Paperback, hardcover, and ebook. Typography, image, and finish considered together so the cover reads on a shelf and on a screen.
Artwork that still works at thumbnail size on Audible, Storytel, and Spotify, without losing the tension of the story inside.
Show movies and series covers built as a consistent visual system, recognisable in a crowded feed, week after week.
"Judge me by the cover" is a small studio run by a solo designer who for the last five years worked as a freelance illustrator, designer and photographer for Audible, Inkitt, and other clients, designing covers for hundreds of audiobooks and movies across genres and languages. I'm making it official now because I love doing it.
Reading manuscripts, talking to authors, and finding the single image that tells a reader this is the book. Every cover I make is made with care for the author and the book.
You tell me about the book, the audience, the constraints. I ask the questions nobody asks until round two.
I send three distinct concepts with a written rationale, then we choose a direction together.
Two rounds of revisions included on the chosen direction. I refine typography, image, and finish in detail.
Every format you need, ready for print and for every platform you're publishing on.
Prices exclude VAT. For series, collections, or specific needs, send me a brief.
Essential and Author ship in five working days, and I can usually compress either to three for a small rush fee. Editorial is drawn entirely by hand and needs two to three weeks — that one I would rather quote honestly than rush.
Often, yes. When a concept calls for custom illustration or photography I commission collaborators I know well and art-direct them end to end. The commission fee is quoted separately, transparently.
Absolutely. If you have an archive, author portraits, or a licensed image, send it in the brief. I'll tell you honestly whether it carries the cover or needs to sit alongside other material.
You own the final artwork for the book, across every format and territory, in perpetuity. Third-party assets (stock, commissioned imagery) are licensed to you at the scope we agree in the brief.
Yes, it's some of my favourite work. Pepe Carvalho, Mondo9, Future Fiction, Sebald: I build a system the imprint can extend with me or keep going on their own.
I reply within 48 hours with first questions and a quote. No manuscript required yet.