Chelsea Hunter
Blog updated Dec 2022
Pronouns: She/Her
Where are you from? Maplewood, NJ
Race/Ethnicity: Black / African America
Languages: English
Company / Position: Senior Designer at Abrams
How did you get into design? I've been into art and design since I was a little girl. I always loved collecting books and different papers. I started out by drawing things I saw in magazines, but got in graphic design in high school.
One favorite book you've designed and why?: I loved working on the cover of Lightlark by Alex Aster. Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The designer Natalie Sousa and I came up with two cover designs. The author's fans got to choose the cover we used by voting on TikTok. We also had a big reveal on a Times Square billboard.
What do you like about being a book designer in publishing? (no answer)
Favorite book or current read and why? One of my favorite reads of the summer was The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet. Its plot-twists force you to think about the consequences of racism on different communities and individual lives in a mesmerizing way. If you want to do more reading on these themes then I highly recommend Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendal.
Tell us a surprising fact about you? I can not wink ;)
What did you learn about publishing that you wish you knew before? I thought that you had to pick a certain genre to work in. I started in non-fiction and thought that was where I would be for the rest of my career, but then I jumped over to children's books and it has been the most amazing experience for me creatively.
What's one goal you have for yourself in this industry? (no answer)
How do you over come a creative block? I let my mind rest. I like to scroll through social media and Pinterest to get ideas. Ideas don't always come from accounts that have to do with art. Ideas pop up in the weirdest places: nail art, travel blogs, sneakers.