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 #1Dracula's Desires, Blood Wings #2Dracula Unleashed, Blood Wings #3, to be released March 21, 2013
Dracula Unleashed, the third book in the Blood Wings series, will be released on March 21st!
