Doubleday Books Art Director Emily Mahon has been designing book covers for 20 years. After studying graphic design at Penn State, and an internship at Harper’s Bazaar, she was ready to leave the magazine world for the literary one. “I loved the idea of being free in my approach, not wed to a certain look. Book publishing felt like the most open and interesting path for me,” Mahon said in an interview.

Mahon has been Art Director at Doubleday Books since 2006, and has also done freelance work for a wide range of publishing clients, including St. Martin’s Press, HarperCollins, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Henry Holt and Company, Alfred A, Knopf, Little, Brown and Company, Simon & Schuster, among others.

I asked Mahon about her approach to book cover design, the design process, working with outside artists, and updating classics like Frankenstein.

What is the typical process when designing a book cover? How much instruction are you given? What is the typical timeline?

I usually read the full manuscript and, if I have the time, mull it over for a few weeks, process what I’ve read, and think about how to give the book a face. Usually I jot down ideas as I’m reading, make a few sketches, and do some image research before I sit in front of the computer to design anything. Typically, I don’t get much direction from the publisher/editors before starting on a cover. Of course, if it’s a biography they may say, “We must have a photo of him/her on the cover!” Deadlines can vary from a few weeks to a few months. I often work on covers about a year before the book is published; in rare cases I’m still finalizing a cover as it’s going to print. 

How much back and forth is there usually about the cover design? Do you interact with the author at all during the process, or just the publisher?

It’s unusual to have much contact with the author; if I do hear from an author, it’s filtered through the editor. I do get their reactions though–whether they like or don’t like the cover—or if they feel strongly about hiring a specific illustrator or using a family photo, for instance. But it’s really uncommon for me to speak directly with the author. Usually, the author sees the cover after it’s approved in-house.

When you’ve worked on the same author’s book before, do you try to have continuity between the covers?

Yes, and no. If the previous cover or look worked for an author, I usually try to pick up on the same feel or similar typographic solution or imagery. If it’s a new author who has a breakout book, the publisher usually wants to brand the author with a certain look so that the next book will be easily recognizable to the audience. If a cover hasn’t worked for an author, we’ll often start over.

Are there trends in book design that affect how you approach covers, or does it depend on the specific title?

I generally shy away from trends. It’s important for me to be true to every book and author, and try to present their writing with a unique look. There are definitely trends, and if you go to a bookstore you can see certain techniques that are used over and over because they are eye-catching. But my education in design steered me away from having a particular style, and taught me instead to try and solve problems. Designing is not making art!

Is designing for fiction different in any way than designing for nonfiction?

It’s very different. I always read the fiction I’m given, but I don’t always get full manuscripts for nonfiction; sometimes we just have a proposal, or perhaps a few chapters for reference. When designing for fiction I jot down notes and think about imagery and what the feel and audience is for the writing. I usually start designing with a handful of specific concepts and work on developing those ideas. While I certainly consider the audience for nonfiction titles, I think more broadly and abstractly about how to represent the material in a concise, readable way.

Are there design elements that carry through to all or most of your work?

Not intentionally. It’s always important that the type is legible and large enough to read, so I hope that is one defining element of all my work. I think of every cover essentially as a new poster—and as every book is different, with a completely individual voice—I try to come up with something that feels new and inviting.  

You sometimes work with outside artists. How do those collaborations work?

If I come up with an idea for a book that I can’t personally create (I know my limitations) then I’ll try to find someone who can help me “see” the concept. I usually have a strong vision for the book, and I look for artists who have just the right style for what I’m envisioning. In hiring an illustrator, I like to give them the freedom to come up with solutions on their own, but I usually ask that they try a few things I’ve sketched and give them visuals to reference. In terms of hiring a photographer, I usually hire someone to shoot something that I’ve mocked up as a sketch but needs to be finessed. 

I’ve been doing this for a long time, so I normally have a very clear idea of what will work. There have only been a few instances where I’ve had to fully abandon a collaborative project. 

Sometimes your covers aren’t used for a hardcover title, but are then used for the paperback, such as with Fitness Junkie. How involved are you in those selections?

Many times the publisher decides to refresh the look of a book for paperback. Occasionally, if the book has been a bestseller or had other acclaim, the hardcover package stays. But when they decide to repackage, often I’m asked for outtakes of the hardcover and sometimes one seems right for the paperback market.

For Fitness Junkie, we were actually about to go to print with what ended up being the paperback cover. They decided they wanted to go in a different direction at the last minute, so I came up with the idea of shooting just the chic top-knot hairstyle and got that cover approved despite the time crunch. Luckily, I was able to see the other cover in print too a year later!

You designed several covers for the Random House Modern Library Classics series, such as Frankenstein, The Wealth of Nations and The Count of Monte Christo. What was it like to update these classics? Do you approach a project like this differently than a new title?

For this project, I was asked by an art director at Random House to come up with a new look for the Modern Library Classics. The publisher wanted to see a fresh vision for the series. I tried several options and they loved the look of the type encased in a white silhouette laid over much more contemporary artwork than had been used previously. They hired me to go ahead and do the entire series, so this was a multi-year project. As each title was up for a reprint, I was often asked to repackage it quickly, so some of these covers were decided on in just a few days. Others I had more time with, and I had the leisure of hiring an illustrator on a very modest budget to come up with something new.   

What’s your favorite part of the cover design process, and your least favorite part?

I’ll start with my least favorite: it’s hard to get everyone on board with a decision. Book design is very subjective. For example, there may be people in sales who don’t like the color green; editors who don’t like script typefaces; publishers who want to see a human element. We may also have authors’ concerns, which makes sense since they are closest to the book. But it’s hard to please everyone and often you can’t. But the goal is still to make (almost) everyone happy—and sell books.

What I love most is reading. I’m very fortunate to have a profession where I get to read for work, be creative all day, and work with remarkable people. It’s so rewarding to get an enthusiastic email from an author—nothing is better, professionally speaking. 

What are your one or two favorite covers you’ve worked on, and why?

That’s a tough one: there are so many I feel attached to, and in different ways! I loved working on Juli Zeh’s books, a German author we translate at Doubleday. I used cut paper on all her covers in various ways and so I created a look for her, but I still keep the designs unique and relevant to each book. 

I also had a rewarding collaboration with the Brazilian woodcut artist, Edson Ike, on a cover for The Porpoise by Mark Haddon. I gave Edson some direction, but the woodcutting process is long and labor intensive, and changes are difficult to make. I was having a hard time communicating with Edson and I started to get worried after a few things he sent in weren’t right. We almost ended up settling on one version, but I never felt like it was working as well as it could. At the very last minute Edson asked me to take a look at one more option. It was a eureka moment, and it all came together! For the final jacket I used an unusual combination of colors and I think it worked out pretty well.   

What advice do you have for someone who wants to design covers?

I think it’s always best to read a book, let it sink in, and never run right to the computer. Some of the best and most exciting projects I’ve worked on come from having fun trying out ideas that don’t involve a screen—scanning in random photos, painting, weaving, ripping paper, making photocopies, photographing objects in different perspectives, drawing, collage…If there’s one thing I learned in school, it’s that the computer isn’t going to design anything for me. You need a strong concept and a vision to create something with impact.