From Chaos to Cover: The Story Behind My Book Design

The mistakes, the meltdowns, the breakthroughs, and the dreamy cover that finally emerged

At this point, I really thought I had nailed it. Spoiler: I hadn’t

The Process

When it came time to design my book cover, I felt a ton of pressure. I already knew how important a cover is, it’s the very first impression, the main marketing piece that tells readers whether they should pick up the book or not. It needed to make an impact, and honestly, that felt intimidating at first.

I’m not sure if most illustrators start their cover before finishing the book, but for me, the cover didn’t come until after the story and illustrations were complete. I had a few ideas swirling in my head, but what really helped was wandering through bookstores, studying covers, and noticing which ones caught my eye.

An earlier illustration I created in 2018 that inspired one of my book cover ideas

I began sketching different concepts and was even inspired by an illustration I created years ago. That piece carried the vibe of “creating your own light from within,” which felt aligned with the heart of my story.

My close up book cover option 1

My landscape book cover option 2

My first sketch leaned into a close-up of the main character, giving it a more personal, intimate feel  like you were face-to-face with her. My second idea went the opposite direction: a wide, dreamy landscape scene. Since many of my favorite pages in the book are scenic spreads, and my friends also loved those, I thought it could be powerful. But after sketching, it didn’t feel quite right, so I decided to let the idea rest.

Sketch that inspired my final cover design

A few days later, inspiration struck when I revisited an old illustration from 2018 called Levitating. The concept was about emotions floating upward, and I thought “what if my main character was floating through space, almost like a shooting star?” In the story, she does fall through space, but I wanted the cover to radiate warmth and positivity. Through my research, I learned that parents often gravitate toward covers with uplifting energy, since they want reassurance that a children’s story will have a happy ending.

So I kept sketching, and that’s when it clicked. The image began to take on the feeling of being inside a safe, glowing space almost womb-like, dreamy, and protected. Suddenly it all made sense: this was the cover. It perfectly symbolized the idea of creating your own magical world from within, a place where the main character feels loved, safe, and free to dream.

Final book cover sketch

Message of the book I wanted to convey 

The main message I wanted to share through this book is: “You have the power to create your own magical world inside of you.” No matter what’s happening around you, the most important thing is to discover your own light from within, or as I like to say, your own world from within.

Whether you’ve lost someone special or just feel out of place, the key is learning to find stillness. Real change in your outer world always begins with your inner world.

This lesson is deeply personal to me. I’ve felt lonely, lost, and even depressed at times. I spent years traveling the world alone searching for answers, only to realize that happiness doesn’t come from the places you visit (even though traveling is one of my greatest joys) it comes from within. Along the way, I turned to countless self-help books, and some that shaped me most were The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza.

One of the main reasons I chose children’s illustration is because I want kids to grow up with these lessons about mental health early on, so they don’t have to feel as lost or confused as I once did. My hope is that this book plants those seeds of inner strength and self-discovery in a way that feels magical and uplifting.

This was where I was currently at with my book cover, I still love it but that white spine felt tacky and the front and back cover colors were a bit “Off”

The Hardcover Disaster📦

At this point, I really thought my book cover was done. I had received the paperback proof from IngramSpark, and honestly? I loved it. The hand-lettered title, the calm little illustration, the dreamy colors, it felt just right.

Then the hardcover arrived. 😬

There is a huge white line going down the end of the book not to mention a plain white line along the spine of the book

As you can see in the pictures, the whites at the edges of the book showed through as thick, glaring lines that instantly cheapened the whole look. To make matters worse, the spine of my paperback was basically just a split white strip. I told myself it was fine (because honestly, I was tired) until someone pointed out a tiny spelling mistake on the back cover. All I had to do was change “Starlight” to “Starlit” for grammar but that small catch sent me spiraling.

Suddenly, the cover didn’t feel done at all.

My opening the package of the hardcover book that will have the main books on my website!

In desperation, I even tried using AI to extend the artwork, but it flopped hard. The results were clunky and soulless, which actually reassured me AI might be decent at ideas and layouts, but when it comes to hand-drawn illustration, it just doesn’t compare.

1st attempt at using AI to fill in the spine

2nd attempt at using AI to fill in the spine

So, I scrapped it and decided to start fresh. I redrew the shapes, kept my colors and textures, and worked through the night. I thought I had nailed it (again), even ordered copies, then canceled immediately after because… something just felt off. I kept comparing it to my earlier version and realized I missed the depth of the colors and how the textures glowed.

Cue: endless rounds of tweaking. I don’t even remember how many versions I made probably 5 or 6 but each one got me closer. I refined the text, removed the glowing effect (it made things look fuzzy), darkened the background for contrast, and finally enlarged the title for readability. Near the end of this process, I also decided to remove the stars. As much as I love adding little details, I realized they were cluttering the design. Once I took them out, the cover instantly looked cleaner and more polished it was one of those “less is more” moments that totally elevated the final look.

And then, finally, it clicked.

The cover wrapped perfectly around the book, the colors felt alive, the textures shone through, and the text popped in exactly the right way. After all the chaos, cancellations, and panic attacks it was worth it. Good things do take time, and this cover taught me that perfection isn’t about speed; it’s about persistence and love for the process.

This was the first cover I (almost) ordered but I didn’t like that you couldn’t see much of the beautiful textures like in the previous one around the outter ball and the edges felt too yellow, I prefered the light blue color.

This was the second round where I almost hit ‘order,’ but I didn’t love how dark the girl looked, it felt like she was hiding in the shadows. This was also the stage where I started experimenting with removing the stars.

Here’s the final version! I reworked the text so it balances across both sides more evenly, and I brightened both the title and the girl so they stand out as the main focus. You can also see all the textured shading coming through beautifully now and without the stars, nothing is distracting from the design. I'm slowly learning less is more!

Finalizing the cover

I really love this cover because it captures such a peaceful, meditative energy. The colors and overall vibe feel so aligned with the heart of the story, almost like a window into the world inside the book. My hope is that it not only inspires you but also sparks ideas for how you might approach your own book cover, letting it reflect both the story and the feeling you want to share with the world.

My book is officially coming out on November 1st and will be available on Amazon, my website, and Barnes & Noble. I’m beyond excited to share it because it feels so authentic to who I am and the message I want to put into the world. This book is filled with love, wanderlust, and a touch of otherworldly magic;  the kind of feeling you get when you’re exploring new places and seeing the world with fresh eyes. Creating it has been such a healing experience, and my hope is that it offers that same sense of wonder to you. Thank you for being part of this journey with me, your support truly means the world.💖