Editing Nancy Drew (section)

=== 1980–2000s: Ruth Sanderson, Paul Frame, and others ===
[[File:Ndtcotvv.jpg|thumb|Nancy is shown in danger on the cover of ''The Case of the Vanishing Veil'' (1988) and other covers from the 1980s. Unlike in earlier covers from the series, she is not completely in control of the situation. |upright]]

[[Ruth Sanderson]] and Paul Frame provided cover art, and interior illustrations for the first Nancy Drew paperbacks published under the Wanderer imprint. Other artists, including Aleta Jenks and others whose names are unknown,<ref>Plunkett-Powell (1993), 52.</ref> provided the cover art, but no interior illustrations, for later paperbacks. Nancy is portrayed as "a wealthy, privileged sleuth who looks pretty and alert… The colors, and Nancy's facial features, are often so vivid that some of the covers look more like glossy photographs than paintings."<ref name= "plunkett-51">Plunkett-Powell (1993), 51.</ref>

Nancy is frequently portrayed pursuing a suspect,<ref name="stowe-36" /> examining a clue or observing the action. She is often also shown in peril:<ref>Stowe (1999), 38.</ref> being chased, falling off a boat, or hanging by a rope from rafters. These covers are "characterized by frenetic energy on Nancy's part; whether she is falling, limbs flailing, an alarmed look on her face, or running, hair flying, body bent, face breathless. Nancy does not have any control over the events that are happening in these covers. She is shown to be a victim, being hunted and attacked by unseen foes."<ref>Stowe (1999), 40.</ref> Nancy is sometimes pursued by a visibly threatening foe, as on the cover of ''The Case of the Vanishing Veil'' (1988).

The covers of ''The Nancy Drew Files'' and ''[[Girl Detective]]'' series represent further departures from Tandy's bold, confident character. The Nancy portrayed on the covers of ''The Nancy Drew Files'' is "a markedly sexy Nancy, with a handsome young man always lurking in the background. Her clothes often reveal an ample bustline, and her expression is mischievous."<ref name= "plunkett-51" />

In the ''Girl Detective'' series, Nancy's face is depicted on each cover in fragments. Her eyes, for example, are confined to a strip across the top of the cover, while her mouth is located near the spine in a box independent of her eyes. The artwork for Nancy's eyes and mouth is taken from Rudy Nappi's cover art for the revised version of ''[[The Secret of the Old Clock]]''.<ref name="Fisher" />

In the ''Diaries'' series, Erin McGuire made all of the cover illustrations. They depict Nancy sleuthing in the book-specific locations, much like the original series. She looks younger, and the art style is more appealing to its target demographic of children. She is always alone on the cover, usually in pursuit of a suspect.{{Original research inline|date=March 2024}}