Iron & Velvet - Stefanie Briar Poetry

🔎 Background:

My sister is a poet and self-published author. She approached me about designing a cover for her next book, Iron & Velvet. Having never done this type of graphic design before, I was excited to tackle something new, so I agreed to give it a try. I recommended that we create social media posts and a press release kit as well to market the book.

🎯Aims:

• Design a cover that reflected the author’s vision, grabbed readers’ attention, and persuaded people to buy the book.

• Create social media posts and a press release kit to market the book prior to release.

💡 Methods:

Stefanie Briar and I had multiple business meetings to discuss her vision for the book cover. I mocked up and presented different prototypes, including different color schemes, font styles, typography, and imagery. We finalized the design (pictured below) and created the versions needed for soft cover, hard cover, and digital editions. The designs were submitted and sent to printing. A few final adjustments were made before the release date. A social media campaign and supplemental materials were delivered to the client as well.

📊 Results:

The cover and social media designs were successful. Stefanie Briar’s book sold over 10,000 copies. The book is available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble in soft cover, hard cover, and digital (eBook) editions. It is sold internationally as well.

📄 Conclusion:

This project taught me how to work with a different kind of client. This was my first attempt at designing a book cover and corresponding press release kit. My skills with Adobe Illustrator,® Adobe Photoshop®, and Adobe InDesign® were strengthened as a result.