Book Cover Commissions
Custom illustrated book covers for romance, fantasy, and literary fiction.
Your cover is the first thing a reader sees. Before the blurb, before the reviews, it's the image that makes them stop scrolling or pause in the bookstore. I create bespoke, hand-crafted book cover art that tells your story at a glance.
I'm Emmy Lawless, an illustrator specializing in custom book cover commissions for authors, publishers, and self-publishing creatives. My work has appeared on major titles including the Magnolia Parks series, bringing distinctive illustrated covers to books that reach readers around the world.
What I offer
I work on a commission basis to create original, fully illustrated book cover art tailored to your project. Whether you're an indie author publishing your debut novel or a publisher seeking a signature look for a new series, I'll work with you from concept to final file.
My commissions are a good fit if you're looking for:
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A bespoke illustrated cover that stands out from AI-generated and stock-photo alternatives
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Cover art for romance, contemporary fiction, fantasy, or literary fiction
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A collector's edition or special cover variant for an existing title
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Series cover art with a consistent visual identity across multiple books
A Cover Made Just for You — The commission process
If you are an author looking for a cover artist for your book, here is a peek behind the curtain of working with me.
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Enquiry
I start by delving into the world of your story and hearing your vision for what you have created and what you have in mind for your cover. This can range from a very defined idea with references to being totally unsure of what you’re after, and that’s okay! I like to work with direction, but I also like to collaborate, so wherever you sit on that scale will work. A great place to start is to check out my portfolio and identify what stands out to you. I will send you a form with details about your book: genre, tone, key characters or scenes, any visual references you love
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Quote & timeline
I'll respond within 3–5 working days with a quote and estimated delivery window based on my current availability.
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Developing the piece
Once we have aligned on the visual aesthetic and direction for the book cover, I will create basic sketches. Once these have been refined to a final sketch we are happy with, I begin work on the piece and send progress shots along the way.
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Final artwork
Once we have arrived at a cover we love, I send this to you in high res in the dimensions of your cover. I can also translate elements of your cover into pieces for your chapter headings and internal accents. And, I have a special spot for back covers, so hopefully we’ve created a custom artwork for this, too. All that’s left is to publish and celebrate.
Pricing
Commission pricing varies depending on the complexity of the illustration, number of figures, background detail, and usage rights required.
Front cover commissions start from $1,500 for indie and first-time authors, and $2,500 for a complete package including front cover, back cover, and chapter headings. Publisher rates are available on request.
A pricing guide can be obtained by emailing 'PRICING' to hello@emmylawless.com
All commissions include one round of revisions at sketch stage and one at final artwork with multiple opportunities for feedback during the development stage.
Commercial publishing rights are included as standard - your cover, your book.
Bring the Heart of Your Story to Life –
Let’s Work Together
If you’re exploring book cover artists to collaborate with, get in touch with your vision and an overview of your story using the contact below. For commission pricing guide email "PRICING" to hello@emmylawless.com.
Trusted by Authors & Publishers
Emmy Lawless is a Boston-based artist and illustrator specialising in book cover art and character illustration for fiction. Past publishers include Orion, Sourcebooks, Bloom, ArkHouse and Kiln for authors including Jessa Hastings, Victoria Beattie, Ro Maxwell and Afton Seeser.
Why Work With a Professional
Book Cover Artist?
Some of my earliest, most vivid memories are of reading. Words are powerful, and I love a rich narrative, but what really stuck with me were the illustrations. Whether that was Quentin Blake’s creepy characters for Roald Dahl or Pauline Baynes’ otherworldly sketches for C.S Lewis, art was how I immersed myself in these other worlds.
Although there’s been a meteoric rise of AI, vector design and movie-posters on book covers… I believe there are readers and authors out there who place value on original, artistic covers. I know this because I’ve had the honour to work for one of those authors, and I hear from those readers in my Instagram DM’s frequently! Not to mention, I’m one of those readers.
If you are one of those authors…
Let’s create your dream cover together.
What I Offer ~ Services
Whether you are looking for book cover art and design for physical or e-book covers, my services cover the following. Note that all projects include file prep in accordance with all print and digital requirements.
A hand-painted, story-driven artwork that captures the emotional soul of your book at first glance.
Front Cover
A visual echo of your story’s themes—perfect for deepening the reader’s connection beyond the final page.
Back Cover
Immersive illustrations that set the tone upon opening the book.
Endpaper
Chapter headings, spot illustrations, and accents that elevate your world-building from the inside out.
Internal Assets
My Brush, Your Story —
A Creative Philosophy
I’m a fine artist and illustrator with roots in traditional painting. I first learnt how to pour my oil paint palette and how to think about lighting and form in high school, and I’ve never looked back. Since then, I’ve experimented with every artistic medium under the sun — one of my favourite approaches to book cover art is to combine multiple mediums into the same piece. I love how dynamic and textural these pieces can turn out. As a book cover illustrator, my work begins on canvas and ends on book covers.
Magnolia Parks —
The Project That Bloomed
When I first moved out of home to a new city, I never could have dreamed that I would quickly not only meet my best friend, but my life co-collaborator — Jessa Hastings.
Neither of us had a clue about the publishing industry or what was expected from a book cover, but Jessa had a clear vision, and so I got to work. Jessa’s writing is poetic; she uses symbolism and metaphors, so we wanted to reflect this on the cover.
We leaned on visual languages and colour palettes that we felt captured both the romanticism and the heartbreak of the story. We hid a bunch of easter eggs throughout the cover. This meant that new readers were often confused (and sometimes mad?!) about the cover, but often, after they read the story, it made sense to them in a new light.
This experience shaped my style and approach to book cover design art, and I went on to work with Jessa on building a library of artistic book covers, which you can view here
