When J.D. Salinger saw the Signet paperback cover for his novel The Catcher in the Rye, with a very literal painting of Holden Caulfield wandering the sordid streets of New York, like many authors, he was displeased. Unlike many authors, he took matters in his own hand.
One of the more famous of the book’s many covers was its mass market Bantam edition, featuring the very familiar stark white design and rainbow stripes cutting across the upper left corner.
According to LitHub, Salinger designed it himself.
Most authors have very little control over how their books are presented. But whenever you have the opportunity to make any decisions about design, marketing, or anything else involved in the packaging of your work, seize it.
Who knows? You might design a cover that could last for more than a half century.
Chris Barsanti 
I didn’t know that Salinger designed that cover himself. Well, I liked the book, but I’m not wild about that cover design. Or the other cover, with Holden carrying his luggage. I prefer this cover on Wikipedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Catcher_in_the_Rye_(1951,_first_edition_cover).jpg
As a self-published writer, I enjoy the opportunity to design my own book covers. It’s a neat part of each book project.
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