COVERS WEEK: COVER ARTIST Q&A – Dani Alexander
For “(Don’t?) Judge A Book By Its Cover” Week, we’ve reached out to some prominent cover artists (who are all also authors themselves) and asked them a few questions about the art of designing a great cover.
DANI ALEXANDER
How did you get into cover designing?
I got into Photoshop manipulation first, which was a creative outlet for me. Then I needed covers for my stories and I’m a control freak, so I wanted exactly what I had in my head. Seemed the best way to do that was to create them myself. Though I’m disappointed with my typography, for the most part, they came out like I wanted.
You write as well as design covers. Do you design your own covers? When you don’t, are you tempted to?
I design all of my covers. I can’t think of a single instance where I wouldn’t be tempted to. In fact, one of the ways I procrastinate is by making covers for imaginary books.
What’s your favorite cover you’ve designed?
I think the cover I did for Sara Alva’s Silent is my favorite. It fits the genre, the characters and the theme. It suits the story perfectly.
What’s your favorite cover someone else has designed?
I’d definitely have to answer the cover for Dark Soul Vol I.
I’ve stared at that cover for hours. It’s sexy without being in your face and it’s evocative. I get all the feels from it.
Where do you find your stock photos for covers?
When I started with photomanipulation and then found my love for covers, I subscribed to dreamstime.com for their monthly subscription. IIRC, you could download like 25 pictures a day? Something like that. I downloaded that many and have since bought many more. I have hundreds of pictures lol.
What’s your favorite font?
Daniel: http://www.dafont.com/daniel.font
It’s similar to my handwriting when I try to be neat and tidy lol. Plus the name!
Are you as sensitive to feedback on you cover designs as you might be on your writing?
I’m extremely sensitive to feedback from the author when I’m designing for their book. I can offer suggestions, but, ultimately, it’s their book. It’s my responsibility to be sensitive to their needs.
How important do YOU think a cover is to selling a book?
It makes a huge difference, in my eyes, but I’m biased maybe? =D When you’re swimming in a sea of books, getting someone to click on yours in order to read the book? That’s a pretty big deal, I believe.
Dani Alexander can be found at:
Both the covers you picked out are very good in different ways. I think it shows how one thing can suit a certain type of book. There is something silent about the first – the position of the characters, the blank face. And the other – I like the black and white of that and the flow of the water.
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:D :D (what Dani’s covers make me do)
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I can buy a book based purely on the cover photo. Rarely have they been bad choices!
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