Hey, I want to move to cover book designer o freelance illustrator for book covers, what do you recommend?
I´m looking to leave advertising and get more involved in illustration projects as a full time job.
Replies3
- First, you want to actually design some book covers and put them out there. Get into the rhythm of designing covers (full covers, not just front covers) and really focus on getting your typographic skills as sharp as they possibly can be. This is a competitive market - publishing art directors tend to have a few designers they go to and it's very hard to break into those lists without a tremendously good portfolio and a lot of luck.I would focus on self-publishing, join a few self-publishing Facebook groups (I know, Facebook, shudder) devoted to book cover design and be on the lookout for people asking for designers. I would steer well clear of bidding sites (Reedsy, Fiverr, etc) even at such an early stage of your career as there is never a good time to undervalue one's self and they will cripple your development. The problem with self-publishing is that while there's a lot of work to be had once you sift through the folks with a budget of $100, the design there is pretty poor and insincere amateurs with no interest in getting better and whose only skills are iffy Photoshop are VERY territorial, so you'll need a strong sense of self and a robust confidence in your own skills and knowledge to put up with them.In terms of work, it's very easy to outshine those low-budget amateurs so long as you continue to develop - which they won't - and get confident with typography. The type work in self-publishing is especially messy as people don't value it and we're seeing all book markets move to a more typographic style which is further setting them apart from 95% of self-published books. Secondly, get good at market research. Know where to look to find book markets as covers need to fit into their markets to be successful - just looking good won't cut it.With enough time, enough good and hard work, the work will start coming in - not just from self-publishing authors but from traditional publishing, too.
- @Toby Way Thank you!! I start with that.Best vibes,
- Hi, contacting the head of design/creative directors in publishing companies with your portfolio is a good place to start. Also there are multiple book cover design awards throughout the year, so going to those and mingling could create some connections in the industry.Apart from that, possibly re-designing covers that already exist, or illustrate an existing series just to build a portfolio of cover designs?
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