JOIN THE BOOKS EDGE ARTIST COLLECTIVE
Your Art. Their Favorite Stories. A Whole New Canvas.
The Books Edge transforms bookshelves into galleries through artwork created for the edges of books.
A Book Edge Print is a patented design and may not be replicated or sold without written permission
What began with founder and artist Whitney McGowan’s original book-edge paintings has grown into a new way for readers to collect and display artwork inspired by the stories they love. Now, we’re inviting a select group of artists to create alongside us.
The Books Edge Artist Collective partners with illustrators, painters, and visual artists whose work can bring new worlds to the bookshelf—without asking artists to manage manufacturing, inventory, shipping, or customer service.
You create the art. We turn it into something readers can collect.
A New Canvas for Your Work
Book Edge Prints are removable fine art prints designed to transform the exposed page edges of a book into a magical display of art for your book shelves. Through The Books Edge, your artwork can become part of a reader’s physical library—displayed across the stories that inspired it.
Depending on the collection and licensing rights available, artwork may be offered across select formats including: Edge prints, sleeve prints and fine art prints. All prints are archival museum grade quality paper and ink.
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Book Edge Prints
Flat edge prints contain 2 ply archival paper with print and cardstock backing with a foldable flap that fits between a book’s pages to hold it in place.
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Book Edge Sleeves
Folded edge prints designed to wrap around book pages and between book covers.
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Fine Art Prints
Archival reproductions that allow readers to display the artwork beyond their bookshelves.
Special & Limited Editions
Select artwork may become part of limited releases, collaborations, or special collections.
The Books Edge manages product development, printing, manufacturing, ecommerce, fulfillment, and customer service so our artists can focus on what they do best: creating.
How We Partner With Artists
There isn’t one perfect way to structure an artist collaboration, so The Books Edge offers several partnership models depending on the artwork, collection, and artist.
01 · Artist Royalty Partnership
Have an existing piece that would make an incredible book edge? We may license select existing artwork for use within The Books Edge collection.
You retain ownership of your original artwork while granting The Books Edge agreed upon commercial usage rights.
You receive a royalty for every qualifying product sold featuring your artwork.
This model is ideal for artists who want to participate in the long-term success of a collection.
02 · Commissioned Artist Partnership
Sometimes we have a particular world, scene, or concept we’d love to bring to the bookshelf. For commissioned collaborations, The Books Edge works directly with an artist to create an original piece specifically designed for our products.
Artists receive an agreed upon upfront commission, and commercial usage rights are established before the project begins.
Depending on the project, commissioned partnerships may include a flat fee commercial license or a combination of an upfront commission and ongoing royalties.
03 · Signature Artist Collections
For select artists and collections, we may develop a larger collaboration featuring multiple pieces or an ongoing body of work.
Signature Collections may include Book Edge Prints and Sleeves, limited edition releases, fine art prints, new commissioned artwork, seasonal or series based collections, artist features, and collaborative marketing.
These partnerships are developed individually around the artist, their work, and the worlds we believe we can bring to life together.
What We Handle
Creating the artwork should be the fun part. The Books Edge handles the infrastructure required to turn that artwork into a finished product.
Product development + adaptation
We translate artwork into formats designed specifically for book edges and our other products.
Production
We manage printing, materials, manufacturing, and quality control.
Inventory + fulfillment
No boxes of products taking over your studio. We manage orders, packaging, shipping, and customer service.
Ecommerce + marketing
Products are sold through The Books Edge, with retail opportunities subject to applicable licensing approvals. We photograph, promote, launch, and merchandise the collections we create together.
Licensing administration
When a collection involves officially licensed literary properties, The Books Edge manages the applicable publisher, author, or licensing relationships associated with our products. Artwork and product formats remain subject to any required approvals.
You Create the Art. We Build the Product.
We believe artists should understand how their work is being used and how they’re being compensated.
Before any artwork becomes part of The Books Edge collection, we’ll agree in writing on the scope of the partnership, compensation structure, usage rights, attribution, and other applicable terms.
For licensed partnerships, artists retain ownership of their original artwork unless a separate copyright acquisition is specifically negotiated and agreed upon.
No surprises. No vague usage rights.
What We’re Looking For
We’re especially interested in artists creating work that feels immersive, atmospheric, and transportive. Our collections often live within the worlds of fantasy, romantasy, science fiction, mythology, and literary fiction, but we’re interested in more than one particular style.
We love discovering artists with a distinctive visual point of view: painters, illustrators, digital artists, concept artists, landscape artists, botanical artists, fantasy artists, and traditional media artists.
If you can make someone feel like they’ve stepped inside another world, we’d love to see your work.
Already Have Artwork?
Perfect. You don’t necessarily need to create something new to work with us.
If you have existing artwork you think could translate beautifully to the edge of a book, send it our way. We’ll evaluate the composition, dimensions, subject matter, and potential collections where it could fit.
If we see something in your portfolio that we think would be particularly beautiful on a book edge, we may reach out about that piece specifically.
Original Artwork & AI Policy
All artwork submitted for our products must be 100% original, created by the submitting artist, and must not copy, replicate, trace, or infringe on another artist’s work or copyright. Artists must have the rights needed to license the artwork; any literary-property permissions required for a collection are handled separately through The Books Edge.
We recognize that AI tools may be used during creative brainstorming. However, AI-generated artwork, AI reproductions, and artwork created by reproducing another artist’s work with AI are not accepted for our products. Final artwork must be the artist’s own original creative work.
Interested in Creating With Us?
We’d love to see your work. Tell us a little about yourself, share your portfolio, and let us know what kind of collaboration interests you.
Apply to the Artist Collective
The Books Edge Artist Collective is a curated partnership program. Submission of a portfolio or application does not guarantee selection. Product opportunities, compensation, licensing terms, and usage rights vary by project and are established in writing before artwork is used commercially.
Have Questions?
If you’re not sure whether your work is a fit, you’re still welcome to reach out.
We’re building The Books Edge Artist Collective intentionally and are always excited to discover artists whose work makes us stop scrolling and look a little longer.