art and bookcover and bookcovers and case studies and covers and critiques and design and new work Sue Campbell on 03 Sep 2010
What’s not to love about zombie bunnies? Right?
I don’t often get to do a cover that presents so many fun possibilities. Well, everything I get to do in book design is fun, with the possible exception of endnotes, or maybe the 101st revision on a cover that started out pretty neat in the first go [...]
art and bookcovers and covers and critiques and design Sue Campbell on 22 Jul 2010
People often ask whether I follow trends in my book design. Well, yes and no. There are definitely trends. Definitely genre specific design “rules,” and definitely it goes in waves. I think that it’s just human nature to want to be one of the crowd. But is that the wisest choice in marketing? Apparently marketing [...]
Personal News and Photoshop tips and art and bookcovers Sue Campbell on 10 May 2010
Where book cover design is concerned, the imagery has traditionally come from paintings, or illustrations. By the middle of last century more and more covers used photography. Today it’s anything goes, with some genres leaning more toward illustration and some more toward photos, and some with no imagery at all.
I bemoan the fact that I [...]
Opinon and Trapdoor Books and art and author and bookcover and bookcovers and case studies and covers and critiques and design and fiction and marketing and new work Sue Campbell on 05 May 2010
After a hiatus that means I’m busy… I’m showing of some of my latest covers in the next few posts.
I love covers. I love the results, and I love the process. But I gotta tell ya, sometimes it’s painful. If you’re a writer/author I know you’ve heard (or lived through) horror stories about how “that [...]
art and design and miscellany and silliness Sue Campbell on 13 Apr 2010
You can deduct expenses for a whole lot of stuff other people can’t. Have just finished my taxes this year, and yay! I don’t owe anything.*
I thought this little gem in the New York Times by graphic designer Sam Potts was hilarious. Click to got to original post.
*Boo, I don’t owe. If you’re self-employed you [...]
Nanowrimo and art and bookcover and bookcovers and books and color and covers and critiques and design and fiction and publishing Sue Campbell on 08 Feb 2010
The third book in the cover contest gets posted today! Which one do you pick?
Nanowrimo and art and bookcover and bookcovers and books and color and covers and critiques and design Sue Campbell on 05 Feb 2010
I’m enjoying the discussions of the covers for Breath. The interesting thing about cover design is that it’s largely subjective. What appeals to people is depends on their backgrounds, their preferred genres, their cultures, education, socio-economic level, and gender among other things. With all the variables it’s a wonder we can agree on anything! But [...]
art and bookcovers and books and covers and critiques and design and inspiring Sue Campbell on 04 Feb 2010
Apropos of absolutely nothing I just heard about these books in the YA (young adult) fantasy genre. I really, really like these covers.
Both by Carrie Jones and both currently on the NYT Bestseller List. Unfortunately I do not know who the designer is, because they don’t put that kind of info in the Amazon [...]
Nanowrimo and art and bookcover and bookcovers and color and covers and critiques and design and new work and writing Sue Campbell on 03 Feb 2010
First let me apologize once again for how long it’s taken me to get these underway. All kinds of things just conspired against me having any time to work on them. Paying work has to come first, because, this is my job after all. Writing and holding contests are just my hobby! So here goes.
These [...]
Design tips and Mac and art and bookcover and bookcovers and books and color and covers and critiques and design and inspiring and interview and marketing and publishing Sue Campbell on 15 Jan 2010
OK, no sponsors. It’s just me.
I know that my three contest winners are waiting anxiously for their covers. And um… I haven’t had much time to devote to them yet. I’m at the research and “noodling” stage. Next comes “doodling,” but we mustn’t short change the noodle part. Though there’s nothing concrete to show for [...]
