Naomi Silverio
Pronouns: She/They
Where are you from? New York City
Race/Ethnicity: Black
Languages: English and Spanish
Where do you currently work at? Associate Designer at Macmillan Publishing Group
How did you get into design? I spent my senior year in college making books and book-shaped things before interning at St. Martins Press.
One favorite book you've designed and why? My favorite book I’ve designed so far is Fiona Builds a Fairy House. This was my first picture book as the main designer and to work with a wonderful illustrator like Celia made the process so much fun. I had no idea how picture books worked at all but picked things up pretty quickly and could only feel excited for the ones that were to come in the future. The physical book recently came in the mail and I “oohed” and “ahhed” for literal days.
What do you like about being a book designer in publishing? I really love problem-solving. Finding the right colors and the right font feels really awesome when everything comes together in the end.
Favorite book or current read and why? A book I recently read was Dare Me by Meg Abbott. I love reading about how mean teenage girls can be.
Tell us a surprising fact about you. I used to be a cheerleader in high school!
What did you learn about publishing that you wish you knew before? I definitely wish I knew more about the roles aside from design. In college, I didn’t even think of book design as a job so I definitely wish I knew about the massive team that makes a book come together.
What's one goal you have for yourself in this industry? Currently, my goal is to find freelance work. I’d love to paint portraits or letter titles for YA/MA and adult books.
How do you overcome a creative block? By looking at lots of pictures, changing colors, or even just stepping away when I feel like I can’t move forward.