Susan Shankin is a publisher, creative director, and book designer. Susan has been a publisher for almost a decade and has worked in the industry three times as long. Known for her exceptional creative ability and unrelenting commitment to excellence, Susan is highly experienced in all aspects of publishing. She provides a full range of services that include project management, research, idea development, cover and interior design, PR, and the creation of marketing collateral, including websites, brochures, and social media/email campaigns.

Susan began her career as a graphic designer, specializing in book design for one of the few publishers in Los Angeles, Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc. (now part of Penguin Random House). During her seven-year tenure with Tarcher, Susan became the art director and designed hundreds of books, including Susan Wittig Albert’s Writing From Life and Esalen founder Michael Murphy’s The Future of the Body. Most notably she was the art director for Julia Cameron’s best-selling book The Artist’s Way.

Susan has designed books for Harcourt/Brace, Beyond Words Publishing, Renaissance Media, and many other publishers. More recently she has worked with authors who have chosen to independently publish or self-publish their books in genres such as business, self-improvement, spirituality, and memoirs, to name a few. Susan is passionate about transforming an author’s idea into a high-quality, creative, and distinctive cover that connects their message to a targeted audience.

Susan works with writers, authors, and corporate clients to develop their ideas, design their covers and interiors, and publish their books. She has collaborated with authors who have been entrepreneurs, artists, thought leaders, and business professionals.

One of the biggest areas Susan can help authors with is that of understanding the marketplace for their book within a specific genre. Susan takes great care to guarantee that the book covers she designs truly stand out in the marketplace. As a result, Susan’s titles and interiors pop and get noticed due to her strong sense of design and expertise in typography. Likewise, her comprehensive research process includes an exploration of other books in the same genre and extensive communication with the author regarding their goals and vision for the project. Susan’s keen eye and creative spirit truly set her books apart from the competition amid the clutter of the marketplace.