They say our attention spans are shortening. In the age of X and Instagram, our appreciation for nuance has become limited. Some people even say that reading is a dying pastime. However, there is evidence that the book market is in poor health, which is good news for book cover illustrators.
Let’s look at the numbers. According to Publishers Weekly, U.S. book sales in 2025 were 762.4 million, up from 2023 or 2024 but still short of the 839.7 million books sold in 2021 due to lockdowns. In the UK, the NIQ report shows that the market will decline by 0.5% in 2025, but revenue will still reach £1.8 billion.
Reading culture is not dead; it is dying. People who just read are just reading, not wasting time on scrolls. If you do find them on social media, they’re likely centered around the BookTok and Bookstagram hashtags, devoted to popular reads like Rebecca Yarros’ Onyx Storm collection or Richard Osman’s mystery novels. In fact, growth in adult novel sales has been driven largely by two escapist genres—romance novels and cozy crime novels. Oh, and apparently, comfort fantasies are a thing, too.
As always, publishers need insightful illustrators to engage readers—whether through online platforms or in brick-and-mortar bookstores. The idea of books as objects of desire still reigns supreme, with high production values and beautiful artwork justifying high price points.
Senior British illustrator Sarah J Coleman said: “For me, the market is as active as ever and I can confidently point to BookTok, Bookstagram, lockdown, romance and reading becoming popular again as reasons for this.” “There have been some very successful film adaptations of bestsellers recently, such as One Day, The Heartbeater, Aristotle and Dante, etc. These works will always attract people to see the original, print edition and any back catalogue.”
We decided to ask a select group of illustrators how they approach book cover illustration and their experience in the field.
Mariana Tomaselli
Italian artist Marianna Tomaselli works in all areas of commercial illustration, including lifestyle imagery, packaging, entertainment and editorial projects. Book covers are therefore only one part of her repertoire, but it is an area where she is recognized for her ability to capture the atmosphere of a story or subject and put it into an image.
“My style is very vivid and atmospheric,” says Mariana. “I’m more interested in creating a mood than depicting a realistic scene. Working primarily digitally, I enjoy combining painting, composition and color to create covers that are elegant, timeless and emotionally engaging.”
Currently living in Milan, Mariana has been illustrating romance and suspense novels, and with a background in live-action and animation production, her focus when designing book covers is to make the period, genre and mood of a book clear at a glance. Martina Parker’s crime novel “Giardino con Delitto” is a good example.
“The author described it as ‘Italian fashion’ and joked that the corpse was well-dressed,” Mariana said. “So, I wanted the image to feel elegant but still clearly suggestive of a murder mystery. I chose the greenhouse environment because it was visually rich and interesting, and it allowed me to subtly hide the body. You can only see the feet.”
Sarah J Coleman
Sarah J Coleman (aka Inkymole) lives in the East Midlands, UK and has been a book cover illustrator since 1993 and is as busy as ever. She is one of the world’s most popular illustrators, and her calligraphy cover text blends elegantly with her gothic-style lines, often forming a killer combination. Her 50th anniversary cover for To Kill a Mockingbird is just one of the essays that made her famous in the publishing world.
While everything seems to have changed since she started illustrating, the book covers are still very similar. “If we talk about the basic requirements of a cover: it should hint at the content at a glance, it should convey the mood and essence of a book, it should catch the eye of potential readers, and it should provide clear title and author credit – although whether to do so and how readable it is is sometimes an aesthetic choice as well.”
However, as technology advances, the industry structure changes. There are still large publishers, but there are also writers and small presses who now enjoy more direct access to the market. “Technology and social media have empowered authors and provided an alternative to publishers producing physical books for sale, which means I now work directly with more authors rather than just publishers, something I would never have done 20 years ago,” says Sarah. “Many self-published authors need their help throughout the process, so it can feel more collaborative and like a journey you’re on together. Working both ways can be very enriching.”
Amanda Howell Whitehurst
Amanda Howel Whitehurst is an artist based in Jacksonville, Florida who often favors a mid-century retro style. Her portfolio features particularly pulp-style painted cover illustrations and images inspired by the Silver Age comic art of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The looks are a hit with clients and readers because she combines classic looks with modern stories and themes.
“I think they’re drawn to the nostalgia and warmth of these styles,” Amanda says. “There’s something comforting about familiar images, especially now. A lot of people are drawn to visuals that remind them of a time when things felt simpler and more purposeful. That’s definitely the case for me.”
The same comforting vibe can be seen on the cover of her Story of Imaginary Things, an image shortlisted for the 2025 World Illustration Awards in the Book Cover category. The artwork features artist Solange and its aesthetic is inspired by the Little Golden Books, a series of children’s books published in the United States dating back to the 1940s.
“I’ve always been drawn to the nostalgia of old-school children’s book illustrations and the sense of warmth, calm and comfort they bring,” says Amanda. “The goal was to translate these qualities visually and emotionally, making my book feel familiar, calming, yet deeply personal.”
Amanda works digitally but also uses oils and gouache paints.
Yang Xiaoxia
Dawn XT Yang is a name worth keeping an eye on, especially for book illustrations. In 2025, she received the Folio Award, an award given by the Folio Association, which reprints classic books with replete slipcases, high-quality bindings, and original illustrations. Last year’s challenge was to create an image for the fairy tale Rapunzel, which Dawn also took part in.
“To me, Rapunzel is more than just a fairy tale—it’s a metaphor for separation and escape from a toxic relationship or environment. I see the tower and the mother figure as symbols of control and emotional confinement. The moment Rapunzel cuts her hair is the turning point in the story. It’s the moment everything changes.”
You can see how she uniquely captured this moment in her illustrations, filled with shock, sadness, anger and fear, but also with a sense of awakening. According to Dawn, she poured all her emotions into the illustration. In fact, every book illustration introduction she tackles begins with the feelings the story evokes.
“After reading it, I asked myself: How did this book make me feel? Where did the emotional shift occur? What stayed in my mind?” said Dawn.
“I believe that a reader’s experience often reflects the first emotional impression. Illustrations are a form of visual communication, so it’s crucial to accurately convey the core emotion of the story. The most powerful covers don’t try to sum up everything – instead, they capture the emotional essence.”
Dawn is from China and based in New York.
Rohan Ethan
After studying fine printmaking and book arts, Rohan Eason has been a professional illustrator for over 20 years, with his work appearing in over 60 works of children’s and adult literature. His pen images sometimes look like etchings used in 19th century illustration, giving his work a traditional quality.
“It’s still very exciting for me to receive a brand new manuscript,” Rohan said. “It’s like being handed a plate of food you’ve never tasted. I love how my brain uses the words to draw pictures in my mind that can take shape on paper and start to bring new dimensions to the story.”
One of the London-based illustrator’s latest creations is a jacket designed by German author Imogen Rost for Silubra. “I let words do their work and trust my imagination to work its magic,” continues Rohan. “It’s a beautiful process, you never know where you’ll end up or what references your memory will choose to employ to describe the idea. So many avenues, options and possibilities, given enough time and space, all boil down to one clear idea. The idea is then tested and stretched, taken apart and exposed, its component parts thrown onto the page, until a beautifully balanced composition emerges, a calm solution, and a succinct message that speaks for itself.”
Finished cover and original artwork for The Haunted Forest
