Recent Bookcover Designs

Recent Bookcover Designs

Five bookcover designs are shown propped up on a shelf. From left to right, a cover that references the Titanic collision with an iceberg, then a chess pawn in the shadow of jail bars, then a yellow cover with a rising red diagonal arrow, a yellow cover with a skull and crossbones, and lastly, a yellow cover with a woodpecker carving a chess king from a block of wood. They are all chess bookcovers. (Book cover, book-cover.)

Putting it straightforwardly, please contact me to design your bookcover – because I believe that bookcover design works best when you really love designing bookcovers, as I do. The idea of designing a great bookcover is to put an eye-catching image on the cover and make it stand out from the shelves. Nowadays, it’s also vital to make it stand out from a procession of other 45-millimetre-high images on Amazon. The image on the cover should summarise, imply or relate to the content, theme or events in the narrative. Above all, like the covers I’ve designed for these five books, it must look interesting.

Four bookcover designs – from left to right, a poster defaced on a white brick wall, then a book with a photo of World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen jumping into a swimming pool on winning the 2013 tournament, then a cartoon pawn in a spacesuit walking on the moon; lastly, in front, “Genius in the Background”, shows a chess player concentrating on his next move whilst a shadowy figure – his coach – watches from the background. These are all chess bookcovers. (Book cover, book-cover.)

Four bookcover designs – showing from left to right, an image of a defaced poster on a white wall, then a book with a photo of World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen jumping into a swimming pool on winning the 2013 tournament, then a best-seller by grandmaster Sam Shankland featuring a cartoon pawn in a spacesuit walking on the moon; lastly, “Genius in the Background” shows a chess player concentrating on his next move whilst a shadowy figure – his coach – watches from the background.

Four colourful bookcover designs, clockwise from left, a book in shades of brown showing a brick wall with a pawn shape cut into it, like a cartoon mouse-hole. Next a yellow cover showing two pawns as tightrope-walkers high above city skyscrapers – when their tightropes cross, one of them will fall, which refers to the title “Sharp Endgames”. Next a royal purple cover showing a pawn in front of multi-coloured upward-pointing arrows – in the clouds above a chess king can faintly be seen. Lastly at the front, “The Secret Life of Bad Bishops”, which apparently shows a classical painting of three bishops, though it’s actually a triple portrait of Cardinal de Richelieu. (Colorful, multi-coloured, book cover, book-cover.)

Four colourful bookcover designs, clockwise from left, a best-selling book showing a brick wall with a pawn shape cut into it, like a cartoon mouse-hole. Next a yellow cover where two pawns as tightrope-walkers sway high above city skyscrapers – one of them will fall, which refers to the title “Sharp Endgames”. Next a royal purple cover showing a pawn in front of multi-coloured arrows. At the front, “The Secret Life of Bad Bishops”, which what looks like a classical painting of three bishops.

Photo shows copies of the Four chess bookcovers – the front book

Whatever the subject of your book, whether it will be published hardcover, paperback or as an eBook, I’m interested in designing the cover image. I work for publishing houses and also direct with authors. Although my comments so far have been about bookcovers, I’m an experienced book designer and can design the inners of the book as well – for example, I have a lot of experience at laying out illustration spaces in advance and then briefing and buying in the illustrations. Similarly, I can art-direct photography shoots. Just let me know what you need and I’ll bridge the gap.

Further Bookcover designs:

Bookcover – Alterman Black Gambits 2