Cover Redesign: 'Ideal High'

This month, Michelle Argyle at Melissa Williams Design reimagines the cover of Ideal High by indie author Valerie Ipson, who praised the YA feel of the new cover.

Design Note #1: Including burn marks around the edge hints at a fire—an integral part of the plot.

Design Note #2: The background, with its lined paper and doodles, makes it clear this story is about teenagers and takes place at a school. The doodles bring a personal touch to the cover—something lacking in the original design.

Design Note #3: Though the original cover hints that this is a young adult story, it feels somewhat reserved. I decided to go with a messier approach that indicates that the story has a dramatic but sweet YA plot.

Design Note #4: This cover doesn’t feature much color, so I decided to use bold red for the title. I balance that with the blue and red balloons directly below the title.

To submit a book for a free cover redesign, email us at booklifeeditor@booklife.com.