With the advent of digital technology (print-on-demand or POD), in the late ’90s, it became possible for virtually anyone to self-publish, or even open a small press. Out-of-print titles were suddenly given a new life and stories that otherwise would have been unheard, became available world-wide, as authors took advantage of POD. Family recipes, memoirs and diaries could now be professionally printed and bound and given as gifts and cottage industries sprang up across the Internet.

What wasn't available though, was cost-effective book cover design that gave the author/publisher full control of the project, but was still able to ace the glance test. That's where we come in.

Since December, 1999, Book Cover Express has been offering a full range of book cover design services to independent and traditional publishers. We offer very competitive prices and fast turn-around times, but don't cut corners. All of our software (we use Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign to create covers), licensed images and fonts are industry-standard and our files can be used for both offset and digital presses, which is not possible with files created using some popular, consumer software.

Cathi Stevenson is the company founder and only front cover designer. Becoming a book cover designer was a natural progression for Cathi, who has a degree in Psychology and English, and a strong background in printing and publishing that goes back to 1981. She also worked as a writer, editor and page designer for many years, with the advertising department of the largest newspaper in Atlantic Canada.

Having worked alongside the presses, she can offer sound advice based on practical experience when it comes to designing for print and her advertising background means she pays special attention to how your book cover will look online. That small thumbnail is one of the most important promotional tools your book has; That is why Book Cover Express specializes in creating simple, clean designs that are eye-catching both online and off.

Melanie Barton Zoltan provides editing for book manuscripts on three different levels: simple proofreading, copyediting and development editing. With more than 18 years of editing experience for educational publishers, websites, print publications and more, she's not just an editor — she's also a fellow writer. Eight books of her own and articles published in 17 more help her to understand both sides of the editor/writer relationship. Melanie provides constructive criticism aimed at making the work more commercially successful while preserving your voice (and your feelings). She's worked with publishers such as W.W. Norton, Pearson, TENCO Media, Prentice Hall, SABIS, Demand Media, and Big Fish. Her fiction and essays have earned her a nomination for the Pushcart Prize twice and her articles have appeared in Family Fun, Brain,Child Magazine, PC World, LIVESTRONG.com, About.com and more.

Stephanie Cordray has a BS, cum laude, in Psychology with an emphasis in human behavior. After almost finishing a post graduate counseling program, she decided it wasn’t where she wanted to be and began looking at her options.

In 1996 she discovered a love of computers and the internet and has been interested in the potential of them since that time.

Stephanie owns and operates her own website hosting company and is a skilled and knowledgable coder who takes an idea and turns it into a fully-functional web page that works as wonderfully as it looks.

Gwen Gades has been working in the publishing industry for 14 years. She has designed the interiors for hundreds of books. Her background includes more than a decade working for print companies, giving her ample experience in formatting text and images for any print method.

Her expertise in invaluable to the authors and publishers she works with.

Gwen owns her own small press, so can certainly relate to the issues and challenges facing small publishers today. With a strong belief that readability comes before all else, she works with clients to make sure content and design  are cohesive, both from a functional perspective and an aesthetic one. It's this attention to the overall impression of your project that will take it to a professional level, opening doors that are often left closed to books that have that "made at home" look.

Book Cover Express is associated with several wonderful, freelance editors and proofreaders who give our clients top priority. Our copywriter, a publicity-shy woman who promises to send us her biography soon, has a way with words that has been described as “magical.”

Our associates work on both large and small projects and can add polish to the back cover text of your book, whip up a high-impact news release, or edit your entire book. If you need only a light proofreading, they can do that, too. We've worked with each and every one of them, and can personally recommend them without hesitation.

Book Cover Express is open Monday - Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time. (We are 4 hours ahead of California, 1 hour ahead of New York, 3 hours ahead of Alberta). You can contact Book Cover Express at: eMail