Donald Ely

Art Director, Designer, Illustrator

Donald Ely is an award-winning creative who lives and works in Bryantown, Maryland. He owns and operates Three Ring Studio, a multidisciplinary creative studio that primarily focuses on publication design, art direction, and illustration. With over a decade of experience designing book covers and interiors for the education world and six years in publication design, Donald is now looking to branch out into trade publishing.

His work has been recognized and awarded by publications and institutions such as Communication Arts, Graphic Design USA, How Magazine, Society of Illustrators, AIGA DC, and the Shorty Awards. Clients include A24 Films, Airbnb, ASCD, Baltimore Magazine, Grammy award-winning artists Madonna and Erykah Badu, Johns Hopkins, Red Bull, and the Washington Post.

Donald Ely

Art Director, Designer, Illustrator

USA

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.

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Donald Ely

Art Director, Designer, Illustrator

Donald Ely

Art Director, Designer, Illustrator

Designer Requirements

Designer Disclaimer

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