Soleil Paz

In this episode, I talk with Soleil Paz, a 2018 graduate of The College of Saint Rose and an associate designer at Macmillan Publishers who specializes in book cover design for non-fiction, social justice, and popular science titles.

We trace the origins of Soleil’s creativity, from drawing to survive summer math workbooks to discovering typography through early computer graphics classes, and how those early experiences led to a focused interest in book design. Soleil talks about choosing Saint Rose, navigating design school with a clear professional goal, and persistently networking her way into an internship at St. Martin’s Press.

We dig into the realities of designing book covers: editorial pitches, author expectations, tight timelines, and the importance of making a cover an “instant read.” Soleil shares stories behind several meaningful projects, including designing for themes of synesthesia and racial injustice, as well as her thesis project The Other Side, an interactive book that visualized the randomness and inequities of the immigration process.

We wrap up with talk printing techniques like LithoFoil, discuss daily routines in publishing, and end with Soleil’s most important advice for emerging designers: build relationships and keep them alive. Enjoy the story.

Show Links

• Soleil’s Portfolio
• LinkedIn Profile
• Instagram Profile
• Macmillan Publishers
• The College of Saint Rose
• St. Martin’s Press
• St. Martins Press Instagram
• Chip Kidd Instagram
• Haruki Murakami
• Synesthesia

The Intro Music

• Synergistic Effect by morgantj (copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.)