Although he didn’t know it at the time, after winning several of his elementary school’s “Fire Prevention” and “Safety Awareness Week” poster contests, John Caruso was destined for a career in graphic design.
After growing up across the U.S. and overseas, Caruso’s direction as a designer came into focus when the late great and eccentric Professor Pedro Ribalta asked him to be his T.A. in Color Theory following his first semester in college. After earning his degree in Applied Design from the University of Maryland, Caruso’s introduction to the professional world revolved around corporate design, marketing collateral, annual reports, logos, and branding, for which he collected several awards. In his one and only book effort during this time, he was accepted into the internationally acclaimed Graphis Book Design 1 for his Legends of the West Commemorative Stamps book. This would prove to be a prelude to his calling when, years later, he was hired as the Art Director for a niche Washington, D.C. publisher. Here, Caruso would be responsible for the principal concept, design, and production of more than 500 book covers, “ideating” directly with the publisher, editors, and authors on a diverse variety of titles for many national bestselling authors.
Along with his cover designs, Caruso was also responsible for the art direction, oversight, and mentoring of staff on cover designs, interior layout and production, and working closely with editors and print experts through review and final press proofs.
Lastly, it may be relevant to note, that while many of his covers are a product of his nine plus years with a conservative-centric publisher, Caruso maintains he is a “registered Cover Independent.”
“If everyone is thinking alike, then someone isn't thinking.” — George S. Patton
“Vision is the art of seeing the invisible.” — Jonathan Swift
In his free time Caruso is a nature photographer—where he can often be found waiting for the first dawn light to capture the magic of Singer Island and his beloved sea turtles.
Professional Recognition
“John Caruso is one of the most talented book designers I have ever worked with. As president of a major book publishing house for nearly 20 years, I know the importance of a powerful and resonant book jacket. I also know how rare they are. That's why I was so grateful to work with John on hundreds of cover designs. He has a gift for translating complex concepts into distinctive designs and for creating jackets that communicate not just the subject matter but the emotional message of a book. I can confidently say that John's work made our books more impactful and more successful, helping us achieve a string of bestsellers that is unrivaled in the business.”
— Marji Ross, publishing consultant and former president and publisher of Regnery Publishing
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“John Caruso, a book jacket designer par excellence, infuses every project with thoughtfulness and creativity. His collaborative nature ensures designs that impeccably embody the book's essence and author's vision. With a keen eye on commercial viability, John's designs effortlessly resonate with diverse audiences, maximizing the book's reach. His sensitivity to both artistic integrity and commercial success makes John Caruso an invaluable asset in crafting book jackets that captivate and connect with wide-ranging readership.”
— Mark Bloomfield, former vice-president of sales & marketing, Regnery Publishing
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“In nearly ten years of working with me on books, John Caruso has never failed to astonish me with two important gifts: (1) his creativity, which is necessary but by no means sufficient for designing great covers, and (2) his understanding of what a book cover needs to communicate and to whom. The latter is an especially rare gift. And he's a blast to work with.”
— Thomas Spence, former president and publisher, Regnery Publishing
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"I have worked as VP of Marketing and Sales at companies such as The Walt Disney Company, Hachette and Time Warner and John Caruso is one of the top two designers I have worked with at those companies and indeed, at everywhere else I’ve worked in my career. His jackets and covers are excellent, from the initial designs through to the final version for all types of genres. Additionally, he has an exceptional marketing approach in seeing what the key focus of the book is in order to pull out and maximize those elements, keeping in mind the audience it will attract and he is absolutely on target every time. He is professional and a pleasure to work with, which can be rare for an art designer—he wants what’s best for the ultimate consumer and keeps that focus throughout his work."
— Marcy Goot, former director of National Accounts, Regnery Publishing
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“John Caruso is that rare and valuable find--a designer who understands words as well as pictures. I've worked with him on dozens of book jackets, and his ideas inevitably kick the process off to a great start and then go on improving the product until he arrives at a final result that truly satisfies and impresses."
— Elizabeth Kantor, former senior editor, Regnery Publishing
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“John epitomizes the concept of “intelligent design,” is committed to compelling solutions for the packaging on the Regnery titles, and spends whatever time it takes ideating on images, concepts, and typography solutions before even opening an InDesign file. “Good enough” never cuts it for John, as he takes tremendous pride and ownership of every jacket that is selected for the Regnery program. In his nine plus years at Regnery, he quickly developed a collaborative trust with two different but demanding publishers, which is a testament to John’s creativity and collaboration. If one could compare the Regnery jackets before John’s arrival, and after, the fresh and often daring impact of his work on the brand would be immediately apparent. In summary, engaging John Caruso as Art Director at Regnery Publishing was one of the most significant hires in my professional career.”
— Jim Zerr, former vice-president of Operations, Regnery Publishing
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Author Recognition
“John’s compelling cover captured the essence of my book in a way that took me 60,000 words to say. I'm so grateful for his work … it far surpassed what I had envisioned.”
— Carrie Gress, Ph.D., author of The End of Woman: How Smashing the Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us
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“John Caruso was responsible for the design of five of my book covers and brought them to life. He intuitively understood the nature of each book and easily converted my concept into exactly what I had envisioned. In fact, the bestselling Drinking with the Saints has been such a great commercial success, it spawned several sequels. I attribute part of this success to John’s cover design and have been told countless times how people keep Drinking with the Saints on their coffee table because it is so visually appealing. That is, thanks to John.”
— Michael Foley, author of over a dozen books including Dining with the Saints, Drinking with St. Nick, Drinking with Your Patron Saint, Why We Kiss Under the Mistletoe, among others
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“The cover is STUNNING!!!! ~~you have outdone yourself this time!!! Thank you for making this book look so good!!!!”
— Carole Engle Avriett, author of Marine Raiders, Coffin Corner Boys, and Midnight in Ironbottom Sound
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“With one single image, John captured the core premise of my book and endowed the cover with unrivaled sophistication. John went above and beyond in creating a mini masterpiece for me … I’m not sure anyone else will ever measure up!”
— Kimberly Ells, author of The Invincible Family: Why the Global Campaign to Crush Motherhood and Fatherhood Can't Win