This month, Michelle Argyle at Melissa Williams Design reimagines the cover of Ideal High by indie author Valerie Ipson, who praised the YA feel of the new cover.
Design Note #1: Including burn marks around the edge hints at a fire—an integral part of the plot.
Design Note #2: The background, with its lined paper and doodles, makes it clear this story is about teenagers and takes place at a school. The doodles bring a personal touch to the cover—something lacking in the original design.
Design Note #3: Though the original cover hints that this is a young adult story, it feels somewhat reserved. I decided to go with a messier approach that indicates that the story has a dramatic but sweet YA plot.
Design Note #4: This cover doesn’t feature much color, so I decided to use bold red for the title. I balance that with the blue and red balloons directly below the title.
To submit a book for a free cover redesign, email us at booklifeeditor@booklife.com.
