All of You Every Single One, a literary novel set in the bohemian enclave of early 20th century Vienna, follows a group of queer-identifying characters before and during World War II. The process behind the cover took a few starkly different courses before settling on an approach that focused specifically on artists of the Vienna Secession movement. The original idea from the Art Director, Deb Wood, was to focus on sense of place and/or a single object that could represent the story. One of the key characters in the story is a tailor and so I felt that the thread/needle/mannequin represented a key element of the story. I wanted to include some of the striking typography that is relevant to the period.

What do you enjoy about your job?

My creative director gives me a lot of space, and I feel supported when I present covers or directions. Doubleday’s list is expansive and includes a ton of literary fiction as well as serious non-fiction and commercial books. I also feel fortunate to design covers for our other department imprints--Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage/Anchor paperbacks--and so I am always feeling challenged and inspired by the books and my talented co-workers.

I always enjoy working on covers for the German author, Juli Zeh. Her writing is unusual, contemplative, and smart. Since the first book I worked on for her, In Free Fall, I've developed an overall look that continues to work. All three of these novels are loosely related visually, but what makes them cohesive is the cut-paper approach, bold colors and lines, and big type. For In Free Fall and Decompression, I came up with concepts that needed to be shot and I cut the type into paper, and had them photographed with dimension.

When the stars align and the universe is kind, an author’s voice aligns perfectly with a designer’s vision. Such is the story of Emily Mahon’s cover for What If This Were Enough by Heather Havrilesky. Mahon’s simple, no-nonsense, pearlized cover illuminates the humor, emotion, and topical scope Havrilesky brings to the page. And that, dear book lovers, is how all-time favorites are made.

Working as a cover designer affords all sorts of benefits: free books, a variety of projects and of course the ability to walk into a bookshop on the other side of the country and see your design work on display. But as with everything in life, working as a cover designer comes with its own set of challenges. Spine spoke with talented designer Emily Mahon to get her perspective.