2018/04/28

BOOKISH REFLECTIONS:
WHY BOOK COVERS MATTER

We've all heard the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover." It's often a euphemism for not judging people by the way they look, but in the book world, it is exactly what it says it is. But I wonder, in a world filled with more books than anyone can ever read, how are you supposed to not do that?

You guys know me; I love a good cover. I also appreciate a good cover and the work that goes into it; I imagine trying to make something stand out these days can't be easy, as well as staying true to the contents of the book, the authors wishes, the publishing houses wishes, the readers wishes and the list goes on and on. So, I've though of some reasons why I think book covers matter (to me).
#1 It's (often) the first introduction to the book
Most of us have certain visual things that attracts us to a book, wether it be a font, a color or the use of an image. What one always hopes is that if you're attracted to the outside, you'll like what's on the inside. The logic of this is not impeccable and it does not always work, which is why one usually reads the blurb as well, but for a first introduction, the cover is what you're met with.

#2 It's art
Isn't it? Again, we all have different ideas of what is appealing, but making covers is an art and it would be a shame not to appreciate it to a certain extent. 

#3 It helps to systemise the chaos
The publishing industry often makes similar covers for similar books, so if you see a book with a cover that looks like something else you enjoyed, the chances might be higher that this is the book for you. They do this on purpose, to sell you another book, but it works both ways and I think it's a good thing. It has its pitfalls, but I know I seldom enjoy books with headless women in dresses on the cover, so I know not to pick one up at willy nilly without doing some research first. For people who love those books though, it's perfect! I'll be over in the "Cool Fonts on Bright Backgrounds" section.
You could construe this into being about people and how they look again, but I think the main difference is that a human is a human and a book is an object. Does that make sense? If you pass up a book because it has what you think is a shit cover, it's not like you're missing out on the love of your life... or is it? #shockedemoji

Now, what makes a good book cover? That's an entirely different discussion...
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