“Half of art is making something awesome. The other half is convincing someone it’s worth buying.”
—Patrick Galathea, The Other Side of Truth
Goal
To utilize the skills I’ve acquired running an independent publishing company to work alongside my employer’s content development team to bring their offerings to the attention of potential customers through well-developed visual marketing while still maintaining brand consistency.
Positions Held
Creative Director, Visual Designer & Author | Korat Publishing | Hayward, CA | 2011 – Present
Overview
In the nearly four years I have been running Korat Publishing, I have launched five books including one eight-author boxed set. Three of those books went on to become Amazon Bestsellers, and one became an iBooks Bestseller as well. My books have been featured on blogs, podcasts, the USA Today blog, and various local newspapers. Additionally, my article on cover design is currently featured on the cover of Writer’s Digest’s 2015 Guide to Self-Publishing.
Reasons for Success
Top-notch presentation, attention-grabbing copy, and out-of-the-box marketing promotions.
Future Endeavors
Expand readership, push the boundaries of New Adult fiction, and broaden the definition of traditional narrative fiction.
Creative Director, Visual Designer & Illustrator | KatGirl Studio | Hayward, CA | 2007 – Present
Overview
KatGirl Studio is a dual-niche studio offering both high quality art collectables, prints, and books as well as freelance design services. In 2007 KatGirl Studio started exhibiting at live events and since then has been represented at over 45 events. In the past decade in my capacity as Creative Director of KatGirl Studio, I have been featured on blogs, vlogs, various news stations, the San Jose Mercury News, and interviewed by a NPR correspondent.
Since KatGirl Studio started offering freelance design services, I have worked on projects ranging from visual novel game backgrounds to book design. Along the way, I have gained a reputation in the industry for offering top-quality designs, diverse book covers, and affordable book formatting and design. Furthermore, I am frequently sought after to speak about cover design for conferences, podcasts, articles, Twitter chats, and blogs.
Reasons for Success
Unwavering commitment to excellence in both client interaction and project execution.
Future Endeavors
Expand the list of live events the studio attends, broaden our studio offerings, and continue to grow the Samurai Kitty Squad and its mission to champion diversity, individuality, and geekiness for all.
Books Produced
Years in Operation
Events Attended
Studio Followers
Praise for Kat's Work
“Kat is an exceptional artist. Not only is she fast, she also understands how writing, art and tech come together and is able to tailor her work to meet the needs of those she works with.”
—Chris Lee a Software Engineer at Crunchyroll
“When it comes to surreal and paranormal, no one does it better than Alicia Kat Vancil.”
—S. J. Pajonas author of the The Nogiku Series
“I have been so impressed with Kat’s work. Not only did she design a beautiful and very professional cover, she did it very quickly. It’s been a pleasure to work with her and I hope to do it again soon!”
—Natalie Bahm author of The Secret Underground
“Kat does professional quality work that has consistently exceeded my expectations.”
—LM Preston author of The Pack, Purgatory Reign, and Explorer X-Beta
“I absolutely adore the Kat’s work— it’s truly fantastic.”
—Amalia Dillin author of the Fate of the Gods series, and the Orc Saga series
Community & Industry Positions Held
NALitChat Broadcast Team Member
Indelibles Member
NA Alley Speculative Fiction Representative
NA Alley Graphics & Media Team Member Samurai Kitty Squad Captain
Published Works
At First Sight
“10 Keys to Standout Covers” Writer’s Digest’s 2015 Guide to Self-Publishing
Education
BFA in Illustration from the Academy of Art University
Applications & Skills
Applications
Corel Painter
Dreamweaver
Evernote
FileZilla
Google Docs
Google Sketch-Up
Illustrator
InDesign
iProducer
Manga Studio EX 5
Microsoft Office
Photoshop
Scrivener
Wordpress
Skills
Ad Design
Batch Editing
Book Cover Design
Book Cover Illustration
Book Layout & Design
Branding
Character Illustration & Design
Childrens Book Illustration
Comic Coloration
Concept Art
Copywriting
Creature Design
Digital Painting
eBook Layout & Design
Editorial Illustration
Enhanced Photo Imagery
Environment Design
Environment Illustration
Illustration
Multimedia Illustration
Narrative Writing
Newsletter Design
Photo Retouching
Presenting
Poster Design
Press/Media Kit Design
Print Collateral Design
Program Book Design
Promotional Design
Public Speaking
Script Writing
Storyboarding
Tech Writing
Typography
Vector Illustration
Visual Storytelling
Website Design & Coding
Worldbuilding