Art before publication

Posted on by dannygregory

My editor, my design director and I have been working on covers for the new book all summer.  We all love the final design but I thought you might look a peek at the top 25 contenders (trust me, there were many, many others!)

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO OPEN THE GALLERY)

And here’s the winner:

abb-final-cover-3D

32 thoughts on “Art before publication”

  1. Great choice! Before I saw the winner I decided I liked the two options of blue text on the yellowy-orange background. Looking forward to getting hold of a copy when it’s published.

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  3. Looks SO great. Thanks for taking us through the process. Think the final answer is great. Can’t wait to read it!

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  4. Great cover and I can’t wait to get the book…my choice would have been your reflection in the toaster though…that was genious!

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  6. Great selection! Looking forward to a purchase of this book as I usually get out of bed at least two hours before breakfast

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  7. Before I saw the winner, I thought the white and black was the strongest graphic design. But once I saw the winner, I was very happy with the choice. Honestly, I’ve seen enough “Toast” to last a lifetime! LOL.

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  10. They are all wonderful choices… and all so different!! I bet it was difficult to decide. Funny though, when I saw the winner I’ll be honest, it wasn’t my first choice. When I took a closer look I see it really IS the best one. I can’t wait til it comes out! I’m a retired ‘book seller’ and sold sooooo many copies of Creative License… I’m sure there’s a built-in audience just chomping at the bit for this one. BTW… You really CAN judge a book by it’s cover 🙂

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  11. Beautiful! Sunny and Bright and to the point. I’m an art director and have designed some book covers and know you have to go through LOTS of versions sometimes to get what works. Oddly sometimes the first idea winds up being the best one. Don’t know if that’s true here, but I can’t wait to buy it! I think this was in my top three, but I did love the loose plate one in upper right, and thought it might be fun if the knife and fork were a pen and paint brush. I also liked the one directly below it with just the loose toaster lines. You could have a book of just all your designs of this cover!

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  18. The winner is lovely and sunny and inviting…but I would frame the candidate with the reflective toaster. Love it!

    Will love this newest regardless of what the cover is though.

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  20. Love the title – and hope to get a copy too – also – I liked the first few with the blue background – but then coming to the one that was chosen I nodded because it is good. The words are large and clear and the whole arrangement is nice – and I have not been following you for very long, but the dust jacket feels like an extension of your blog – with the brush strokes and white edging and even the use of the word “zillion” – oh – and lastly, this seems like a great idea for a book – offering ways for busy folks a way to tap into some creativity – best wishes on any final things you need to do with it.

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  21. the winner is the one I picked out…it grabbed me the most..I think the bright blue lettering did it at first and then the rest of the design all set so well……winna

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  22. What struck me most about this post (apart from seeing the exciting, vibrant covers) was the reminder of the hard work that goes into making a book. The drawing and re-drawing; the tweaking of colour and text; the countless draft designs that are generated until eventually a final decision is made.
    Most people would stop at one or two designs and be content with a limited choice.
    Danny, you have reminded us of the hard work and commitment that is involved with making art, whether it is a book cover or a sketch.

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  24. I thought the toaster was great too. I can’t wait to get the book. I’m going to order one for my niece too because if I don’t I know she’ll take mine. 🙂

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