Book Designer, Trade Publishing | Lonely Planet

About the role

This role requires a hybrid schedule and will be based in our NYC office (Tuesday through Thursday) and work fully remotely on Mondays and Fridays each week. Lonely Planet has been inspiring wanderlust for over 50 years, and we're looking for a talented Book Designer to help shape the next chapter.

Responsibilities

• Design and art direct adult nonfiction trade books and print products from concept through production, ensuring each title is visually distinctive and on-brand with Lonely Planet
• Build strategic book design systems tailored to the category, content, and target consumer of each product, informed by current design and market trends
• Collaborate closely with editors, producers, and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver best-in-class designs that inspire and excite travel lovers worldwide
• Present work to cross-functional teams with clear, audience-grounded design rationale and confident creative storytelling
• Source and select stock imagery that is creative, accurate, and aligned with each title's visual direction
• Art direct freelance designers and illustrators, managing outside creative talent from brief to final delivery
• Prepare and manage print-ready design files and assets with thorough attention to production specifications and quality standards

Requirements

5+ years of experience designing adult nonfiction trade books and paper products, with a portfolio of commercially published titles — portfolio is required and must include published adult nonfiction trade books

Deep fluency in Adobe InDesign, including type styles, parent pages, link management, and importing coded manuscripts

Thorough understanding of print production workflows and experience preparing files for commercial print

In-house publishing experience strongly preferred — you understand how editorial and design teams work together

Demonstrated ability to analyze market and design trends and translate insights into product opportunities

Experience art directing freelance designers and illustrators; an existing freelancer network is a plus

Strong communicator who can manage multiple projects simultaneously, set clear expectations, and collaborate across teams

Genuine passion for travel and an enthusiasm for books that comes through in your work

Benefits

Health Insurance Coverage (medical, dental, and vision)

Life Insurance

Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance

Flexible Spending Accounts

Holiday Pay

401(k) with match

Employee Assistance Program

Paid Parental Bonding Benefit Program

Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO): We believe time to rest and recharge is essential. That’s why we offer a generous and flexible PTO policy. Full-time employees accrue 20 days of PTO for a full calendar year annually, with an increase to 25 days after five years of service.

Pay

Total Cash Compensation Range: $81,250 - $118,000 per year

*To qualify for NYC Comp Range, NYC applicants will be required to work a hybrid schedule of Tuesday - Thursday in our NYC office with Mondays and Fridays remote.

Schedule

This role requires a hybrid schedule and will be based in our NYC office (Tuesday through Thursday) and work fully remotely on Mondays and Fridays each week.