YA
I am immediately drawn to this cover because of the symbolic and effective use of imagery. The effective 'scribbling out' of the character's face is very descriptive and subtly infers the content of the book. In the YA fiction genre, a lot of the novels look quite similar (with edgy fonts, blue/black/white outlines: which is probably the result of extensive market research). This novel stands out.
The use of the pink is appropriate because the content of the novel discusses the value placed on identity and female aesthetic in society.
The typography is rounded and sans-serif, which does work to connote the age range. If the font was more traditional and perhaps serif, I could see this sitting in an adult section quite easily.
The novel has a matte finish as it is very contemporary, I think this finish is the most tactile and also gives the book a more adult appeal, which suggests that this book is for the older/crossover YA reader.
CLASSIC
I wrote a novella-type-thing set in the 1930s on my undergraduate. To research, I looked for titles written or set in that time period, which is where I first came across Rebecca. I didn't know if Daphne Du Maurier was classed as a 'Classic' until now, because every time I mention that Rebecca is one of my favourite books, nobody knows who she is. I only found the book out of coincidence.
But as I was searching on Waterstones for Classics, this book was on the first page (which makes me very happy). My edition looks like this:
It is the Virago Modern Classics edition. The typography is very traditional, and definitely connotes the time period. The background is quite dark, which is not particularly reflective of the content, as the story is mostly set in big, flowery gardens and beaches. However, The colouration does signify the dark and strange undertones that run through the story, which is probably more marketable. The finish is matte.
I found the new Little Brown cover currently available at Waterstones is much more interesting and attractive, the font is exciting and the illustration of the flowers - one of the overarching images apparent upon reading the book - are featured very prominently.
The foil finishing of the Waterstones cover adds a sense of grandeur and expense that this underrated author deserves.
ART
I have a real interest in art, and there's a lot of different arty books I could have found to discuss in this section, but I'm not going to do that because I'm controversial.
KIM KARDASHIAN is an international brand at this point, with a line in hair stuff/makeup/clothes/apps/tan etc. She is constantly and irrevocably reinventing her image to make money and keep up (ha.) After being denigrated for her sexual encounters for years, then getting married and becoming a mother, Kim decided to take her adult sexuality into her own hands. This coffee-table style art book is a perfect extension of this.
While she shares a perfectly constructed view of herself through the media, this book promised to sell private photos, untouched selfies, and a stripped down Kim. For arguably the most made up woman in the public eye, there is something unbelievably marketable in that concept that critics could not see on the release.
The lack of typography on the cover also suggests a bareness, as does the significantly simple, matte use of finishes.
The cover image also sells exactly this concept: her hair is wet, her skin is dewy and unpowdered, but it shows a lot of skin. It is a private image. The picture speaks and people listened, to the tune of ~ $2million.
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CHILDRENS
I bought this book in haste during the last week of my undergraduate studies because I decided to write about it for an essay. The price attracted me on the Waterstones website, and I paid online and went in for it the next day.
The cover is fully matte, and the pages inside are deckle/rough cut which adds to the rough finish of the cover. The inside is illustrated in black and white, which will keep costs down. I particularly like the colour tone of the front cover, which isn't typically victorian and adds a contemporary edge. It is very detailled, and contains a majority of the major elements in the story. This signifies the convoluted, topsy-turvy world of Wonderland.
The back cover uses really interesting handwritten/chalky typography that works well alongside the content, and marries with the front cover quite well.
The most interesting thing about this edition for me is that the front cover doubles as a jacket, which means that there is a built-in bookmark (brilliant for us scatty readers). I also find that jackets tend to get bashed around in my bag and look quite scruffy after while, so this sorts out that problem.
This edition is from the 'Puffin Chalk' collection, which also features Peter Pan, Black Beauty, The Wizard of Oz and Pippi Longstocking.
FANTASY
My copy of the hobbit is the 1968 Unwin books edition. I'm not sure where it came from, it has been on a bookcase in my house for a long time. From a quick Google search, I can now see that it's worth £80 on ebay (result!).
I wanted to discuss this cover for the fantasy category because it is very strange to a modern reader. The illustration is not particularly strong as it's designed with coloured pencil, and the colours are quite weak. It is hard to believe this illustration would be acceptable on a book cover today, but there is something quite charming about it.
There isn't much use of finishes on the cover, it is very simplistic. It has a somewhat glossy finish, which I believe was quite standard at the time. The typography is branded with the Hobbit font, which pulls the cover together somewhat and adds a sense of brand identity. It is quite interesting to see how this font - now associated with the blockbuster films - has been around and associated with the novel for so long.
Unwin's cover does signify the Fantasy genre, and provided an affordable copy of a great novel to the public.
GRAPHIC NOVEL
The quality of this edition is really strong, the paper is thick and matte and you can tell the publisher has contributed a good amount to the printing costs - possibly because the novel has won several awards.
The image of a swastika is very striking and jarring, and immediately draws the eye. It is significant imagery and communicates the content of the novel very graphically. The positioning - behind the two mice - is clever, and creates the sense of a looming past.
The typography of the novel is rough, edged and almost blood-stained, which foretells the story and contributes to the hard-hitting and graphic cover.
The designer has used spot UV on the title, which makes it stand out particularly strongly on the matte cover.
The under-use of finishes here also suggests the seriousness of the book, it is not particularly shiny - that would not be appropriate. The imagery and quality of the novel is strong enough to communicate what is necessary, in a really striking and unique art style.
COOKERY
Honey & Co. The Baking Book is a book from Saltyard Publishing with a really modern and graphic cover that really appeals to me.
Within the cookery book genre, I was really impressed by the diverse range of styles. Before I went into the section, I had assumed that the books would all look very similar to the Jamie Oliver range, but I was wrong. This was perhaps the brightest, and yellow is my favourite colour so I was immediately drawn. The contrast against the blue strip is creative and works surprisingly well.
The choice of baked good in the photograph is effective as the food is recognisably baked, but it also looks quite innovative. A collection of traditionally-decorated cupcakes on the front would be the expected trope, but this is a step away from that direction and separates Saltyard's product from most other books in the range and indicates that the recipes inside are different and unexpected.
The back cover features a slice of grapefruit on a table and the blurb is on a recipe card, which also adds some sense of a rustic and modern cookery aesthetic. I especially like the fonts used throughout, which are clean and visible.
The finish is matte, which enhances the contemporary feel of this book.
PICTURE BOOK
WOW! Said the Owl is a children's picture book from Macmillan that I found on the Waterstones website. I found that the illustration styles on a lot of the books didn't appeal to me, which really surprised me because I have a real interest in art and illustration. However, this book in particular stood out. I really like the detailed trees and the graphic butterflies on the back. I think that Macmillan could have perhaps added a butterfly on the front to add a nice contrast to the existing colour palette. It would also display the theme more effectively, because the book is based around colour.
The sticker on the front is a good detail and it does draw the eye. Describing the theme so blatantly on the front is also a good way to attract parents who are out to buy a book for a specific purpose.
I think the font on the back is fit for purpose as it is rounded and 'cute', but it also meets readability standards for this age group. I would perhaps change the title font on the front to one that is rounded and more suited to the illustration, without so much movement. I would also change the colour to a pink, so that it differs from the owl eyes and makes the two images stand on the page separately and more prominently.
HEALTH
The title 'How Not to Die' is really striking and inflammatory, it is the central focus of the cover and doubles as an image that symbolises vegetation and health foods with the greenery that makes up certain letters.
The typography is very traditional which is perhaps to add medical authenticity to the book. The Dr's name is also displayed quite prominently on the cover.
The white colouration of the background also adds to the clean, medical feel of the cover which is possibly to add credibility to the ideas about health and lifestyle inside.
The cover is very similar to comparable titles, which reduces its discoverability in the sea of health-related books. I think that this is a decision the publisher has made consciously, as to overcomplicate the cover with more striking images could make the book lose its place within the genre.
TEXTBOOK
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| I put some fairy lights in the picture, I should really be on tumblr. |
I checked this book out of the library a few weeks ago because a few of my pupils are reading Lord of the Flies for their GCSE. It was published in 1966 and is based around a collection of essays on different themes from the book. This actually works out well because of the way that the exams are structured, so it has come in handy and I've renewed it about five times because I can never remember to take it back. It hasn't yet been recalled because apparently nobody else is interested in spending their weekends reading 1966 essays on Lord of the Flies.
On the back cover, it states that the image is a still from the 1963 film, courtesy of British Lion Films. It has been manipulated by Macmillan to have a striking, deep pink background. I think this is really effective, but I'm really not sure why. Possibly because a blue, green, red or yellow would have been too overtly 'island / island sunset'.
The texture of the front cover is almost like papyrus. I've come across this texture before but only on academic books, so I am assuming that it makes the book more durable and suitable for carting around university/school. It is called Wibilim. The texture almost works with the 'lost island on an island' content of the novel. It also makes the image seem like the ink is running, which gives the illusion of speed. I really like that.
The band across the top third is what makes the book distinctly academic, and I expect that other books in this collection feature this same band, font and text layout in that position - although I couldn't find any online. I also like how the academic author is printed so prominently on the page (which often isn't the case).
ROMANCE
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| 'scandalous' title, more like |
I found this book in a charity shop in Otley for 10p. The cover is actually why I picked it up, I think it looks quite contemporary for a book published in 1993. I've only just realised that it's a romance novel set in 1963 about a woman who falls in love with her best friend's father. I didn't read the blurd when I picked it up, I just liked the cover. If I had, I don't think I would have bought it.
The first page indicates that Susan Howatch is a pretty good writer, and it has 4.19* with 1,090 reviews on goodreads, so I'm probably now going to give it a read. The title 'Scandalous Risks' does make me cringe a bit though, so I'm seriously judging whoever approved that at Harper Collins.
The biblical imagery on the cover is interesting, the 'forbidden apple' trope describes what the book is about in a few different ways. The illustration is really interesting, and suggests a stained-glass window that links to the cathedral in the story. The shadowing on the apple is a bit clumsily-designed, but that can be forgiven for the time. I would say that the cover would work better without it. It appears that Susan Howatch was a good seller at the time, because the publisher has invested money in embossing and printing a foil overlay on her name. A quote from Cosmopolitan on the cover also adds some credibility to the assumed target audience, because Cosmo is famous for its romance/sex-related content and this is a romance novel. I think the cover is somewhat gender-neutral, and the font is interesting because it's rounded but also official. The size of the book is pretty readable, but because it's a little smaller it does make it quite thick, which I don't mind but others might if it's intended as a holiday read.
TRAVEL
This travel book displays the branding of the company very large on the top of the cover, which suggests that the company is very reputable and is likely to sell the book because of their brand identity.
I particularly like the colour photograph chosen on the cover. I haven't studied many covers that use photography, but this one tells a great story. The designer hasn't relied on tropes or ancient stereotypes about Japan (like the DK travel guide), but they have instead aimed to attract a modern audience by the clothing that the characters in the picture are wearing, an their setting at a nice food market.
The typography is accessible, clear and readable, which are all adjectives associated with a good travel guide. It is important for the guide to not appear convoluted or difficult to interpret, and this font works to this effect.
The finish of the guide is glossy in order to make the photograph better stand out and connote the non-fiction genre.
CRIME
This re-edition of And Then There Were None is a really interesting use of design.
The typography of the author name is handwritten, and signifies how much of a big seller the Agatha Christie name is.
The use of fonts and textures in the title is a contemporary re-working of the cover, and adds colour and interest. I think the title could look better if it was smaller, to create a greater size difference between the author and the title. This would work better proportionally.
The imagery of the different silhouetted characters on the cover communicates the mystery/crime genre very well, and adds a sense of intrigue and paranoia. I think the colour of the cover is interesting as it shows the age of the story in a sepia-tone, but also works alongside the colours in the title.
This book in the Goosebumps series follows the conventions very well. The title is the typography that is featured on each of these titles, and it is embossed to have a risen feel to it. The finish of the book is shiny, which is possibly to make the colours appear more vibrant and to appeal to children.
The colouration of the cover is very interesting, and I like the way that the colours seem to come from behind the curtain. The font of 'R.L Stine' is in large letters which signifies that he is a bestselling or successful author. I think the detail of the slime around the lefthand edge works very well and ties the cover together.
However, in the modern day the cover does come across a little dated, possibly because of the over-done font. It could be updated by changing the typography to a more pared down, modern sans serif.
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