Book Cover Design for Dark, Cyclical, Symbolic Poetry Collection (Glass & Gravel)

I’m looking for a cover designer to collaborate with on my upcoming poetry collection, Glass & Gravel. It’s a deeply personal book that deals with trauma, survival, fragility, and transformation—and the imagery leans heavy into metaphors of brokenness, falling, bleeding, glass/mirrors and concrete/sand, resilience, and others.

My initial conception for this is to have half of the front cover be glass, and half be a sidewalk with a crack between the two that subtlely looks like an open wound, potentially with a smalll drop of blood at the end. However, I’m open to other creative expressions. I’m self-publishing both print and ebook (via KDP and IngramSpark), and I’m seeking a custom design that captures the raw, symbolic tone of the work. If you have a bold style that leans dark, conceptual, or emotionally layered, I’d really love to connect.

Ideally, I’m looking to build a long-term creative relationship—not just for this project, but for future books and artistic growth. If you’re someone who values ongoing collaboration and wants to grow together through, I would love to hear from you.

Can you provide examples of your preferred style?
The one that is glass with cracks was generated by AI. I thought it was a cool concept to consider. The center alone works, but the stone around it isn’t hitting. Also, I’m not sure how a Title etc. would look or fit.

I’m not sure if serenity is a style I want for this book, but it is my favorite cover I’ve seen so far.

Strength in our Scars has Kintsugi on the cover, which explores similar concepts to my book (but more focused on resilience/survival than beauty). The layout is similar to what I could see for the glass/crack/concrete set up , althought I’m not sure the typeface would work for mine.

It’s also important to me that the book cover have some resemblance to currently popular poets (your rupi kaur types). I tried to upload some examples but couldn’t; searching amazon for poetry best sellers will result in books by Rupi Kaur, Morgan Richard Olivier, Yung Pueblo, and others. . I’m not a fan of these styles, but do want to use some of the visual queues to signal to less traditional poetry readers that they should buy mine. Of the popular examples, I think All Along you were blooming looks best by a pretty long shot, followed by old habits die screaming and Self Love Poetry .

Who are you, and what do you do
My name is Nick. I am a former sales manager turned Poet and Publisher

In what capacity are you hiring?
For a personal project

Where are you in the hiring process?
I will possibly make a paid hire

What type of work is this?
Single job with potential follow up work

What experience level is needed?
Beginner: $15-25,Junior: $25-35,Mid-level (Industry Average): $35-75