Cover Design Unplugged
Robin Johnson
Senior Graphic Artist
Welcome to my little “behind the scenes” corner of the internet. This page is business casual, candid, and more personal than the rest of the site.
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If you’ve ever wondered how I got into cover design, what I’m like to work with, or what actually goes into doing this professionally, you’re in the right place.
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So how did I get started?
Back in 2010, I was a blogger and book reviewer, and I was pretty prolific. At the same time, I was already a designer and printer, so naturally I ran a business card contest for authors. The author who won loved the cards so much she asked, “Can you do a book cover?”
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My answer was basically: “In theory, yes. I should be able to. And if you don’t like it, don’t pay me.”
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​That first cover turned into a working relationship that lasted more than 15 years. One small blog post opened an entirely new creative world for me. One I honestly didn’t have access to when I was doing purely promotional marketing and print design.
And then it just… grew.
Since then, I’ve designed for hundreds of self published and traditional authors, including powerhouse names like Lori Foster, Aurrora St. James, Jill Shalvis, Pepper North, Christine Feehan, and many, many more. I’ve also been lucky enough to collaborate with many book industry conventions. I'm a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association.
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Somewhere along the way, cover design became more than a service. It became the kind of work that genuinely feeds my creativity.
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What you should know about me as a designer...
I know the industry. I know genres. I know what readers respond to. I’m also an avid reader of romantic fiction across most subgenres, so I’m constantly paying attention to what’s trending and what’s resonating.
I’ve spoken at conferences, visited writer groups, and contributed to books about marketing. It’s a genuine joy that this gets to be part of my job.
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On the technical side, I work on a Mac mini using Adobe Creative Suite, with Photoshop as my home base. I also use multiple AI platforms in my workflow and business practices, always as tools to support my own direction and decisions. I call ChatGPT “Alfred,” like Batman’s butler. It’s nice to have a partner to bounce ideas off of, even if it’s technically just zeros and ones.
I work from a home office in sunny Florida, but I was born and raised in Minnesota. And truly, design has been my career in one form or another for as long as I can remember.
Yes, I still do print design!
While cover design is a big part of what I’m known for, I still offer promotional marketing and professional printing through Florida Girl Design Inc. And honestly, a lot of that work is for authors now, too. My coloring bookmarks are particularity popular.
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A little personal, since we’re here.
I’m lucky enough to work with my daughter, Portia, she handles the behind-the-scenes accounting and tax support so I can stay focused on the creative work (where I belong). She’s currently attending Florida State University studying public health, and my son Indy, is finishing his master’s in Computer Information Sciences. I’ve been incredibly blessed and I’m a very proud mom.
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Outside of work, I’m a big animal supporter and currently care for 13 rescued cats and one stray. I love tattoo art and graffiti, and my tattoo collection keeps growing. And if you add travel, the ocean, mermaids, and coffee… that’s my happy place.
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If you’ve read this far…
You probably care about who you hire, not just what you hire them for. I love that. If you’re thinking about working together, send an email and tell me what you’re creating. I’ll point you to the right service, ask the right questions, and make the process easy.
