I love books covers and everything about them... most of the time. So I found an article talking about the whole design of the book cover and who decides what the covers should be and it turns out that the authors don't have any say in the cover for their book and it's the editors and designers choice (who are "trained" to know what catches a persons eye). Which surprises me since some book covers are bad and you cant even read the title of the book sometimes.
Don't judge me but I do sometimes judge books by their cover just because I think they're pretty and would look good on my bookshelf. But sometimes, it looks like someone had a little to much fun with photoshop. For me, simplicity catches my eye because it gives an air of mystery.
A great color scheme works to. The Beautiful Creatures covers have a simple color scheme: black and purple, black and blue, black and gold, black and green. It doesn't change with a different book. Theres a balance and it flows well together.
Matt Taylors designs for books are amazing also. Simple yet effective. They are colorful, not overbearing and you can read the title!
I'll admit, there are some book covers that go well with a lot of things going on in it like the cover for Across The Universe by Beth Revis because space mystery! It doesnt feel over bearing yet theres a lot going on. 
I also feel like if you want to go all out then draw it. Like Harry Potter covers, they're magical and drawn very well. Ruben Toldeo, fashion illustrator, did some book covers for Penguin Classics books which I think are very beautiful and yeah I had to buy the Jane Eyre one so sue me. He also did Wuthering Heights which I would actually read just because book cover.
Overall I think the design of a book can make or break sales of any book. The whole deign from the colors to the type that they use. It's like a first impression.
The book covers for Beautiful Creatures are awesome. I love the way the designer did it in black and white with just the title in color. When a designer does a great job creating a book cover, it attracts more people to purchase the book, even if it wasn't something they would normally read.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about judging some books by their covers. If a cover is well designed and fits with the content of the book, I think it ceases to be just a cover. I becomes the face of the book, something that people will think of as an extension of the story. Or at least that's how I am.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a book cover can really make or break the sales for the book. Like anything else, I'm not going to be interested in reading or buying it if it isn't aesthetically pleasing on the outside. It just shows how important the designers job is in regards to the success of the sales.
ReplyDeleteI think the book covers could go either way. I think it's safe to create a more abstract, interesting cover if there is a loyal following with books and it will catch the loyal audience's interest because of the details only they would notice. On the other hand, if it is a new book, you definitely want something that is going to be seen from a shelf and so the title and author are clear, but still have something that draws the reader to open the cover. However, whether it makes or breaks a sale for a book could be debated. If I am looking for a book, the design may bother me because I know what could be improved, but I would probably still buy it for the content.
ReplyDeleteInteresting read about the authors not usually having a say in what the book cover would look like. Although, I feel that some of the most successful writers like JK Rowling and Stephen King could maybe give some input on the feel they want to convey, then like us designers, interpret what they want. It is unfortunate that some book covers kinda suck. Maybe because they are all designed by the author who is trying to get their book out to readers and are forced to do most of the work for the publisher?
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