Micaela Alcaino is an award-winning book cover designer and illustrator who relocated from her home in Sydney, Australia to London, UK in 2013.
Micaela is one of the most decorated book cover designers in her field. She was selected as one of The Booksellers’ Rising Stars of 2021, named Designer of the Year at the British Book Awards 2022, and named as one of The Bookseller’s “150 Most Influential People in Publishing” in 2022. In 2024, she was named a Hugo Award finalist for “Best Professional Artist.”
Micaela has almost a decade of experience in her field working for both Penguin Random House and HarperCollins. In 2018, she took the leap into the world of freelancing. She currently works on projects in collaboration with most of the big publishing houses worldwide. Her work is characterized by a unique blend of creativity and artistry, shaped by her love of travel, mixed cultural heritage, and appreciation of the fine arts.
She has created popular series designs for authors such as George R. R. Martin, Sarah J. Maas, Isabelle Allende, and others. Visit her portfolio link below for a complete list.
Listen to Micaela’s 2023 conversation with Steve Leard on Steve’s podcast, Cover Meeting.
In 2023, she spoke on a panel with Steve Leard, David Pearson and Rafi Romaya about the presence of AI in book cover design. Learn about that conversation here.
Micaela has contributed two articles to the INABC blog: One on Artificial Intelligence in Book Publishing and another on The M-Word: Money. Follow her on LinkedIn to keep up with her studio news!
