Interview with Cover Designer Susan Adriani

We’ve all heard the old adage: Never judge a book by its cover. However, I think most of us would agree that we do, in fact, take a book’s cover into consideration when selecting a title to read. Cover design is an integral part of the publication process, and authors and publishers know that a cover can make or break a book when it comes to sales.

But what goes into creating that perfect cover?

Photo: Courtesy of Susan Adriani

Whether or not you are familiar with her name, if you’re a fan of Austenesque fiction, you have likely come across one of Susan Adriani’s book covers. The owner of CloudCat Design, Susan has created dozens of covers over the last ten years—most of them for Jane Austen-inspired novels.

Today, Susan is stopping by the blog to give us a sneak peek at the design process.

• Hi Susan! Welcome. Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself? When did you first know you wanted to design book covers and what was your path to becoming a cover designer?

I have always, always loved art and design. After high school, I attended a tiny local art college and majored in children’s book illustration. It was fabulous. By the time I graduated, though, the illustration market was over-saturated with talent and it was difficult to find jobs. I ended up doing some freelance illustration and sort of fell into the Graphic Design industry by accident. I loved it, though. In the last twenty years I’ve done everything from design large format posters to marketing and branding for start-ups, but book cover design was what I loved best.

• I know you also write. Which came first? And do you think the fact that you are an author yourself helps you to communicate with the authors you work with?

Writing came first, and really, only as an outlet for my creativity. When my daughter was very young I had literally no time to myself. I would work on projects for clients but doing art—drawing and painting—was difficult, as I didn’t have the space to spread out, or the time to really accomplish much in the way of a masterpiece. After reading Pride and Prejudice for what must have been the umpteenth time, I found the JAFF [Jane Austen Fan Fiction] community. After reading everything from Pamela Aiden to Abigail Reynolds, I ended up trying my hand at writing and loved it. Whether being an author helps me communicate more effectively with the authors I work with…hmmm…I’m actually not sure. I like to think that being a designer—understanding the principles of design in relation to the needs of my clients—is what helps me communicate best.

• Can you describe your creative process? What is the first thing you do when starting a cover for a client?

The creative process is one of the things I most enjoy. Usually, the author I’m working with has told me about their book and has also given me some insight into their tastes. From there, it’s looking for the perfect image for their cover. Sometimes that happens right away, sometimes it takes longer, but the process is one I find more relaxing than stressful.

• Since you don’t actually read the book before designing the cover, what do you find helpful for authors to communicate about their books to assist you in bringing their vision to life?

As much as I would love to read the books my clients write before I start designing their covers, it’s just not possible—I’d forever be reading, and no designing would ever get done! What I ask for instead is a blurb for the back cover, and any other information and visual details they feel are important to their story. Their cover will be a visual extension of that story, a first impression if you will, so it’s important to put your best foot forward. I’ve had authors who have sent images they like and want to use, or examples of other designs so they can show me a certain look they’d like to try for their design. Anything they provide is helpful when I first start working with a client.

• Is it easier to work with an author who has a very specific idea of what they want in a book cover, or do you prefer working with someone who is open to any type of design?

Where to magic happens: Susan’s desk, a family heirloom passed down for three generations

Hmm… that depends on the author! Sometimes an author will have a very specific image in mind, but the resolution is too low, or the image is not the right orientation. Explaining that they cannot use that particular image for their cover (or not in the way they wanted to use it) does not always go over well, but most authors understand that there are certain standards that need to be observed in order to have a clean, crisp cover. Usually, things work out. One of my favorite authors to work with actually went so far as to orchestrate her own photo shoot! She ended up with some incredible photos and we had our pick of hundreds.

• Do you listen to music when you work? Or do you have any other quirks or habits that help you prepare when you’re designing?

I do like to listen to music while working! There’s no set genre, though, only what I feel in the mood for at the time, unlike when I’m writing. When I’m writing it’s usually classical music, but anything goes when I design.

• What aspect of book cover design do you find most appealing? What do you find the most challenging?

In book cover design you have this very small canvas and you need to fit certain information and elements on it in a way that is not only appealing, but legible. I love working within those parameters, and the challenge that goes with it. And type. I LOVE working with type!

• Let’s talk about back covers. Are they easier or harder to design than front covers?

While the back cover of a book is not necessarily more time consuming, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t pose a challenge. I feel a back cover should complement the design on the front cover. If it doesn’t, the entire book can seem unbalanced, and that’s the last thing you want.

• How long does it generally take you to design a full cover spread (front, back, spine)? Are you generally working on one book at a time, or are you sometimes juggling many different projects?

It can take anywhere from a day to several weeks for a design to be approved by an author. It depends on many different variables, such as whether the author has their final page count (this is crucial to calculate the spine width), or whether they change their mind about the font, or the color of an element, or the placement of an image, or even the image itself. The complexity of the design is also a factor.

• I happen to know you have a fondness for book spines. What sets the spine apart? What elements do you think are important in a book spine and why do you particularly enjoy designing them?

I do love the spines! For me, it’s not so much what sets them apart, as it is about setting them apart from the rest. We spend so much time lavishing love on the front cover when we design, and the back cover—why should the spine be any different? It is, after all, the first thing you see staring at you from the shelf.

Photo: Courtesy of Bluestocking Bookshelf

• It seems like a lot of your clients are Austenesque authors. What do you especially enjoy about working in this genre? Are there other types of books you would like to design covers for?

I would enjoy designing for any genre, but the Asutenesque genre is dear to my heart. It’s what I love to write, and I look at the design of Austenesque covers as another extension of that. It’s incredibly romantic to be able to have a hand in bringing that time period to life over and over again. I’m happy there. It’s a world I love to live in, and suspect I always will!

• Are you always looking for images you might want to use for a cover, even when you’re not designing? Do you have a file of images you’ve accumulated over the years?

Yes! I never stop looking for images. It’s sort of become and obsession. There are beautiful things out there and every time I find a new one, I add it to my file. Sometimes, I love an image so much I start designing a cover right then and there. The result has been a lovely collection of Ready-Made covers that have been pretty popular, and so much fun to create.

• What’s the easiest type of book cover to design? What’s the most difficult?

I had a client once who wanted several different elements from three different images edited out and fused together. It was time consuming, and the images were very different styles. It ended up being expensive for the client, so it’s not generally something I offer anymore.

• Tell us one thing about cover design that might surprise us?

Often, the very first design is the one that makes it to publication.

• What do you do when you’re not designing?

I love to spend time outdoors with my family, and I love to read and sketch and paint. Being confined to the house for the last several months, though, has given me a chance to actually get back to working on a book I started writing years ago but haven’t had the time to finish. I’m at 105,000 words and still counting. I forgot how much I love writing. It’s wonderful to get back into it again!

• Is this your dream job? If you weren’t designing book covers, what would you be doing?

I think it’s pretty close. I love designing book covers, but what’s more, I love interacting with the authors and forging friendships that often go beyond our working relationships. I can’t imagine having a job that makes me happier than this one.

• If you had to give one piece of advice to someone who was interested in book cover design, what would it be?

I cannot say enough about treating your design as a cohesive whole, not simply three separate elements. Love your back cover and spine as fervently as you love your front cover, and everything will fall into place.

Susan’s full cover design for my debut novel, To Conquer Pride

Thanks so much for joining us today, Susan! It was great to get to learn a bit more about you and the art of cover design.

To view more of Susan’s work, visit her website at CloudCat Design.

Until next time!

–JA