Kari Brownlie

Kari Brownlie – Designer

I am an experienced book cover designer. My work covers a wide range of fiction and non fiction genres, using illustration and photography.

Overview

I am an experienced Graphic Designer specialising in book design. I have over twenty years experience of working in publishing. I have worked in-house for Bloomsbury, Simon and Schuster and Oxford University Press.


My freelance clients include Atlantic, Legend Press, Berlin, Head of Zeus, Honno, Aderyn, Fly on the Wall, RedDoor Press, Canongate, Harper Collins, Birlinn, Orion and Hay House. My work covers a wide variety of fiction and non fiction genres.


When beginning a project I will read the manuscript if possible and discuss with the client. I work in both photographic and illustrative styles depending on what suits the brief. I am experienced in working with Amazon and IngramSpark and at the end of a project I will deliver quality files for printing or ebooks.


My services include:

- illustrations

- photo collage

- paperback cover including front, back and spine

- hardback cover including front, back, spine and dust jacket

- ebook cover

- audiobook cover

- 3D book cover mockup

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Home & Garden Psychology
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery & Crime Women's Fiction
Languages
English

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2010 — Present

Bloomsbury Publishing

Jan, 2007 — Oct, 2010 (over 3 years)

Simon and Schuster

Feb, 2004 — Jan, 2007 (almost 3 years)

Portfolio

The Interpreter from Java

Birney, Alfred

Cover Design
Seventies

Howard Sounes

Cover Design
Mesmerised

Shine, Michelle

Cover Design
Made with Reedsy
The Chameleon Killer Mystery (SeeMS Detective Agency Book 4)

Cheyne, Gina

Made with Reedsy
The Mystery of the Homeless Man (SeeMS Detective Agency Book 3)

Cheyne, Gina

Cover Design
THIS THING OF DARKNESS

Nicola Edwards

Cover Design
Made with Reedsy
Resurrecting Jack

Laine, Tua

Cover Design
Made with Reedsy
Take the Plunge

Carew, Susan

Cover Design
Made with Reedsy
The Completists

Wilde, Sarah

Cover Design
Made with Reedsy
A Leaf in a Small Town

Yin, Hana

Cover Design
Made with Reedsy
When We Were Mothers: A Dystopian Novel

Kadilak, Nicci

Cover Design
The Unmaking of Ellie Rook

Sandra Ireland

Cover Design
Poster Boy

NJ Crosskey

Cover Design
The Bureau of Second Chances

Sheena Kalayil

After more than thirty years in London, recently widowed Thomas Imbalil returns to India. He spends his first months in uncluttered isolation in his house overlooking the Arabian Sea, in a sma... read more
Cover Design
The Inheritance

Sheena Kalayil

as new unused
Cover Design
The Boy with Blue Trousers

Carol Jones

Cover Design
Skin

Liam Brown

A strange virus is sweeping the globe. Humans have become allergic to one another. Simply standing next to somebody could be a death sentence. A kiss could be fatal.Angela is a woman trying to... read more
Cover Design
Burnt Shadows

Kamila Shamsie

In a prison cell in the US, a man stands trembling, naked, fearfully waiting to be shipped to Guantanamo Bay. How did it come to this? he wonders. August 9th, 1945, Nagasaki., Hiroko Tanaka st... read more
Cover Design
The Hidden Horticulturalists

Fiona Davison

In 2012 whilst working at the Royal Horticultural Society's library, Fiona Davison unearthed a collection of handwritten letters that dated back to 1822. The letters, each carefully set out in... read more
Cover Design

Kari has 38 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Jeremy C.

Jeremy C.

May, 2025

I have enjoyed working with Kari on cover design from the start. I was particularly impressed by her offer to read the entire novel before deciding on cover illustrations. The ensured that her covers were based on real knowledge of the novel. It was interesting and instructive to see how she inte...
Read more
Michelle C.

Michelle C.

May, 2025

Kari is absolutely amazing! She brings such a fresh persepective to every project, and yet she fundamentally understands industry trends. Would recommend her to anyone!
Michelle C.

Michelle C.

Feb, 2025

Kari is simply the best! She is able to take a book and really capture the heart and essence of the story on the cover. She is extremely patient and willing to work with the author to get the best possible result. I highly recommend her!
Judy S.

Judy S.

Dec, 2024

I love that Kari provided me with a variety of cover designs. My cover is professional looking, beautiful, and very representative of the story. She provided files for all my formats. She was flexible with my timeline and provided updated files when I needed changes. Highly recommended.
Chris P.

Chris P.

Dec, 2024

Kari was excellent! She took all of my ideas and somehow made them come out into the final product. She presented me with multiple ideas to run past my friends and family. HIGHLY recommed.

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