Book Cover Redesign: ‘Dreaming of Animals’ by Valerie Harms

This month, Michelle Argyle at Melissa Williams Design reimagines the cover of 'Dreaming of Animals' by Valerie Harms. The author praised the new cover, observing that “the light sky invites reflection.”

Design Note #1: I chose a title font that works well with the forward, flowing motion of the cranes. Also, keeping the words Dreaming and Animals the same size helps draw more attention to the title.

Design Note #2: Sometimes it’s a great idea to include an endorsement on the cover to help pique potential readers’ interest.

Design Note #3: Keeping the subtitle large and legible helps make it clear that this book is nonfiction.

Design Note #4: Balancing colors for a cover can be as easy as pulling a pop of color from the artwork. I did this by choosing red from around the cranes’ eyes and using a version of that red to color the title.

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