why?”
Available here: https://www.amazon.com/Sentinel-Jacqueline-Hodder/dp/0648899403/
June 2020 new cover designs
A variety of new cover designs dealing with a broad range of subject matter.
Italian Bel Canto — Book Cover
Joseph Talia writes about great singers and their teachers, and the science of singing. We populated the cover of his latest book with luminaries from that world. from Dame Joan Sutherland back to Rossini and Farinelli. And in the background, an amazing piece of art from Rococo master Giovanni Tiepolo. Published by Australian Academic Press.
Cover Designs — Irradiated White House and the Secret Life of Words
A sinister mushroom cloud, the White House gently glowing in the radioactive light, a menacing submarine — what more could a reader want?
Another radioactive cloud, skippy, Sanuel Johnson and a medieval scholar — the first time they have all appeared on one cover…
Fan Art Book Cover
Troy Simpson’s Funny Dictionary (National Library of Australia publishing) catalogues numerous amusing mis-definitions perpetrated by students. One of his fans painted the illustration above — Troy holding the book cover (WorkingType Design).
“METAPHOR n. 1. a thing you shout through.
2. a kind of signalling used chiefly for long distances.”
See here for an account of the amusing speech given at the launch of Troy’s book.