Book Cover Design

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Self-Published
(Alarm Cat Press)

Print and e-book
Design and photography by Kevin J. O'Conner

Wishes sometimes have consequences
Paperback cover

April 2019

Wishes sometimes have consequences
Hardcover dust jacket cover

April 2019

The Lilac Years
Full front and back cover. 16 April 2018.

'Dear Thursday…'
Full front and back cover. Published 27 November 2017.

8: Eight-word Poems
Full front and back cover. Published 20 October 2017.

Process: Drafts for the cover of The Lilac Years, July/August 2017.

This Is Not the Book That Will Save Your Life front cover

March/April 2017

…but for the thoughts running through my mind front cover
January 2017

'Dear Wednesday…' front cover
November 2016

This Is Fifty-three front cover
Release date: 27 August 2016

I broke some unwritten rules with this book. Poetry books are generally smaller (5" x 8", 5.5" x 8.5", or 6" x 9"), with a black-and-white interior, sparse use of photos or illustrations at most, and the poet's photo appears only with a brief bio inside the book, or on the back cover.

After several books conforming to these rules, I wanted to do something a bit more elaborate. This was spurred by the coincidence of the next number in my cataloguing scheme being 53 and my 53rd birthday approaching. I resolved to do a full-color book, larger in size (8.5" x 8.5"), with the poems accompanied by photographs and other graphics. To emphasize the personal nature of the project, I would put a self-portrait on the front cover.

This Is Fifty-three (Just the Words, Man) front cover
Release date: 21 August 2016

As mentioned in the description of the color version (above), I broke some unwritten rules with this book. Poetry books are generally smaller (5" x 8", 5.5" x 8.5", or 6" x 9"), with a black-and-white interior, sparse use of photos or illustrations at most, and the poet's photo appears only with a brief bio inside the book, or on the back cover. I resolved to do a larger (8.5" x 8.5") book, with full-color interior pages, the poems accompanied by photographs and graphics, and my photo on the front cover.

Color is expensive, however, and I wanted an affordable edition to be available, so I also produced this stripped-down black-and-white edition, in which I dispensed with most of the photos (but kept some of the graphic elements, albeit in black-and-white). To avoid any confusion between the two editions (even though this one had approximately one-third fewer pages), I designed this alternate cover in a more minimalist style.