Who judges books by their covers? *tentatively raises own hand* If you think about it, from a marketing standpoint, it’s totally natural to be drawn to something that is presented better than another. Books that are released with the whole package are way more exciting than ones with disappointing covers. Plus, I grew up in a very artistic-centered family, so a cover that disappoints is significantly less likely to be picked up than one that’s well done. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the correlation between what a cover looks like and the probability that you’d pick it up to read or buy. Are covers important to you?
As I spend more time in the bookstagram community, working with authors and publishers, and writing reviews, I’ve noticed a growing trend of cover revels for upcoming titles. Cover reveals help cultivate more excitement over an upcoming book and the author’s work, but most of the time I’ve noticed that there is no recognition for or mention of the artist who created the cover. To me, that’s just ridiculous. Why create hype over a piece of art without crediting the artists who made it? We credit the author and the publisher, but often times the artist gets completely overlooked for their contribution, unless they’re a big name like Jim Kay. I wanted to take some time today to show you some beautiful covers and let you know who made them. I hope you enjoy! Let me know which are your favorites in the comments.
CLASSICS
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Artist: E. Michael Mitchell
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Artist: Francis Cugat
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Artist: J.R.R. Tolkein
LITERARY FICTION
Exes by Max Winter
Designer: Strick&Williams
Illustrator: Zohar Lazar
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Designer: Keith Hayes
Artist: Carel Fabritius
The Sellout by Paul Beatty
Designer: Rodrigo Corral
Illustrator: Matt Buck
Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle
Designer: Abby Kagan
FANTASY
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Artist: Sam Weber
SCI-FI/FANTASTY
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
Designer: Abby Kagan
The Vorrh by B. Catling
Designer: Jaclyn Whalen
Paper Girls by Brian Vaughan
Artist: Cliff Chiang & Matt Wilson
by Ben H. Winters
Designer: Oliver Munday
Vermilion: The Adventures of Lou Merriwether, Psychopomp by Molly Tanzer
Designer: Osiel Gòmez
Artist: Dalton Rose
THRILLER/HORROR
Get in Trouble by Kelly Link
Designer: Caroline Cunningham
Misery by Stephen King
Designer: Will Staehle
Rant: The Oral Biography of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk
Designer: Michael Collica
Universal Harvester by John Darnielle
Designer: Abby Kagan
We Could Be Beautiful by Swan Huntley
Designer: Maria Carella
NON-FICTION
The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson
Designer: Matt Dorfman
Art Director: Helen Yentus
NEW ADULT
The Animal Under the Fur by E.J. Mellow
Designer: E.J. Mellow
Typography: Dan Covert
YA CONTEMPORARY
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
Designer: Kristin Logsdon
Mosquitoland by David Arnold
Artist: Eileen Savage
Sill Life with Tornado by A.S. King
Designer: Kristin Logsdon
Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin
Artist: Jill De Haan
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Designer: Samira Iravani
Artist: Adams Carvalho
YA HISTORICAL FICTION
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
Artist: Teagan White
YA MYSTERY
Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
Designer: Nancy R. Leo-Kelly
YA FANTASY
The Graces by Laura Eve
Designer: Maria T. Middleton
Artist: Spencer Charles
Tales of Peculiar by Random Riggs
Artist: Andrew Davidson
Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby
Designer: Sheila Smallwood
Artist: Evan B. Harris
Thanks to my brother, Dylan, for helping me with this special blog post. Check out his artwork HERE.
