Melody Godfred contacted me out of the blue to redesign the cover of her novel The Agency. In it, a woman lives a double life as both a CIA and high-powered Hollywood agent (Two jobs? What's that like?) and, eventually, her worlds collide. Fun stuff. One of the quickest and most pain-free jobs I've taken on, too.

In case you didn't know, November is National Novel Writing Month. Full details are available here. Lead by the Inimitable John Gall, book designers are asked to participate in the 30 Covers 30 Days challenge in which three book synopses are sent out and we are given 24 hours to complete a cover design for the novel of our choosing. Below is my hasty design for Acile's novel, Crow City. But first, the brief:

What happens when a lonely Philosophy student whose disillusioned world view sends him into regular fits of cynicism meets a man who wants to be the prettiest face in town? They make a deal to reintroduce said philosophy student into society.

What follows is a whirlwind of coffee shop pranks, night clubs, sparkle, glitter and discussions about the very nature of mankind. But Alexis doesn’t take it well at all. Memories from the one girl he wanted to forget come to the surface. He sees her in the wooden figurine of a Japanese cat, sees himself in the crows on the rooftops, wishing for black wings to carry him away…

Will he survive in the big city? Or will he succumb to the desire of letting himself fall—and testing if he can really grow wings?



Footnote: I actually spent almost all of my allotted time trying to crack a different cover brief but as I was going nowhere fast I switched gears, and briefs, giving myself a luxurious 90 minutes to complete the cover above.