Cover Design Contest

Post by Orange Blossom Publishing

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Orange Blossom Publishing
​Cover Design Contest 2022

Orange Blossom Publishing recently teamed up with First Institute’s Graphic Design and Web Development program to offer a Cover Design Contest. The participants were given the backstory of the upcoming novel Jaguars and Other Game by Brynn Barineau to create their vision of the perfect book cover. The winner of the cover design contest would win an internship opportunity with Orange Blossom Publishing.

Why a good book cover?

Book covers must attract the audience that the book is being written for. Keeping in mind Jaguars and Other Game is written with a lean to the female audience, the design elements must appeal to women. Often, in today’s market, books are being bought through Amazon and other online retailers. This means that the cover must be appealing at a thumbnail size as well as full print size. 

A well-designed book cover will create an emotional response in potential readers. It will be branded to meet industry standards for its genre. Book covers are the first visual representation of the author’s story and as such, must be engaging to the audience for which the book is intended. 

Awards Winners

There were several wonderful entries making the competition tough! 

​Beginning with the Honorable Mentions, I’d like to recognize Andrew Kinnick and Emily Llauro. Both offered intriguing designs that begged to be looked at for longer. 

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Emily Llauro used elements from the jungle alongside the jaguar itself to draw your attention immediately to the book. It was an excellent entry.

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Andrew Kinnick took a different approach and really focused on the strength he felt from the novel. Beautifully done as well. 

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The cover that was chosen as the best representation, and the winner of the 2022 Orange Blossom Cover Design contest is Maryam Amirian. 

Maryam's use of leaves, flowers, and color brought the book more in line with a female audience. The use of foliage to still give that jungle vibe, and the creative typeset that she used for the title, gave this design that little something extra.

It was a pleasure to receive submissions from the very talented students at F.I.R.S.T. Institute. Congratulations to the contest winner, and winner of the internship for graphic design Maryam Amirian. Welcome Aboard!

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Hello, I’m Andrew Kinnick. A resourceful graphic designer from Wheeling, WV. I design logos, print and packaging materials, and develop brand identities.
I have over 4 years of experience working as a graphic designer. Currently, I work as designer at the Times Leader, where my responsibilities include working with sales representatives to create ads for clients at 22 different newspapers. I’m deeply passionate about creating unique and effective designs that engage viewers and achieve the clients design goals.
In my free time, I like to keep busy with actives such as recording a video game podcast, and participating in a book club.
​I also like meeting new people. Feel free to reach out at [email protected]

Hello, my name is Emily A. Llauro and I am a graphic designer and digital illustrator.  I will be graduating from F.I.R.S.T. Institute with my diploma in Graphic Design and Web Development in July, 2022.  After graduation, I hope to combine my illustration and graphic design skills to create book covers, posters, and various other things. 
When I was a child, I participated in traditional drawing classes which sparked my desire to pursue art; however, I am mostly self-taught. I have always had a passion for creating illustrations, and now I can use my love for art to serve others.

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My name is Maryam Amirian. My passion for art developed in my early childhood from my father drawing different cars with chalk on asphalt and reading poems to me. I’ve been learning and studying art since I was seven, starting with drawing, painting, and calligraphy. After that, I went to college for traditional art and studied a wide variety of art. After my master's degree, I started working in the jewelry design field for over a decade. Right now, I am in school for graphic and web design because I was missing the digital aspect of art. All of that made me creative and detail-oriented.