Thank you for your interest.
As of June, 2023, at the age of 73yrs, I have chosen to retire
and am no longer designing book covers and interiors.
Thank you for your support over the years.
I wish you all best success.
Past clients:
My backups are no longer available. Please check the final zip you were sent with the pdf for any files you might need.
When I started doing book design in the late 1990s, I never would have believed how rewarding the process would become for me. Meeting new authors, coaches and small businesses, sharing your passions and helping you create the book, product or service you’ll love… all this makes my day, every day.
Author Testimonials
Self Publishing Works…
“Karrie Ross, book design services offer quality, creativity, attention to deadlines, striking designs and reasonable pricing partnered with conscientious business professionalism. She makes you and your book look great.”
Dan Poynter,
The Self-Publishing Manual
“Every once in a while there is magic in collaboration. Working with Karrie, answering her probing questions, thinking about cover design in a more creative way has been an education, adventure, and delight. The cover of my new book “GUTSY: How Women Leaders Make Change” is more than I expected. If you want things done perfectly and on time, go Karrie!!”
Sylvia Lafair, Ph.D.
Book Cover Design
“GUTSY”
(photoshop alacarte)
FYI: My book is also now on the featured table at a local, independent bookstore… the owners said it was the best quality self-published book they have seen! Thank you, again ;o)
Bonnie Gallup
“Leaders Don’t Have to be Superheroes”
Book Cover & Interior Design
(photoshop mask, background)
“Hi Karrie, I wanted to write and tell you what a great experience and great results I had working with you on the cover for my first book. Your design ideas were really great, both taking my ideas and bringing your own. I love the cover we chose. I was also really glad I arranged for consulting time. Your design input on the interior design were invaluable, and when I flip through my book, I am really grateful I had your coaching. And even better than the experience are the results, as a result of working with you, I just signed a contract to write a new book. I know I would never have gotten this great opportunity if your work on my first book hadn’t been so great and created such a professional looking book. I look at other self-published works and really think the majority of their presentations fall far short of the mark. Thanks to you, a first time author like me can have a full-fledged professional looking book and also an contract for her next book.” Thank you!
Anne Lang
Book Cover Design & Consulting on Interior Design
“The Prepper’s Pantry”
(photoshop of 4 images)
“Karrie Ross has a winning combination of talent, enthusiasm, and motivation. She made the process of self-publishing my first book easier with her experience and guidance. Karrie listened carefully to what was important to me and translated it into a beautiful cover for my book. To say I was happy with the result is a huge understatement. I look forward to working with her again on my next project.”
Take care,
Suzanne Johnson
“Forty Lives”
Book Cover Design
(photoshop of 2 images to make cover)
Karrie Ross is a revelation! Full of insight and experience, she held my hand through my first self-publishing venture and made it (almost) painless. I recommend her highly for her professionalism, her joy in her art and her willingness to share what she knows.
Linda Bergman,
Book Cover and Interior Design
“So You Think Your Life’s A Movie?”
(photoshop of 4 images to make cover)
Hi Karrie, Just a quick note to tell you how much I love the book cover you designed for my new book. It is absolutely amazing!
The cover perfectly captures the essence and feel of the book. The feedback thus far has been phenomenal. I am so glad I went ahead and had you design the interior as well; now the book truly looks professional and “finished”. I wouldn’t do another one without you. Thank you again for the time you spent with me working. I learned a lot and am excited to work with you on my next one.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Davis
author, Refusing To Lose
Book Cover and Interior Design
Charlyn’s Book on ABC-TV “View from the Bay”
Dear Karrie,I have been on a two-week media tour for the book. Here is one of the TV segments. The cover of the book with your name look great! Thanks for your contributions to its success! http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/storysection=view_from_the_bay/everything_else&id=7272133
Thanks so much! Your cover is beautiful on TV.
We are working on the next book. I will be back in touch within the month. It will be great to work with you again….
My best,
Charlyn Belluzzo
“Amorosa Bella”
Book Cover Design and Interior Design
“I have found Karrie Ross to be totally proficient and professional in her ability to design a top quality cover for my book “Holocaust Exposed: The Bible Enigma.” I was in a bit of a desperate strait when it was decided days before printing that my book cover needed a make-over. I found Karrie’s web site easily and received a reply to my query within hours. Within a few days Karrie had furnished me with a very good cover that now gives justice to the content of the book. I don’t hesitate to recommend Karrie Ross as the person you need for producing a high standard cover design for your book.”
Pastor Nigel Woodley
New Zealand
Book Cover Design
“Why use a book designer in California when I live in Sweden? Because Karrie Ross is quicker, more professional and more creative than the designers down the street. I prize speed, forthrightness, and total professionalism and you get that with Karrie. Her design for my latest book, brochure and website, is straightforward, selling and simple. It sets just the right tone for what I wanted to achieve. Karrie is effective and efficient, always helpful, aside from being a pleasure to work with. Karrie comes highly recommended from my outpost in Scandianvia and I look forward to working with her again.”
John Steinberg, Sweden
Book Cover and Interior Design, Brochure, Website
I loved my inaugural adventure with Karrie as a first time Author and Publisher. Karrie has an Innate Gift of co-creation. She listened for and honored what was most important to my vision while guiding me and suggesting how to professionally present my book’s message and my brand image. Karrie, You Are Positively Brilliant!”
Peter J. Reding
“Positively Brilliant Self-mastery”
Book Cover & Interior
“Karrie, your book cover design is beyond all my expectations. I am absolutely thrilled with your creativity and the ingenious manner in which your design summed up the essence of my message. Now my book is truly a dream package – both inside and out. Thank you!”
Tania Gabrielle
‘The Unrevealed Secrets of Political Success’
Cover & Interior
“The book cover Karrie designed captured the essence of PeaceMaker, my speculative thriller. She’s very talented and guided me through the process of designing a cover. Plus Karrie’s fun to work with!”
Dan Ronco
“PeaceMaker”
Book Cover (photoshop of 3 images to make cover)
“This was my first workbook cover. I did several drafts of my own, looked at what some of my colleagues had done, I also looked at lots of other cover artists but I really feel that Karrie’s work is head and shoulders above them. The simple fact is that Karrie has a God given talent for conveying the core message to the reader through her cover designs.
All the reader has to do is simply look at the cover and they automatically have a feel for the ingredients and flavor of it’s content. The cover Karrie created for my book, Finding Time For Fitness NOW! surpassed my expectations. I will gladly have Karrie create the covers for all my future books!”
Hank Uhlaender
Workbook Book Cover Series Design,
and Website: Fitness and Dieting ebooks
“Karrie, Thank you so much for your creativity and dedication to shaping the appearance of the interior and exterior of my future book. Because of you, I’m more excited about the possibilities.”
Bridgette L. Collins
Imagine Living Healthier
Book Cover and Interior Design
“Karrie did a great job designing my dust jacket and interior layout. Her patience and attitude made things so much easier for me. I’m very pleased with the results and I would recommend Karrie to those needing the jacket design and interior layout design services for their new book.”
Troy Tate,
The DNA of Successful Leaders
Book Cover and Interior Design, and CD Case
Design Consultation: Client was looking for design consultation.
“I found Karrie to be extremely helpful, knowledgeable and patient, considering I was a complete newbie to this area of expertise. Her advice was specific to my needs, and we managed to pack a lot into an hour. Having the recorded version to review a second time was invaluable. Thank you very much.”
—Diane Roberts, Author, BC, Canada
“Karrie Ross is a creative maven of cover design. She listen’s, questions, suggests, helps you zero in on what is important, and then points you toward the images you may want to consider for your cover. It’s a collaboration that produces amazing results. My cover far exceeds anything I remotely considered on my own.
Karrie also did my interior design and I couldn’t be happier with the process and result. The interior and cover files she provided were exactly what my printer needed and the upload and production process was seamless. That was very important to me as a new author feeling my way through the process for the first time.
She is a true professional and a delight to work with. Karrie will be the first person I contact with any future work, and I highly recommend her services.”
Jim McCulloch; Author of “Fracture Gradient”
“Thank you, Karrie, for giving me personal and five-star quality service on my first self publishing project. I found your advice invaluable and the cover you designed captured exactly the effect I was hoping to achieve. I appreciate your knowledge sharing and your professional and prompt manner of doing business. Looking forward to working with you on my next book!”
Glenn Damato
Book Cover Design
“Breaking Seas” a memoir (photoshop of 2 images)
Karrie did a wonderful job from concept to completion.
Book Cover Design
Itsy Leiberman
“60 Years Young with Itsy”
“It is my pleasure to recommend Karrie Ross. When Karrie and I spoke about collaborating on the design of my book, “The Responsibility Rules: Living a Self-Disciplined Life in a Self-Entitled World,” I knew that I had connected with someone who would take time to understand what I was trying to achieve and even more importantly, how I wanted to reach those goals. Karrie was extremely patient with me as a first time author and held my hand through the entire process. I am very pleased with the results and have received kudos for the book’s design.”
Susan Dench
Book Cover & Interior Design
“The Responsibiltiy Rules”
Karrie Ross boldly accepted the challenge of designing a cover for me, for a book which deals with sensitive subject matter~~the catastrophic loss of my only child.
What Karrie created for my written tribute to my daughter is the epitome of what I was after~~a tasteful cover, in soft colors, to sensitively convey the potent mixture of love, gratitude and grief we feel when traumatic loss becomes ours.
Thank you, Karrie, for being so wonderful to work with, and for the beautiful cover you designed for “Dear Mallory”.
Lisa Richards, L.C.S.W.
Book Cover Design (photoshop of 3 images)
“Dear Mallory: Letters to a Teenage Girl Who Killed Herself”
“Karrie Ross is truly an amazing woman. — When you first encounter Karrie, your worries fortuitously lift regarding the uncertainty in the world of designing and formatting. You know you have met the right person for the job. As you work with Karrie, her personality unfolds and professionalism prevails, validating that auspicious first encounter. And now, you know you have been blessed with a gift. — You witness her creativity, experience her professional know-how, and realize her diverse understanding of the media realm. Your project is treated with respect and priority, no matter how busy she is. You are treated with professionalism and courtesy, no matter how inexperienced you are! — Karrie is a great communicator, timely, and will guide you through your designing process with ease.
I am so grateful to have met Karrie and will use her on all of my projects.
Susan Frailey RN, BSN
Book Cover and Interior Design
Book Interior for a 194 page Coaching Program Workbook for Principals
” ‘Magician’,” is the word that comes to mind when I reflect on my 7-day “please-fix-this-mess-I’m-in” journey working with Karrie Ross. I came to Karrie in a complete panic. My previous publishing consultant abruptly notified me, after many weeks on the project, they would not finish the interior formatting just days before I needed to place my order for the books! After a desperate Internet search, I found Karrie and “presto!” she pulled a rabbit out of her hat and saved my day! I was under the illusion that putting all of my pages for my “No Principal Left Behind” coaching workbook together again was going to be an impossible task until Karrie waved her wand and made her magic real to me. It was the most pleasant and professional experience I could have asked for. Her work is phenomenal and she exceeded all of my expectations!”
Melody Dawson
Lovelady School Leadership
“I had a deadline for my book, “Therapy at Lightning Speed”: Case Studies of EMDR and contacted Karrie. She responded immediately from the outset and continued to do so throughout the process. Thanks to her help, the book got produced with a great design inside and out. Because of her efficiency and responsiveness, I made my deadline and ended up with a great product. Karrie is definitely a book designer who works at lightning speed!”
Dr. Rachel B. Aarons LCSW
Book Cover and Interior Design
“Karrie designed the cover and interior of my book, Mom and Dad, Can I Have the Keys to the Universe? She selected the typefaces used and incorporated the illustrations beautifully, both on the cover and for chapter headings and visual breaks. She “got” my vision for the book and made it even better than I’d hoped for. Beyond that, she kept the project on track and on time, and kept me sane with her patient answers to my many questions. It’s true: when you write a book, it’s a lot like giving birth to a baby. Karrie was an ideal midwife.”
Yvonne Aileen, Author and Transformational Speaker; founder of “I Can Do Anything” Seminars for teens and preteens Book Cover Design and Interior Design
“Why do you hire a book cover designer? You want peace of mind, timely turnaround, and a cover that “pops”. I was smart enough to hire Karrie Ross to do this for me. I quickly found that all the testimonials I’d read were true. Karrie was genuinely fun to work with, responsive to my inquiries, and eager to produce the best possible cover she could for my book. She also came at a very reasonable price.
Karrie took my simple cover ideas and ran with them, enabling me to focus on writing and editing. Karrie pretty much nailed the cover design on the first pass and any changes I required were made quickly and efficiently. Now I have a smashing cover representing a smashing book.
If you are looking for a book cover designer, Karrie Ross is EXACTLY who you want to hire.” Thanks again!”
Kenny Soward
Book Cover Design, Postcard and Wallet-card design
“Karrie Ross came into a my book writing project at a time it had lost its direction and momentum. She not only got the project heading in a positive direction again, her confidence and expertise made the journey into something fun again. If you’re thinking of publishing anything, a consult with Karrie is well worth the time, and her work is WELL worth the money. I have had so many compliments just on the looks of my book alone, that was very surprising and I owe that to Karrie. I highly recommend Karrie.”
Kirk & Mary Kjellberg
“Who Sold My Cheese”
Series Look: Book Cover & Interior Series Design
“I was stumped until I met Karrie. I had a 65 page 8 1/2 x 11 Word document and didn’t have a clue on how to turn it into a book… until I met Karrie. She continually under promised and over delivered! She led me to istockphoto and helped me choose cover photos, led me to Lightning Source for on demand printing and coordinated all the technical file requirements for me. She’s a joy to work with, I highly recommend her and I’ll be using her on my future work. Thanks Karrie!”
Ron Ernst
“The Conscious Entrepreneur”
Book Cover & Interior
“Karrie was a pleasure to work with. She is intelligent, creative, responsive, reasonably priced and most of all, delivers an outstanding exceptional book cover product. Karrie thank you!”
Michael Horwin, Cancer Monthly
“Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers: A Patient’s Guide” and “They Said months. I Chose Years!”
Book Cover Design with a la carte photo-blending
“As a relative new-comer to the publishing world, I was apprehensive at first as to what I would get and the process that it would take to get what Iwanted. Karrie Ross soon made me relax about that “process”.
She made it clear from the beginning that she was on my side and that there would be no “run-arounds”. I needed a unique looking cover in the genre of children’s beginning guitar courses. I got just that – a great unique looking cover that will attract the attention from a specific audience.”
James Emery Vigh
Professor Bruno Noteworthy’s Guitar Course For Kids (and other humans)
Book Cover/CD/DVD case
UPDATE: 2016 — Karrie is truly spectacular and her great hard work has helped us make a great book look even better. 0ver 200,000 sold — plus another 100k foreign.
“We are friggin ecstatic… it is now 11 days to on-press and it is gonna be a magnificent book. We are very proud of the words and now we can clearly be equally proud of the design and readability…all of which is your FAULT!! thanks thanks thanks. Rock’n’Roll!”
Bob Dorf
Book Cover & Interior Design
(550+pages; 250 illustrations) “The Startup Owner’s Manual” authors Steve Blank and Bob Dorf
Karrie Ross is a fabulous book cover and interior designer.
She didn’t just design a book cover, she articulated the words from the inside of the book to the artwork cover on the outside.
Her extensive knowledge and experience helped introduce me to the various aspects of cover design. As a debut author, she took the time to work with me through the entire process from design to printing. Her expeditious responses were always welcomed.
Yolanda King Stephen
Author ~ The Upside of the Down Low, a Pastor’s Wife’s Memoir
www.upsidebook.com
Karrie Ross designed both the cover and interior for my book, and I was thrilled with the result!
Karrie is wonderful to work with. She has so much knowledge about what makes books sale-able and more readable. She is truly an expert in book design, and she is a gifted artist. Karrie was able to design a cover that conveyed my brand and my book’s purpose, and I love it. On the interior, I never appreciated how much the interior layout details matter. She pays attention to how the reader will progress through your book, and her design invites them to engage with your content –Your book becomes more readable and more enjoyable.
Because of Karrie’s work my book looks commercially published, which was very important to me.
Work with Karrie if you want to make sure that it’s done right, and that your book design lives up to the value of your content. In fact, Karrie’s design actually improves your content, because each page is delivered to your reader with such expert thoughtfulness.
Patty Azzarello, CEO Azzarello Group, Inc
Book Cover and Interior Design
www.AzzarelloGroup.com
“As I try to write this Thank You letter, I am suddenly realizing that words alone are too weak to express how much I cherish your book cover design for ’82 Mystery. The book is very emotional, and you seemed to have captured all the emotions in your design – mystery, suspense, fear, melancholy, uplifting well-being, and many, many more too numerous to mention. It is as if you read the book! I can’t get over that! And I can’t imagine anyone not hiring you to design their covers. You did a better job than any major publisher ever could, and you were always accessible to answer questions and guide me every step of the way.
This is to say nothing of your website design coaching. What can I say? If you can have the patience to guide a technically-challenged geek like me to set up a web site, anybody else should be easy! The more I learn about WordPress, the more invaluable I realize your coaching was. This will stay with me for a long, long time.
I remember being a little intimidated when I first contacted you about the cover design and web site coaching. You know so much and you’re so talented. I figured your fees would be exorbitant. Yet for the value I got, I would have paid much, much more for what you gave.”
Richard Wood
Book Cover Design and
Website design
82Mystery.com
Karrie, Just thought I’d update you on sales numbers. I just passed 100,000 books sold from the five covers you did. Thanks so much,
Jerry Eicher, 05/08/09
“There is no one quite like Karrie Ross when it comes to book cover designing. She literally brought tears to my eyes when I saw the first cover she did for me. After months of being told it couldn’t be done by other designer, there it was. Maybe I shouldn’t say it, but based on inside information, I know that she does the job the big publishers do, for a fraction of the cost. As of 3/2008, I have sold 42,000 books off of the four covers she’s designed for me.”
Jerry Eicher
A Time to Live, Sarah, Hannah, Hannah’s Dream, Sarah’s Son
Book Cover Series Design
(photoshop of 3-5 images to make cover)
“Karrie Ross made breathtaking designs for the covers of two of my books. Both deal with futuristic issues, although neither novel is science fiction in the usual sense. She has an uncanny ability to capture the essence of the plot line and to put it into a striking visual context. I liked her covers so much that I retained here to design my web site. The banner art for my web page rivals those book covers.
Karrie’s approach to web site design is centered around the WordPress system, with the emphasis being one of readying the client to be his or her own webmaster. Although I had preferred to delegate the entire thing, she helped me avoid that by encouraging me to become competent at doing most of it myself. To that end, she was generous with her coaching. I’m sure that the skill she helped me acquire will prove to be best in the long run, since I won’t have to wait in a queue to make the many contemplated changes to the site.
After doing the book covers and the web site, Karrie designed and typeset the interiors of the two books. Her work produced books that are very readable and pleasant to look at. She worked fast, even though one of the books (470 pages) had been severely edited with lots of last-minute corrections, all of which she repaired in bringing the final printer-ready book to fruition.
Karrie was generous with her time, giving me lots of valuable feedback on ancillary issues regarding book publishing, marketing, and promotion. She is always pleasant and has a great sense of humor, even when the going gets rough. I recommend her strongly for any of the three major areas where we worked together and for consulting coaching on marketing matters.”
Lawrence Lapin
Book Cover dustjacket & Interior Series Design, and Website, SuperVirus, Boundary Layer
(photoshop of 3-5 images)
“I’ve known my instincts for a long time and I’ve learned to trust them unequivocally. Karrie’s name was included in a long list of book designers and cover artists recommended by another author. I visited her website along with many others just to check them out. As I viewed her web site, something clicked inside that told me she was the one for me. I was right. Learning that I was a novice to the process, she quickly put me at ease. She didn’t try to sell me anything – she just listened. When we ended that first phone conversation, I felt confident and excited. Throughout the process she has been very patient as I stumbled along. She promptly returned my calls and she always reminded me that it was my schedule and my time table that controlled the process. Once I was ready with my final draft, she quickly took over and swiftly did her part to convert my manuscript into a real book. I am pleased with the final product and will continue to use her. I strongly recommend her services.”
Mike W. Kelley
The Wrong Side of Right/Sac City Unified
Book Cover and Interior
“The first time I actually met Karrie Ross, we had been working together for months and months. When I looked at her, I suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion, as if I were encountering the soldier who had stood with me in the trenches of an awesome battle that we had miraculously survived. During our work together, Karrie was a brilliant partner, intuiting when to lead and when to follow. For instance, she didn’t start the meter running until we had discovered the perfect “easy-breezy” interior look for my complex workbook; plus she was extremely responsive to my preferences, even when they were not her first choices. On the other hand, Karrie spoke up when she felt my ideas were off-base (thank goodness!) and she was infinitely patient with my shifting deadlines and inflexible perfectionism. Karrie was also the total business woman and communicated very clearly about her contracts and conditions. I always knew where I stood. Going through this process with Karrie has been an unforgettable experience, I am thrilled with my beautiful book and will call her again!”
Pam Kelly
Speak With Passion! Speak With Power!
Book Cover and Interior Design. Multiple placed images and list format.
WINNER: Irwin Awards 2007
“Dear Karrie,
Thank you so much for yourconsulting advice. I emailed the illustrator and they said they were happy to assign copyright to me so I was very surprised. So all’s well at present. However, I am glad to have had your consult your advice was sound and you do great covers, there will undoubtedly be other projects that I need help with.
Thanks again for your advice. Best Wishes, Roslyn”
Karrie, Thank you for the beautiful job designing the interior of my book. It has been a pleasure to work with you. Your promptness in responding to all my emails and your attention to detail have really helped take the edge off what could have been a nerve-wracking process. I hope someday we’ll meet!
“High Way From Hell: Using Emotion to Fan the Fire of Enlightenment”
Moonstone Star White
Spirit Wind Publishing
Interior design**National Best Books Award
“You did a great job for me Karrie … I had a very difficult and intense interior book design that required not only technical expertise but “patience” as well. Karrie, persevered throughout its development which produced a final product that was SUPERB! Indeed, I am grateful. Most cordially, Mike”
Mike Cessna
“Life Eternal”.
Book Cover and Interior Design “Karrie Ross delivered the exacting quality, artistic creativity and technical precision I wanted — and for not one penny more than the published price quote!”
Nancy Lyons
Celiac Disease Exposed
Book Cover and Interior
– – – – – –
Hi Karrie, Hope all is well with you. An Unlikely Foe: Celiac Disease Exposed (ISBN: 0976213400, Nancy J. Lyons) was selected as a finalist in the “Best Books 2006” Book Awards in the category Health:General by USABookNews.com. I couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks. Best wishes, Nancy
– – – – – –
Hi Karrie, RE: An Unlikely Foe: Celiac Disease Exposed, ISBN: 0976213400, I have just received word from PMA that the cover you designed was selected and will be displayed with others in Publisher’s Weekly, (I think the Feb. 26th issue, independent publisher promotion). That’s all I know. We’ll see. Best, Nancy Lyons
“Karrie designed my book cover, CD labels and CD case cover. The design perfectly reflects the hope, the joy, and the energy I want my book to convey. It makes my products look polished and professional. Karrie was a pleasure to work with; she is knowledgeable, efficient, responsive, and extremely patient.
Terry L. Currier
Book Cover Design
“Waist Managememt”