A shattered window. A broken mirror. Shards of glass. From conveying themes of fractured realities to hinting at shattered relationships, incorporating broken glass on book covers is a powerful way for designers to capture the heart of a story in just one picture. While broken glass is often linked with horror and thriller novels, the right designer can successfully work it onto a jacket for literary fiction or poetry, too.
Explore the tags broken, glass, and pieces to see more covers like these.
The Ghost Notebooks
Author: Ben Dolnick
Designer: Stephanie Ross
Country of Glass
Author: Sarah Katz
Designer: Eric C. Wilder
Loudest When Startled
Author: Lukas Ray Hall
Designer: Alban Fischer
Castaway Mountain
Author: Saumya Roy
Designer: write us to provide credit info
Gaslight
Author: Femi Kayode
Designer: Julianna Lee
Pieces of You
Author: Jessica Gomez
Designer: Luisa Dias
Device Free Weekend
Author: Sean Doolittle
Designer: write us to provide credit info
Blurred Fates
Author: Anastasia Zadeik
Designer: Mimi Bark
The Collector
Author: Anne Mette Hancock
Designer: write us to provide credit info
In Case of Emergency
Author: E. G. Scott
Designer: write us to provide credit info
The Bill Gates Problem
Author: E. G. Scott
Designer: Steve Leard
Ponyboy
Author: Eliot Duncan
Designer: write us to provide credit info
How to Find the Best Cover Artist to Create a Shattered Glass Book Covers
The “best” book cover artist is subjective and varies according to an author’s specific vision and style preference. However, platforms like the INeedABookCover Job Board have made it easier for authors to find and collaborate with talented, professional designers like the ones listed in this article who know how to utilize gritty color gradients to create a dynamic, unique book cover.
If you enjoyed this listicle, be sure to check out our Design Devices series to explore other elements commonly used on book covers such as newspapers, swimmers, and concentric circles.
