Behind the Cover Design: How I Imagined 15-Love

Hey friends,

When it came time to design the cover for 15-Love, I had a pretty clear vision, or at least the feeling I wanted it to give off. I knew it needed to feel modern and clean, with a quiet nod to tennis and subtle hints of pride colors woven in. More than anything, I wanted the image to capture a sense of longing, like the character was waiting for something, or maybe someone. 

That’s where Julia came in.

Julia and I go way back. We’re former coworkers turned real-life friends, the kind of people who can swap creative ideas and bad puns in the same conversation. When I reached out to see if she’d be interested in designing the cover for my debut novel, she didn’t even hesitate. She just said, “Absolutely.” And honestly, I might’ve done a little happy dance right there.

Julia’s an incredibly talented designer based in Boston, with a style that seems that is continuously evolving. (Take a peek at juliadonahoe.com)

From the start, we were totally in sync. We both understood the vibe right away: keep it simple, heartfelt, and unmistakably young adult with a subtle LGBTQ+ hints. The creative brief I sent her covered the essentials—clean, legible typography that pops online, bright but balanced colors, and a clear connection to tennis. The main figure (Rion) needed to feel real and grounded, not overly stylized, and those small details—like the rainbow wristband—had to feel effortless, never forced.

We went down a lot of rabbit holes looking at YA covers for inspiration, everything from What If It’s Us, Act Cool, Out of the Woods (other reads you should check out). We wanted something that felt modern and emotional without being over the top. I even shared a few early AI mockups I’d made for peer feedback, and the responses were super helpful. The favorite concept wasn’t clear, but after a lengthy call with my editor I came to a general concept.

Rion standing on the court, looking ahead, sky wide open above him a quiet, thoughtful pause right before the next serve.

The final version is everything I hoped it would be. The green court that are slightly weathered and soft mountains give it that small-town, while the bright sky adds this cinematic, almost daydreamy quality. Rion’s stance, calm, focused, maybe just a little unsure, captures the heart of 15-Love perfectly. That moment of figuring out who you are and what you’re really playing for.

Even the small details tell their own story. The drink in his hand (a little nod to coffee obsessed teens), the scattered tennis balls, and of course, those rainbow wristbands. Each one is a quiet piece of Rion’s world, layered into a single image.

Working with Julia reminded me how magical collaboration can be when two people are on the same wavelength. Every tweak, every color adjustment, every little shadow felt like a step closer to seeing 15-Love come to life.

I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out—and I can’t wait for you all to hold it in your hands soon.

​More soon,
Vincent
#VincentRussoWrites

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Excerpt from the Cover Designer

I was honored that Vinnie trusted me to bring his debut novel cover to life. From our first call, my designer’s brain was spinning with one challenge: how to visually capture the emotional depth of a character growing up in a small New York town—while making it clear this is also a gay sports story. The design needed to balance grit and tenderness without feeling cliché.

I explored different illustration styles to mirror the protagonist’s layered identity, experimenting with texture and tone to express that tension. I’m naturally drawn to tactile, imperfect textures over clean vector lines, so I leaned into that mix of polish and rawness.

The composition evolved through several drafts. Early concepts featured school elements and shifting character poses before we refined the scene to feel more grounded and intentional. Simplifying the color palette kept the focus on the subject, and Vinnie’s thoughtful feedback—like changing a sunset sky to a soft morning blue and fine-tuning the typography—made the cover even stronger.

The final palette combines cool blues and greens with hints of purple, chartreuse, and earthy tones—evoking calm and energy. Small details, like worn white Converse and a rainbow wristband, quietly reflect the character’s identity.
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Ultimately, our goal was a simple, striking cover that communicates tennis, high school, and self-discovery at a glance. The result feels human and authentic—a visual reflection of finding your footing, your rhythm, and your voice.