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book covers, books, cover art, cover art design, illustration, Kbuuk, literature, online publishing, Reading, self-publishing, writing
In our Author + Entrepreneur series we open the discussion on the importance of book covers as a tool to attract attention in a competitive landscape. The original post is entitled Author + Entrepreneur: Packaging – Cover Art & First Impressions. Today Christina reminisces about her favorite book covers in times past as well as what she’s looking for in a book cover these days, whether it’s digital or a physical book.
Let’s Talk Book Covers
Book Covers – Then
When I was eleven, my mom bought me a box full of paperbacks at a garage sale for five dollars. It was filled with teen romance novels and each displayed a photograph of an early eighties era prom-queen-looking gal with nice bangs on the cover. I devoured them, and studied the book covers almost as long as I spent reading the insides. Could I make my bangs do that? Does she have boobs? I think those are boobs under the sweater. Look at that – not a zit on her whole face!
Book Covers – Now
My favorite book covers have always given me a taste of the story and made me curious as to what will unfold. However, what worked on a paperback twenty years ago might not look the same when I scan thumbnail sized images of reads on a screen today. Seems writers must scale things down, or up, rather, so that in one tiny glimpse, readers see something interesting. A great example of this is the book cover of Stiff, by Mary Roach, which displays the feet of a dead guy, with the book title printed on his toe tag. The best thing about that cover is that it was awesome on the paperback I bought five years ago, and looks just as great in a digital thumbnail. Why? Because it’s an obvious image that makes me want to know more. And large enough that it looks striking even in a one inch square.
Simply from perusing my Kbuuk shelf, I have to say I’m loving The Zoo – why’s that kid in a cage in the zoo? Call the police! Again, obvious images, but images that make me curious. So tell me, what are your favorite book covers? Do you think differently about book covers now that you see so many of them digitally? And how happy are you that Kbuuk can help you whip up your very own snappy cover for your work?