Interview with Lou Malcangi

Please welcome Lou Malcangi to my blog! Lou is the brilliant Art Director for Kensington Books and the designer of my own humble covers. I was so impressed with my artwork, I asked Lou if he would be willing to be interviewed.

Much to my delight, he agreed. :)

1. What is your job title?

Art Director, Cover Design Dept. I've been designing book covers since 1993.

2. Walk me through the design process for a book's cover. How do you choose the color palette, poses, models, fonts, where to place the title, blurb, and author's name?

Wow, that's a pretty intense question there! You're asking me to distill my professional existence into a few sentences, but here we go!
 
First of all each category of books seems to have its "look" political thrillers look like political thrillers and romance novels look like romance novels. We are not in the business of being vague or confusing the consumer. A book's cover is VERY important, especially to a new or unknown author. 

I have about 3 seconds of the consumers time to convince them to pick my cover up and give it a closer look. The real trick in book packaging is to look familiar but always try to incorporate some new, different, and exciting elements while designing. I like to work the entire design around my art/photo/illustration. I get especially excited when I feel that the the type I design doesn't just sit on top of the art but incorporates itself into the art work. 

There are more people than just myself who help direct the final look of a books cover, I usually work along with the books editor, and our sales dept management. 

Designing a cover is very much a cooperative effort. I am always on the look out for interesting compositions that that I can pick up and use in my books covers. I go to many sources for ideas, classical fine art, movie posters, comic books, ad on the side of a bus. I use all these influences as a starting point to help me achieve my goal, which is a great book cover.

3. Name a few of your current projects.

I usually work on the "butch" book covers :) Lots of thrillers, westerns and some cute mysteries as well.

 
4. What was your educational background? What prepared you for this career?

I just loved to draw, paint and create from the time I was a little kid buying comics and magazines in my local candy store in Queens NY.

I spent my childhood drawing superheroes, monsters, and TV personalities. As I got older, I started copying paintings from album covers to the backs of denim jackets. I thought that really taught me a lot about painting and composition. 

Then I really learned what it took to be an artist when I headed off to study painting at city university and the Art Students League here in NY. 

Somewhere in the midst of all my drawing, painting and sculpture classes I discovered graphic design. I had always been more of a fan of pop culture art than fine art, so commercial design came naturally. I always prefer a comic book or movie poster to the highbrow art that fill NYC art galleries. I fell in love with, and became obsessed with graphic design. Plus, being a geek who loved gadgets...I took to designing with a computer in a heartbeat.

 5. On those inevitable days when you feel like your brain is completely tapped out, what or who inspires you?

The mortgage bill...seriously I juggle so many projects at one time that if one is problematic or just stumps me, I can put it down and move to another book and come back later. Often to a good results and great relief to me. 

 6. How many people are in your department?

5 people design all the covers produced by Kensington, we're a busy bunch.

 7. Do you have any advice for someone interested in publishing as a career?

If you love books, and are interested in publishing, GO FOR IT! Get an internship, do anything to get your foot in the door.

 Do it when you're young and flexible career-wise. I loved reading as a kid and young adult and I really loved looking at those amazing book and album covers! I consider myself lucky to be doing what I do. If you love it, get involved with the business any way you can, internships, networking, groveling, whatever it takes. Life is so much easier when you have a career and not just a job.  

 

Thank you so very much, Lou! These are fantastic covers and now I want to read every one of them. :)

Dracula's Secret, Blood Wings #1
Dracula's Desires, Blood Wings #2
Dracula Unleashed, Blood Wings #3, to be released March 21, 2013