Book Cover Artist

By TACP Staff on July 14, 2021

Book Cover Artist

Book cover artists are responsible for the artwork representing the nature, spirit, and tenor of the enclosed penned material. Authors and publishers depend on these talented individuals to create images and depictions of events that will capture the attention of a readership majority. Big-picture thinking; imagination and good communication skills enable the illustrator to design a concise visual summary of what lies beneath the cover.

What Is Book Cover Art?

Picture yourself in a bookstore. You’re aimlessly browsing the shelves when the one you decide to take a closer look at one particular book.

In the sea of other books around it, what piqued your interest about that one particular book? Chances are, the book cover had a lot to do with it. the primary purpose of a book cover is to protect the pages inside a book. Some covers are made from lightweight and easily bendable cardboard, while others are made from a more rigid material. Another purpose of a book cover, however, is to draw the attention of curious readers.

Along with the title of a book and the author’s name, the front cover of a book will also have cover art that is representative of the contents of the book. Some book covers may consist of photographs, while others may consist of illustrations. A few may even combine the two. Extremely simple book covers, on the other hand, may just be a solid color with the title and author’s name.

The back of a book jacket will often contain a brief synopsis of the book. This is used to help a reader determine what the book is about and whether or not they would be interested in reading it. Information about the author is also usually included on the back cover or inside flaps of a book jacket if a book has one. If available, these areas of a book jacket will also include testimonials and excerpts from positive reviews of the book.

The look and layout of a book cover are not completely random. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Book cover artists typically pay careful attention to every little detail, making sure that each book cover created is both representative of the contents of the book and attention-grabbing when readers are skimming the bookstore shelves.

What Does a Book Cover Artist Do?

In order to create the best and most compelling book cover, a book cover artist should first have an excellent idea regarding the contents and tone of the book. To do this, the artist will often need to read the book, or at least read a detailed synopsis. In some cases, a book cover artist might also confer with the publisher or author of the book as well. This allows the artist to design and create a cover that coincides with the author’s visions for his work.

A book cover artist will then usually develop a few ideas for how the cover could look. These ideas are usually run by the publisher or author, who will them choose one.After a cover concept has been chosen, a book cover artist will then get to work creating the cover. As mentioned above, the artist will usually use mages, including graphics and photographs for the front cover, and possibly the back cover and spine as well. He will also need to choose a font for the title of the book and the author’s name.

Once the elements of a book cover have been chosen, an artist will then arrange and assemble them into the perfect layout. This usually requires the use of advanced computer software, including imaging software and design software. While creating the cover, however, an artist should also leave room on the back cover for a synopsis of the book and a short biography of the author.

Related Artist Spotlight – Johnny Atomic, Concept & Cover Artist

Book Cover Artist Education & Training Requirements

There is no one degree that an individual can earn that will start their book cover art career. Instead, aspiring book cover artists should concentrate on earning a degree in related fields. Some degrees that aspiring book artists may want to consider are an illustrationgraphic designphotography, fine art, or desktop publishing degree.

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Book Cover Illustrator Salary & Job Outlook

Salary

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not record salary data specifically for book cover artists. It does, however, record data for artists in related fields. For example, graphic designers made, on average, about $50,370 in 2018. The average annual salary for desktop publishers in 2018 was around $43,450.

Job Outlook

The majority of book over artists work as a freelancer, meaning that they don’t necessarily work with one particular company. Instead, they’re free to pick and choose who they work with. Book cover artists, for example, may find themselves working directly with self-published artists one month. The next month, however, they might be commissioned to create book covers for publishing companies. Many publishing companies though, will usually have at least one book cover artist on staff.

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