Cover & Layout Design
Design that frames your story and elevates the reading experience
At Blue Pencil, cover and layout design are core publishing disciplines, not afterthoughts. Every book we publish receives the same design attention, whether it’s a debut novel, a biography, or a coffee table book.
We offer professional book design services to independent authors, publishers, institutions, and organizations. Our approach aligns design with content, genre, and reader expectations resulting in books that look credible, professional, and compelling; both online and in print.
You don’t need to publish with us to work with us.
Your cover is the first pitch to readers, booksellers, and algorithms alike.
We design covers that are concept-driven, genre-appropriate, and market-aware. Every design decision communicates tone, theme, and positioning at a glance.
Our cover design services are available as standalone professional engagements for authors and publishers seeking high-quality, industry-aligned design.
Our approach
- Original cover concepts tailored to your manuscript
- Digital artwork and hand-drawn illustration styles
- Typography aligned with genre and readership expectations
Interior layout design
Good layout design disappears into the reading experience.
Our interiors are clean, readable, and visually balanced, with consistency maintained across chapters, sections, and formats. We design for both print and digital, ensuring seamless harmony between text, images, margins, and typography.
These services are also available to authors, publishers, and institutions as independent design assignments.
Our expertise
- Fiction & non-fiction
- Illustrated books & biographies
- Memoirs with photographs
- Travel books & image-rich publications
- Books on arts, music & cinema
- Unique & experimental book formats
Concept-led publications that move beyond conventional binding and linear structures. Designed as creative, tactile objects that invite alternative ways of reading, collecting, and engaging with content.
Our layouts ensure seamless harmony between text, fonts, images, margins, and typography.
Coffee table books & premium formats
Designed for presence, longevity, and visual impact.
We specialize in premium layouts for:
- Personal memoirs
- Biographies & alumni memoirs
- Product launch and event books
- Lifestyle magazines and newsletters
These projects demand a refined design sensibility, high production standards, and meticulous attention to detail. This is where we excel.
Ideal for publishers, curators, artists, and institutions seeking distinctive, thoughtfully designed formats.
Design standards
Across all projects, we focus on
Every project begins with understanding your manuscript, audience, and publishing goals. You receive professionally designed covers and interiors, with clear design rationale behind every choice, and industry-standard deliverables.
Get your book designed
Whether you’re an independent author, a publishing house, or an organization commissioning a book, we ensure your work is taken seriously at first glance and enjoyed page after page.
Talk to us about your cover and layout design requirements
Professional book design, without publishing obligations