Can you judge a book by its cover?

That’s what cover designers aim for — creating a cover so amazing that the people who would want to read the book are drawn to pick it up. And covers are probably the most-seen parts of books — the book’s visual identity.

Today, we talk to Colleen AF Venable, Art Director at Odd Dot, about why cover design is important, and about how the process works for her and for the author (which as an author herself, she has a lot of experience with).

Find out more about Colleen online (and share in some of her cover design adventures) on Twitter at @colleenaf.

Alison Wilgus is a writer, editor and cartoonist; her comics have been published by First Second, Dark Horse, DC, Del Rey and Nickelodeon Magazine, and she’s currently working on a graphic novel duology with Tor. You can find her online @aliwilgus

Gina Gagliano is the Publishing Director of Random House Graphic, Random House’s dedicated imprint for comics for kids and teens, and has worked with organizations like the Brooklyn Book Festival, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and the Toronto Comics Art Festival to coordinate programming and media. You can find her online @_GinaGagliano.

Thoughts? Feedback? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Twitter at @GraphicNovelTK.