![]() ![]() I actually don’t do much of the talking! I tend to just listen. Through experiences like this, have you learned any specific ways to not only pitch your designs, but fight for them? Any tips for designers who also face the possibility of design by committee? So I went with the more book cover friendly typeface that complimented the subject matter well. I presented this one to our Pantheon team and there was concern again about the type (womp womp!). And with Kelly Blair and John Gall’s blessing I was able to hire the very talented Jon Kutt at High Road Design, who elevated my wonky sketch into a beautiful work. I begged for permission to hire an illustrator to rework this quite amateur illustration. What I found out when I changed the type though, is that it wasn’t really complimenting the illustration in the way that the handwritten script was - it was a much weaker cover. I was initially concerned about removing the look of the playing card, but after trying it I realized it still worked well (and maybe even was better?!). While the feedback was fairly positive, there was pushback on the idea being primarily a playing card. Here was my first sketch for “The Slaughterman’s Daughter” (out in February 2021). Here's one that I think has changed in an interesting way… Can you walk us through the journey of a specific jacket design, from concept to final design? ![]() Photograph by Jouke Bos I am curious how far your final drafts usually are from your first ones. I find that in these cases it’s sort of like shooting yourself in the foot. There are of course instances where an editor or author requests a very specific approach. It’s important to break out of that habit though, and to test what a book cover could be even if it means more recurring rejection. I will admit though, due to years of working with a group, I sometimes habitually steer my design into approaches I know will gain a more mass appeal. I’m lucky enough to work with people who allow a good amount of creative freedom. Is that accurate, or are you typically given freedom to explore whatever direction you choose? Artwork by Daniel Bjugård Like any design work, I imagine there are publishers who just “get it” and give you full creative freedom, and others who don’t. ![]() My job is to find a balance between capturing the essence of the book while also making it “commercial” enough to entice retailers into marketing it and readers into buying it. It’s also important to remember too that while writing is an art form, ultimately a book is a product and its cover is an advertisement. There’s also a surprising number of people involved in the cover approval process: publishers, agents, editors, sales - so it is not likely for me to be in direct contact with the author without many others involved. While I do enjoy reading and visually analyzing a manuscript, it’s true that I sometimes am not able to, due to deadlines and abundance of projects. I'm sure it’s not (always) quite as romantic as that. Some of us imagine a jacket designer collaborating closely with the author on the cover, finding a way to capture the essence of the book in one beautiful image – only after reading it and pondering its themes, symbols and characters deeply on their own. We learn just how much freedom a cover designer actually has, the standard process and strategy when designing a book cover, and a lot more. In this interview, Hansen takes us behind the scenes of her work. Knopf in Manhattan, while freelancing everything from rebrand projects to New York Times illustrations on the side. She currently works as an associate art director at Alfred A. In almost a decade in the industry, she's designed for a range of clients and publishing houses, including The New Yorker, the New York Times, Penguin Press, Vanity Fair, New Directions and Farrar Straus & Giroux. Janet Hansen is one of those special few who designs book jackets for a living. ![]() Few of us find ourselves designing book covers full-time. Creating book covers is a dream design job. ![]()
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