Meet Ralph, Tellwell’s Creative Book Designer!

Mar 15,2024 / By Mark Mionda / No Comment

Introducing Ralph Cavero, one of our skilled in-house book designers! This March we’re shining a spotlight on the creative journey involved in designing authors’ books.

Join Ralph as he uncovers the secrets behind book covers.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’ve been happily married for 12 years and have three kids: two lovely daughters and an angel son. Spending meaningful time with my family is important for me.

I completed my bachelor’s in computer engineering with a focus on computer networking at the University of San Carlos. Music is a passion of mine—I enjoy all genres and can play the guitar. Sports, particularly basketball, captivate my interest, and I also have a fondness for art, including drawing, design, and decoration. Nature, with its lush greens and serene blues, holds a special place in my heart.

How did you start your journey as a book designer, and what drew you to working with Tellwell Publishing?

During my college years, I began developing my design skills by taking on commissioned projects in my spare time. Upon graduating, I decided to pursue a career in design, alongside managing computer shops and laboratories, driven by my deep fascination in the field.

I spent two years at Sunstar Publishing, followed by five years at Author Solutions Inc. Later, I joined Black Card Books for two years before settling into Tellwell, where I’ve been for the past three years. What attracted me to Tellwell was their commitment to valuing their employees. Even during the hiring process, I was impressed by their treatment of human resources. For me, work becomes less of a chore when you feel valued, acknowledged, and supported. Tellwell has demonstrated that it’s not just about what you contribute to the company, but also about receiving recognition and support that matches your hard work.

Meet the Team

How to choose an illustrator for your children’s book

Aug 30,2022 / By Monica Martinez / No Comment

Advice from Tellwell’s in-house illustrator Veronika Hipolito

Veronika Hipolito is Tellwell’s in-house illustrator. She is known for creating whimsical children’s book illustrations and beautiful cover designs. Her illustration style is magical, expressive, and free-flowing. Read on to hear her approach to working with authors as well as what authors should look for when choosing an illustrator for their children’s book.

Tell us about yourself.
I’m an illustrator and a painter. My concoction of surreal, detailed elements, dominantly on a blue colour palette accentuated with gold foils and ink, make the imagery stand out. This is also how I express my passion for merging culture and nature in every possible way.

What did you do before joining the Tellwell team?
I was a graphic artist and illustrator at a local newspaper. I’m also an art-event organizer who caters to both local and international creatives. I’m an active artist in the arts community participating in exhibits, art and literary conventions, and competitions.

Design Showcase

10 Book Cover Design Trends for 2022

May 14,2022 / By Monica Martinez / No Comment

Book covers are extremely important in capturing readers’ attention and evoking a feeling, mood, and overall sense of the book’s content. A great book cover will entice a reader to pick up your book and read it. The cover is the first impression of your book, a visual depiction of the contents inside.

Here are some of the biggest trends in book cover designs for 2022.

All of the book covers shown here were created by Tellwell.

1. Surrealism: One of the biggest cover design trends in 2022 is surrealism. 2020 and 2021 did feel like a dream after all, so it’s not surprising many books, and their covers, are creating a sense of an unreal, altered, and strange reality.

2. Partially hidden titles: Book titles that are partially blurred, blocked, cracked, and hidden to create a sense of mystique and suspense.

Meet the Team Tellwell Books

Meet Tellwell book-cover designer Benjam Mosquera and learn his favourite cover-design trend

Oct 15,2021 / By Monica Martinez / No Comment

Tellwell book-cover designer Benjam Mosquera has been a valued member of the Tellwell team since 2018. He has ten years of book-design experience and is passionate about creating covers that draw people in at first glance. Read on to learn Benjam’s favourite book cover-design trends and hear his advice to authors working with book designers for the first time.

What inspired you to become a book-cover designer?

I began my book-design career working as an interior book designer. I was really inspired seeing beautifully created cover designs by my teammates, in bookstores and online. It led me to learn how to artfully create book covers. I have been enjoying creating book covers for a decade now.

Where do you draw creative inspiration from?

I am often inspired by film posters. I’ll search for the designer’s name and look through their work for more inspiration.

What advice do you have for authors working with a book designer?

Clear instruction is really key. If an author has a specific vision for their book, then it’s important for the author to relay detailed instructions for the cover designer. That allows the designer to more easily visually interpret the instructions.

We are also creative individuals who love taking a concept and running with it. So if authors don’t have a clear vision for their book cover, that’s OK. That’s why we are here, to put in our professional touch and create magic. Showing covers that you love and want to emulate also go a long way.

Meet the Team

Tellwell designer Von on what makes a great book cover

Jun 24,2021 / By Monica Martinez / No Comment

Tellwell Book Cover Designer Von Langoyan

A really great book cover is one that captures the book inside it in some fundamental and, perhaps, unforeseen way.
Von Langoyan, Tellwell book cover designer

What do you enjoy most about designing book covers?

I enjoy the creative process of capturing and evoking the essence of a story through visuals. The cover needs to both intrigue a reader and give them a sense of the book’s genre and content. I enjoy staying up to date on design trends and using them in my process so our covers look fresh and contemporary.

Our authors sometimes have a vision for how they would like their covers to look, and I work with their input to create something they would love, and that is also captivating and current.

Where do you get your design inspiration?

Social media and the Internet, in general, are great for inspiration. I follow artists and designers who I admire to see what they are working on.

What have been some of your favourite covers that you’ve created for Tellwell? Tell us why.

I’ve had the pleasure of working on several book covers for the talented fiction author Monique Gliozzi, who lives in Australia. Monique’s books Foresight, Vestige and Diversity are paranormal thriller/mysteries and we wanted the covers to evoke a sense of supernatural spookiness.

Monique had a clear idea of what type of cover she wanted and provided us with really great, detailed instructions. I used a number of design elements to create a sense of haunting and mystique, such as the illusion of depth, partially hidden titles and objects, and surrealism.