First time here? Watch this video! • We have a brand new Instagram Account. Follow us and keep in touch! • Authors! Need a book interior? Visit INeedABookInterior.com • For publishing tips, visit our Blog

Chip Kidd

Art Director, Author, Book Cover Designer

Chip Kidd is an influential American graphic designer, author, and editor, best known for his innovative book cover designs. Kidd’s career took off when he joined Alfred A. Knopf in 1986. His journey into the world of book design began serendipitously when he was assigned to work on a book cover for Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park in 1990. The iconic T-Rex skeleton cover marked the beginning of Kidd’s groundbreaking work in the field. He later worked on the poster for the film adaptation of Michael Crichton’s The Lost World.

Throughout the 1990s, Chip Kidd continued to revolutionize book cover design, challenging traditional norms and introducing a more artistic and conceptual approach. Some of his notable works from this period include covers for Dry (Augusteen Burroughs) and Naked (David Sedaris).

In addition to his role as a graphic designer, Kidd also explored writing. In 2001, he published The Cheese Monkeys, a novel that drew inspiration from his experiences in art school. Since then, he has authored two artist monographs: Book One and Book Two.

In addition to his design work, Chip Kidd is a prominent speaker and advocate for visual communication. His 2012 TED Talk about cover design has been viewed over 2.7 million times. You can take his popular class on comic book design via Domestika called Unleash Your Super Designer.

In 2011, Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 was released and became an instant sensation, in both the literary world and the print design world. The delicate jacket design, which used transparent vellum paper, delighted readers.

Kidd discusses how he designed the jacket on Haruki Murakami’s website:

Upon reading the manuscript, it soon occurred to me that the duality of Aomame’s situation could be represented by an interaction of the book’s jacket with the binding/cover underneath. By using a semi-transparent vellum for the jacket, and printing the woman’s image in a positive/negative scheme with the title on the outside layer and the rest of her on the binding, once the jacket is wrapped around the book it ‘completes’ the picture of her face. But something odd is definitely going on, and before the reader even reads a word, he or she is forced to consider the idea of someone going from one plane of existence to another.

Show More

Chip Kidd

Art Director, Author, Book Cover Designer

Chip Kidd is an influential American graphic designer, author, and editor, best known for his innovative book cover designs. Kidd’s career took off when he joined Alfred A. Knopf in 1986. His journey into the world of book design began serendipitously when he was assigned to work on a book cover for Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park in 1990. The iconic T-Rex skeleton cover marked the beginning of Kidd’s groundbreaking work in the field. He later worked on the poster for the film adaptation of Michael Crichton’s The Lost World.

Throughout the 1990s, Chip Kidd continued to revolutionize book cover design, challenging traditional norms and introducing a more artistic and conceptual approach. Some of his notable works from this period include covers for Dry (Augusteen Burroughs) and Naked (David Sedaris).

In addition to his role as a graphic designer, Kidd also explored writing. In 2001, he published The Cheese Monkeys, a novel that drew inspiration from his experiences in art school. Since then, he has authored two artist monographs: Book One and Book Two.

In addition to his design work, Chip Kidd is a prominent speaker and advocate for visual communication. His 2012 TED Talk about cover design has been viewed over 2.7 million times. You can take his popular class on comic book design via Domestika called Unleash Your Super Designer.

In 2011, Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 was released and became an instant sensation, in both the literary world and the print design world. The delicate jacket design, which used transparent vellum paper, delighted readers.

Kidd discusses how he designed the jacket on Haruki Murakami’s website:

Upon reading the manuscript, it soon occurred to me that the duality of Aomame’s situation could be represented by an interaction of the book’s jacket with the binding/cover underneath. By using a semi-transparent vellum for the jacket, and printing the woman’s image in a positive/negative scheme with the title on the outside layer and the rest of her on the binding, once the jacket is wrapped around the book it ‘completes’ the picture of her face. But something odd is definitely going on, and before the reader even reads a word, he or she is forced to consider the idea of someone going from one plane of existence to another.

Show More
ChipKidd2
ChipKidd
ChipK-min
DearThief
1Q84-design-by-Chip-Kidd
Genre
Color
Template is not defined.
Template is not defined.
Template is not defined.
Template is not defined.
Template is not defined.
Template is not defined.

Designer Requirements

Only a carefully curated group of designers are given access to the creative briefs posted on the INABC Jobs Board. This system ensures that clients receive top-notch, focused proposals from professionals whose talents have been vetted

All designers who will be bidding on your cover design have applied to receive job notifications and have been approved by the INABC admin team. Our approved designers:

  • Are professional book cover designers, not simply generalist graphic designers.
  • Have been working in the industry for a minimum of 3 years, usually more.
  • Must demonstrate a contemporary aesthetic, creating work that feels current and relevant to today’s book design market. We seek professionals who stay informed on industry trends while pushing boundaries with innovative, forward-thinking designs. Our designers know that our clients are not looking for designs that feel “dated.”
  • Work on multiple book cover projects in any given month
  • Are committed to delivering high-quality, original designs tailored to each client’s unique vision. 
  • Do NOT sell or offer book cover premades. At INABC, we do not condone the offering of pre-made book covers. We are fans of highly bespoke cover work.
  • Do NOT use AI-generated imagery in their commercial work.
  • Have accessible online portfolios showcasing book cover work that are easy for anyone to review.
  • Have extensive experience working with self-publishing authors AND commercial presses.
  • Are available and excited to receive these weekly briefs.

If you are contacted by a designer that doesn’t align with the requirements described above, we ask that you please contact the INABC admin team at ineedabookcover.assistant@gmail.com.

Designer Disclaimer

INABC is not a full-service design agency. It’s a curated directory that helps you connect directly with talented freelance designers. Each designer handles their own pricing, process, and contracts. We encourage you to communicate clearly with your chosen designer and to review their portfolio carefully to make sure they’re a good fit for your project. Designers and authors are expected to draft, negotiate, and sign their own contracts to ensure that expectations, deliverables, and rights are clearly outlined before any work begins.

While we do our best to curate a talented community, INABC is not involved in the collaborations that follow and we cannot guarantee the outcome of individual projects with specific designers. If you run into an issue with a designer that you find from using INABC, we are open to learning about your experience, but ultimately, INABC will not be involved in any specific disputes. For more information, visit the For Authors page and read our Terms & Conditions.

Subscribe

Join our mailing list to receive a monthly summary highlighting recent cover uploads and blog posts.

Name(Required)

Job Alerts

Sign up to get notifications about cover jobs posted on INABC.

Name(Required)