Podcast Summary: Bad On Paper – "How A Book Cover Gets Made with Molly von Borstel"
Date: September 3, 2025
Hosts: Becca Freeman & Olivia Muenter
Guest: Molly von Borstel (Book Cover Designer, Faceout Studio)
Overview
In this episode, Becca and Olivia dive deep into the fascinating and often under-discussed world of book cover design. They’re joined by acclaimed book cover designer Molly von Borstel, the creative force behind numerous high-profile covers—including the paperback redesign of Olivia’s novel, Such a Bad Influence, and The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. Together, they discuss how a book cover gets made, the realities of working with publishers, the creative process, and the evolving trends influencing the look and feel of the books we love.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Molly’s Career Path into Book Cover Design
- Molly shares her journey from being a small-town art lover to a book cover designer (12:51).
- She didn’t know book cover design was a career option, initially considering branding or packaging.
- Discovering Faceout Studio—a specialized design agency—inspired her to pursue this niche.
"I grew up in a small town, had no idea what graphic design was. But I love my art classes and I had a great art teacher... I started diving into that and thought, I could do this for sure."
— Molly (12:51)
2. How Faceout Studio Works & the Publisher Relationship
- Faceout Studio operates as an independent agency working with publishers big and small across genres (15:10).
- Publishers may use external agencies when their in-house teams are overloaded or if a specific visual specialty is desired (16:06).
- Projects are assigned to individual designers, who shepherd each cover from initial comp to final approval.
3. The Step-by-Step Book Cover Design Process
- Brief & Kickoff: Designers receive a project brief with a synopsis, specs, design inspiration, and sometimes direct phone calls for clarity (19:22).
- Comps Creation: Designers usually create three unique cover concepts (20:59).
- Presentation & Feedback: Internal studio review, then presentation to publishers. There are often many voices involved before the author sees anything (17:53, 22:01).
- Author Involvement: Typically, authors have input only after internal and publisher review; the process can vary—Olivia describes seeing two options for her paperback (21:06).
4. Navigating Opinions & Feedback
- Multiple stakeholders (marketing, editorial, sales, etc.) weigh in, leading to covers being tweaked, sometimes against the designer’s original preferences (27:21, 28:12).
- Designers must develop thick skin and the flexibility to adapt their vision.
"That's one of the tougher parts about this job... to have a little bit of a thick skin and also be able to not hold so tightly onto a project and be willing to kind of go with the flow."
— Molly (27:21)
- Both authors and designers liken the revision process to editing a manuscript—feedback is often non-prescriptive, and collaboration is key (32:16, 34:06).
5. Market Trends & the Influence of Genre
- Trends such as "cartoon romance covers" dominate until exhausted; market and sales departments heavily influence visual direction (37:49, 40:19).
- “Purposeful cover confusion”—copycat covers—sometimes arise when publishers try to mimic successful books (37:53).
- Molly and the hosts discuss how covers communicate genre and appeal to book buyers who may know nothing about the book otherwise (36:00, 37:27).
6. Balancing Originality with Commercial Needs
- While designers crave originality, there’s pressure to create covers that clearly signal genre and appeal broadly (37:49, 42:05).
"We want something completely original... But then we don't have that brain that's thinking about marketing and sales and what's doing well out there."
— Molly (37:49)
- Sometimes, established authors can "break the mold" with more unique covers (42:30-43:30).
7. Favorite Book Covers & Inspiration
- Molly’s current favorite cover: The Long Con by Jenna Voris—she describes the complex photo compositing involved (44:53).
- The panel discusses their personal favorite covers and how subjective cover appeal can be (46:08–47:04).
"That line, 'Don’t judge a book by its cover.' We hope you do so well."
— Molly (47:50)
- They highlight the influence of reading tastes and genre cues in how covers are received.
8. Design Trends & Looking Forward
- Larger, bolder type and more electric colors are trending, driven by the need for covers to stand out as thumbnails online (51:52).
- Special print treatments (sprayed edges, foils) are increasingly popular for physical books (52:39).
- The visual economy of e-commerce is changing priorities—small, delicate layouts are often discouraged (53:09).
"Sometimes a project will lend itself...to have, like, a small, quiet title, but a lot of times anymore, it's like, this looks beautiful, but when we shrink it down... you can’t see it at all."
— Molly (53:09)
9. Social Media, Side Projects, and Creative Stretching
- Molly discusses embracing Instagram and creative side projects, such as designing book covers inspired by Taylor Swift songs (49:44–51:05).
- These personal projects offer creative freedom—“no opinion but your own on the cover” (50:37).
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On the emotional toll of creative feedback:
"I do remember first starting out, being crushed by things that I thought were a done deal... Every now and then, you still work on that project... and then they come back and want to tweak some things or gut it."
— Molly (29:49) -
On who really chooses the cover:
"That line, 'Don’t judge a book by its cover.' We hope you do so well."
— Molly (47:50) -
On purposeful cover mimicry:
"When we get a project brief...with cover inspiration attached, we have to take that with a little bit of a grain of salt. Are they putting this in because this is just a really popular book right now?"
— Molly (38:49) -
On market pressure vs creative exploration:
"We love when we get a project brief that says: let’s break the mold of what’s already been done... Sometimes, let's break the mold on one cover and see if we can get it through all the way to the end."
— Molly (42:05)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Molly’s Background & Path to Book Covers – 12:31–14:26
- How Faceout Studio Works with Publishers – 15:10–16:36
- Detailed Book Cover Design Workflow – 18:51–20:59
- Author vs Publisher Role in Covers – 21:06–23:31
- Handling Multiple Opinions and Feedback – 27:21–34:53
- Market Trends, Copycat Covers & Genre Signifiers – 37:27–41:44
- Breaking the Mold with Creative Briefs – 42:05–43:30
- Favorite Covers & Subjectivity in Design – 44:34–47:50
- Trends for the Future: Bold Type, Electric Colors & Print Specialties – 51:52–53:38
- Creative Exploration on Instagram & Taylor Swift Projects – 49:44–51:33
Closing & Where to Find Molly
- Molly shares her handles and where to see her work:
- Instagram: @MVBcreate
- Studio: Faceout Studio (@faceoutstudio)
- She encourages creatives to experiment, stay playful, and find joy in collaboration.
Final Thoughts
This episode offers a rare, honest peek behind the curtain of an often-mysterious aspect of publishing. Whether you’re a reader, writer, or designer, you’ll come away with new appreciation for every cover you see—and the many creative, commercial, and personal forces shaping it.
For more bookish chat and updates, follow Bad On Paper on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast and join their Facebook Group!