| What Has Happened to Good Book Covers? |
| While reading the latest issue of Foreword magazine, I noticed that at least half of the book covers featured in that issue were not up to par. Whether books reviewed or advertised, the covers were not retail-ready. Even New World Library, who normally does an incredible job of packaging their books, had two books reviewed that had flat, boring, uninteresting covers. What gives? Who was sleeping on the job? Not only with them, but with so many other small publishers as well. Here look at the two covers from New World Library. Look at how flat and boring they are. Note how the elements fo the cover seem to be unrelated. Notice the boring type faces. The way the photos just hang there. I've seen many, many self-published books with better covers than Beyond Knowing. Haven't you?   I asked for feedback on whether or not I was just having a bad night when I first viewed these covers. I called my book cover designer George Foster of Foster Covers. Well, he agreed with me. In addition, he agreed to redesign one of the covers just to help others see the difference between covers pasted together in pieces like the above and a well-designed cover. I like his better. Do you? See below.  Notice how the above cover highlights the main benefit of the book by showcasing the subtitle (which was lost in the previous version). More important, notice how the cover is now integrated. All the parts fit together. The cover looks designed. It looks like the publisher took some time to create a decent book. Even his redesign of Beyond Knowing is better, although I'd still like to see more from the design (but George was only working with the elements from the real book cover and had nothing else to work with to make the design better).  To help you decide which cover is best, ask yourself this question: Which book cover would I pick up first? I guarantee you that at least 80% of book browsers would pick up George's covers over the original undesigned covers. The sad thing is how many other covers in that issue of Foreword were as poor, undesigned, uninteresting, un-pick-up-able (that's a new word I've invented to describe bad covers). Labels: book covers, book design, cover design, Foreword magazine |
posted by John Kremer @
8:18 AM
6 comments |
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6 Comments:
John,
Thank you for pointing out some of the factors involved in cover design that other designers fail to recognize or overlook in design.
I believe a well integrated, visually appealing, with readability cover is what people will pick up. The artist of design must convey a quick to digest cover that leaves you clear enough to want to not only pick a book up but turn it over, open it and ta da! take it to the checkout to own it. There are plenty of crappy covers out there. Ah, they all can't be sold on the merit of their covers. But there is nothing wrong with a stellar cover that jumps off the shelf into your hands.
George delivers the key elements to his customers to produce covers you want to look at, pick up, and take home.
Mary, an artist and appreciator of well done graphic design.
If you think there are no good book covers anymore, look at 'The Ancient Order of Moridura' ISBN 1844264068
Peter Curran
I do think the redesigned covers work a lot better. But, unless the author is Jennifer Aniston, I don't think her picture sells books. Something more evocative of the book's theme might work better.
Jonathan Rich, PhD
Author of THE COUPLE'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MONEY
with a tiny picture of me on the last page.
John:
Thanks for pointing out some specifics...quite a help to new authors such as myself.
I agree with what a earlier poster said ... what is it about author's putting their pictures on the covers? Strikes me as a bit narcissistic, even given a Dr. Phil-style branding effort.
Tim Warneka
Author, LEADING PEOPLE THE BLACK BELT WAY; HEALING KATRINA: VOLUNTEERING IN POST-HURRICANE MISSISSIPPI
Wow, amazing. The first one was better in the remake stage, but wowzers...it's amazing how if you use the right technique and coloring and word size, how it becomes a much better looking cover.
Just a note on these covers. The authors probably didn't put themselves on the covers. The publisher probably made that choice. I'm not opposed to people on covers. Sometimes it works fine.
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