Subscribe to RSS 2.0Snowbooks Cover Design Competition
After careful strategic consideration (meaning I just thought of it in the cab on the way home) I am proud to announce a competition that the Snowblog will be hosting for the best - and worst - cover designs in publishing today.
It is a truth universally acknowledged by right-thinking people that you *can* sell a book by its cover. This means that cover design is important. I see some covers that gladden my heart - they make me pick the book up, they clearly indicate what sort of a book it is but mainly they just work: simultaneously beautiful and functional.
Others, however, fail. They send confusing signals about the book. They are ugly, formulaic, or jarring to the eye. They act as a barrier to sales - if you buy the book, it's despite the cover.
So: nominations first! Submit your nominations for the best and worst covers you've seen of late as a comment to this post, with a line describing why you like/dislike them. We'll collate them, and post the images up here, then have a vote.
Head off to your local Book Depository to get some inspiration!
My first nominations?
The current Daphne Du Maurier collection receives my 'worst' nomination. To clad books of such rounded variety and passion with such thoughtless, bland covers baffles me.
My favourite cover of recent times is Cloud Atlas. At once adventurous and conforming (it screams 'commercial literary fiction') it made me buy the book. I also liked the way the hardback morphed into the paperback - subtle changes but enough to make the book more accessible.
On another cloud related note, I also adore The Cloudspotter's Guide. And who wouldn't?
Comments: 6
A subject close to my heart... for a long-time now, I've never actually picked up a mass-market book and thought "wow!" at the cover.
Whereas in the indies, just about every publisher takes care and considering while choosing an artist or image.
Can I nominate my own titles? ;-)
Posted by: Christopher Teague on September 7, 2007 10:34 AM
Hello Christopher - well I'm not going to nominate my own, so maybe we should avoid doing that! Can't wait to hear your nominations, though x
Posted by: Em on September 7, 2007 11:13 AM
I, too, love The Cloudspotter's Guide and when I opened it up and looked inside was dismayed by the black and white photographs and the dull-looking text.
What I'd like to know - with a Snowbooks novel coming out next year - is everyone's views on titles for novels. Does a title make you want to pick up a book? or could a naff title put you off?
Posted by: Sue Hepworth on September 7, 2007 01:09 PM
Hehehe: I HATE the Cloud Atlas cover!
Recently, I have also not been liking the covers of: Booker longlisted "What Was Lost" by Catherine O'Flynn -- horrid childish illustration -- and "The Question of Zion" by Jacqueline Rose -- horrid childish illustration!
I thought the cover of Kirk Varnedoe's "Pictures of Nothing" was sublime.
Posted by: Mark Thwaite on September 7, 2007 03:00 PM
I ADORE Faber poetry covers - such beautiful colours. My favourite recent covers for a novel were for Xiaolu Guo's 'A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers' - very eye-catching and sensual - and Tan Twan Eng's 'The Gift of Rain', though I didn't go for the book. I loved the cover of 'Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell' though I suppose the different colour schemes are a naughty marketing ploy. I have the black hardback, for anyone who's remotely interested.
Special mention too for Barrie Sherwood's 'Escape from Amsterdam', published by Granta, which has the slickest cover I've seen for a while and is a fantastic and funny book.
I think headless women on historicals are beginning to look dated. Just got my review copy of the latest Elizabeth Chadwick and thought, oh no, not another headless woman.
But they are an illustration of how cover design is a code for readers - they tell you what kind of novel you're going to get. Important in this world of many books.
Oh lord, that's a long post. Back to the grindstone.
Posted by: Sarah Bower on September 7, 2007 04:39 PM
I too am not a fan of the Cloud Atlas cover. In fact it put me off reading it for years. When I did eventually read the book I loved it but I still don't reckon the cover represents the book at all well. It screams 'girlie' commercial literary fiction to me - and this book is not girlie.
M
Posted by: Matthew on September 7, 2007 04:59 PM