We write our books alone. We have control over our words and our narrative. And then someday, it gets published. And then we have little say over how our work is represented. Itās a nerve-wracking thing. You as a writer have had agency over the content of your work. Every wordālikely even the title.
But starting with the cover, you learn that the book is in the hands of others and that you have to let go. When it comes to book covers, writers are asked to step back and accept whatās created on their behalf. Thereās little input on image, on font choice and size, or colors; in the end, writers may have limited veto power. The reality being: how many times can you veto politely?
There are wonderful covers out there. And there are missteps too. (Consider Japanese fans on the cover of a book written about and by someone Chinese). Bottomline: there is risk in putting trust in others.
I was lucky to have had Lisa Perrin illustrate the cover of Tell Me Everything You Donāt RememberāLisa illustrated my BuzzFeed essay off which my memoir was based. She āgot itā and of course I befriended her. I had to know the person behind the art and the person who, I am convinced, helped elevate my essay to become so widely consumed. Again: I am so lucky.
I wanted to share a little bit of the process behind book covers with you. I interviewed Lisa long ago, well before the pandemic, with the intention of publishing her words in this newsletter. My apologies if some of this is a bit dated. But truly, her perspective on book covert art is hearteningābecause she is a fellow artist, too, with great empathy for the creative process. With book covers, we are putting our faith in someone else toto take what we have created and put it into an image. But they too are artists.
And I hope what she says enlightens you too. Lisa Perrinās art is amazingāand while I knew her from my work at BuzzFeed, she has an amazing portfolio of illustrations. Sheās illustrated greeting cards for American Greetings, for Macyās, and book covers for publishing houses. She teaches at her alma mater, Maryland Institute College of Art (and often assigns her students book covers for assessment!). Her work is vivid and inventiveāand filled with energetic movement. Truly beautiful imagery that keeps your eye moving. Itās no wonder sheās become popular as a book cover illustrator. And when you read her interview, youāll also understand the care she takes with how she interprets the writerās vision.
In this time when trust feels fragileāitās good to know there are to trust with your words. Thank you, Lisa.
Hereās the interview.
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Christine Lee: Part of my intention is to put a spotlight on book cover artists--and the process of book cover art from the illustratorās perspective. Youāve been such a crucial partner to my work--and Iād love to learn a bit more of what you do--and hopefully publish to my readership.
Lisa Perrin: Hi Christine, thank you for your patience! I hope you are well. I appreciate that you wanted to interview me! :)
CL: Hi Lisa. For so many writers, the accompanying artwork is something to which we arenāt privy in the publishing process. We largely donāt pick the artwork accompanying our published essays or stories--and we definitely donāt have much insight into book cover design. So I appreciate you taking the time to open up what is a black box to us all. For starters--what is the title of your role? And what exactly is it youāre responsible for in delivering book cover art?Ā
LP: I am delighted to talk about and demystify the process! I am an illustrator. I create visual art for many different types of clients, such as editorial, advertising, and surface design, but book covers have become the majority of my work. I think I have done about thirty book covers in the past six years! In the end, I deliver a layered Adobe Photoshop file with the custom-made artwork Iāve created. I am also a hand lettering artist and often hand letter the bookās title.
CL: How did you find your way to designing book covers? You were a working artist prior to working on book covers. Was this a pre-designated goal of yours? Are there any ways in which your work illustrating cards for American Greetings informs your book cover art?Ā
LP: Creative career paths are rarely linear. In college I double majored in English and fine art painting. I think I have always been drawn to vehicles for story telling. I am also a lifelong fan of theater. My first job in high school was reshelving books in the local public library. Picture books often have an āabout the illustratorā biography on the back flap of the dust jacket, and I would always flip to that as I was reshelving. I didnāt know anyone who was a professional artist or how to become one. I resolved to go back to school to earn a masterās degree in Illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art. The program really helped me understand this industry, learn new digital tools for art making, and develop a portfolio.Ā
Shortly after graduating with my MFA, I was hired to be an in-house illustrator for the American Greetings card company. Even though I was working full time, I actively sought out many freelance illustration projects. My time at AG was an invaluable learning experience. While I was there I was able to take lettering classes every week with a master calligrapher. I believe that being an artist who could do both the illustrations and hand lettering gave me an advantage in jobs where words and pictures mingle.Ā
I cannot say that I set out specifically to become a book cover illustrator or a greeting card artist. I had a passion for design and a compulsion for drawing. I just want to put things that I think are beautiful in the world. I think all of these experiences have informed my current work. I often say that book covers are just posters for books. A poster is a classic illustration assignment. You have to convey the information clearly and aesthetically in a way that appeals to the right audience. You need to consider style, tone, and mood, as well as the hierarchy of information, conveying the most important things first. The artist tells you where to look and guides your eye around an image. I enjoy having my work be a part of our visual culture!
CL: Can you describe the process of designing/illustrating a book cover? How much do you know about a book as you make the art? What is your approach to deciding and envisioning what will be the image for the book?Ā
LP: Typically the process begins when the designer at the publishing house reaches out to me or my agent to gauge my interest in the project and my availability. From there I usually receive a brief and a synopsis of the story. Sometimes I am sent a full manuscript. They may include a piece of artwork I previously made as reference, suggesting that they want something similar. They may list some other books that are cut from the same cloth as this one stylistically to help guide me as well. I usually ask a lot of questions at this point as I try to understand what the designer is looking for. There are many people who are part of this process, such as the design team, the editor, the author, and the sales and marketing team. There are projects where they know exactly what they want and other times its more about exploration and finding just the right note.Ā
I usually get about two weeks for sketches. I try to incorporate anything specific that was requested, as well as include some other options as well. I typically send about four sketches. Next, I will get feedback on those sketches to change or revise certain elements. This part of the process can go on for weeks or months. Sometimes we will change course at this time if its not working. Once the sketch has been approved I send in color studies which are rough drafts of what the colors may look like. Once that has been approved, I can then begin to make my final art.Ā
CL: Do you consider the reader or the writer most?
LP: I personally always think about the author when Iām designing. I only have this project for a few months, but for them itās their baby that they have spent years on. I want the cover to be something that feels like the right home for something they care about so much. People do indeed judge books by their covers, and a dynamic and compelling cover can really help bolster interest and sales.Ā
CL: If you could ever be in touch with the writer as you create your art, is there something you would say? Or do you feel itās best when writers and illustrators are siloād (as they currently are)"?
LP: This is a great and really interesting question. My understanding is that authors and illustrators are intentionally kept apart during this process. The author is so close to their work that it can be challenging to see it interpreted in other ways. The publishing house has experience with design and marketing for book covers and know industry trends and so on. I would love to have more contact with the author and hear what they envision and potentially incorporate that.Ā
CL: If you could make the book cover for any book--classic or contemporary--what book would that be? And why?
LP: I have so many dream projects! So far I have only worked on covers for contemporary novels, but I would absolutely love to create covers for some great literary classics. I think a fresh or modern cover has the power to help revitalize and reignite readerās love for those classic works. Iād be thrilled to make covers for some of Shakespeareās plays, or Edgar Allan Poeās dark mysterious stories. I would love to do a series celebrating great women authors! I also love folk and fairy tales, so that would be a very fun project as well!Ā
I am fortunate to be a professor of Illustration at my alma mater and assigning book covers is one of my favorite projects.
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Thank you, Lisa.