Book Cover Redesigns *
Book Cover Redesigns *
After my time at NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute, I began this project to continue to expand my portfolio.
Since I wanted to work with middle grade and YA books, I placed my focus on those genres, picking books that I really enjoyed at those ages. I thought about the covers already created for these books, and what I liked and disliked about them. I looked for ways I could enhanced some of the better qualities, while also putting my own spin on them. Here are the illustrations I’ve made so far:
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
My cover design, 2025, acrylic on canvas
Carry On has always been one of my favorite books, and is a large part of the reason why I came to accept my queer identity. It was only fitting that I started this series with this book. This book has two different covers that I pulled inspiration from. The first generation cover left a lot to be desired, in my opinion. This was Rowell’s first fantasy novel, however the cover treated it like it was another one of her romance books. This would draw readers of Rowell in, but it wouldn’t exactly grab the attention of the audience who wanted a fantasy romance. The second cover solved a lot of these problems, and is a personal favorite of mine, so I had a hard time figuring out how to reinterpret it. I decided to play into current Romantasy trends, giving the book a fresh look, playing on the reoccurring symbols of roses and fire. I also took inspiration from the original title font, starting with it, then enhancing it, giving the title a bit of my own flair.
Redesigned Cover by Kevin Wada released by Macmillan
Original Cover design, released in 2016 by Macmillan
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell