Book Nook: Your Cover Art Style Persona

About the Author

Inge is senior editor and a regular contributor at YLF.

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Book Nook: Your Cover Art Style Persona

— by Inge

on January 27, 2012

Just before the holidays I mentioned that Nostalgia in Vogue might make a fun present. This anthology, compiled by Features Director Eve MacSweeney, celebrates the 10th birthday of the famous “Nostalgia” columns. Essays based on stunning fashion photographs, paired with coming-of-age stories and artists’ personal musings on life’s big themes.

In The One Hundred – A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own, Nina Garcia shares the one hundred pieces that have become her wardrobe essentials. A style guide intended as a source of inspiration, rather than the ultimate must-haves list, to help you develop your trademark style.

While preparing the YLF entry for Mrs. Garcia’s book, I kept going back and forth between the two cover options. The hardcover with simple light grey background and black and pink lettering, and the colourful shoes and bags of the paperback version. In the end, the paperback won. Ruben Toledo’s illustration gives a fun taste of the playful drawings inside, and perfectly reflects this style guide’s tone and message.

It got me thinking though. Do looks matter with books? After all, this is one area where content trumps appearance, right. Yet, I admit to poring over web archives with beautifully designed covers. I have spent time tracking down the original version of a book just because the reprint cover wasn’t wowing me. No movie tie-in editions in my shopping cart if I can avoid it. And am I the only one who’s not amused when a publisher suddenly changes design themes bang in the middle of a favourite series?

Seems I’ve developed very specific style criteria for my bookshelves too. I like my covers strong and bold, with clean simple lines and an element of surprise thrown into the mix. I definitely smell a whiff of Modern Classic with minimalist tendencies here… Come to think of it, all this might match my overall style persona more than I realized.

How do your style preferences affect your book purchases? Or is there really no connection at all? And just for fun, tell us which Nina cover you would have picked.

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Books

32 comments · Add a comment

Louise

Veteran

I’m afraid I always judge a book by its cover, if the cover doesn’t spark my interest I don’t pick it up, I’m sure I miss out on some fab reading x

January 27, 2012 at 2:16 pm

teri

I’m with you on this one!

January 27, 2012 at 3:03 pm

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

The silver one matches my other Nina Garcia book … “Style Persona”

January 27, 2012 at 3:14 pm

Nancy

I agree…I hate movie tie-in covers. And yeah, visuals shouldn’t matter for books, but I really do appreciate them (in one of my fantasy existences, I would have been a graphic illustrator, bringing beauty to function and into daily life).

January 27, 2012 at 3:48 pm

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I would have picked the Nina cover with the colourful graphics because it reflects the fun factor of the subject matter. So I thought about it the same way as you, Inge.

I definitely judge a book about creative matter by it’s cover. I have all of Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks and there are at least 10 of them. They are all the same size and the same style and I really like that continuity. It’s strengthens the brand.

January 27, 2012 at 4:13 pm

Mellllls

Veteran

Have you seen the Sex and the City episode where Carrie goes to the bookstore for ideas for the covershoot for her own book? I think if covers didn’t matter before they do now!

January 27, 2012 at 4:35 pm

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Covers do matter, very much. I agree with you, Inge – I never, ever buy a movie-tie-in paperback. Hate those covers.

The best cover sums up what’s inside in terms of tone and feeling and then also has to grab the reader’s attention. It’s a tall bill to fill! Of course, the title is incredibly important too.

January 27, 2012 at 4:52 pm

taylor

Veteran

Totally agree,!! the first cover looks so fun and full of fashion that I would open just to thumb through!

January 27, 2012 at 5:45 pm

tracina

Very interesting. I would buy either book depending on my state of mind. If I was in the mood for something light and fun I would buy the paper back. If I was in the mood to learn something I would be attracted to the hard back. Makes me realize I do the same thing when buying clothes and getting dressed.

January 27, 2012 at 7:22 pm

Lena

Hmm, interesting question, Inge.

I like a well designed and strong cover, but it doesn’t influence my net purchasing decisions. I love browsing the covers at bookstores, though.

I also dislike tie in covers.

And don’ get me started on awful lazily designed DVD covers and/or film posters. Floating heads galore. Grr! Every once in a while there’s a cool creative poster/ad campaign, and I’m bummed when this poster is discarded in favor of a floating head design for the DVD.

January 27, 2012 at 8:06 pm

Scarlet

Veteran

This write-up really made me smile because I have had similar thoughts before without conciously realizing it. When I see movie-inspired covers I inwardly shudder. I am very irritated when series change the cover of their book, or in my case going back and forth between the U.S. and Europe that the British and American covers and sizes are not the same. Obviously when there is a book I want or need I will buy it regardless of the cover, but when I am browsing covers are definitely important. I think you hit the nail on the head with choosing between the two Nina Garcia book versions. The grey one is appealing but probably doesn’t communicate well the content or tone of the book.

January 27, 2012 at 9:46 pm

Lantana

Veteran

The book cover communicates, mainly visually but tactilely as well, information about the author, the publisher and the book’s contents. A huge amount of creative effort goes into the artwork, colours, placement of text and all aspects of font selection. As I write a book cover is to my right on the screen. I don’t have to read the text to know what kind of book it is: the colours of teal blue and cream, gilded script, a coy female figure in lacy period dress, gosh, I think I know that story! Nowadays, I dismiss all but those covers which reflect the kind of reading matter I’m after. However, if I’m looking at vintage covers, dating from a period before marketing became so sophisticated, I will open the book and scan a few pages first. I see the Garcia book covers targeting a “fun read” market (#1) as well as a more intellectual one.(#2) It reminded me of “100 years of solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez which,interestingly enough, was also marketed with two covers!

January 27, 2012 at 9:51 pm

Marley

Veteran

I think I would have chosen #2. #1 is just too cluttered for me. The thought of there being ONE-HUNDRED wardrobe items that are ESSENTIAL just blows my mind – and so I need the simplicity of #2, just to reassure me that there is some way of actually collecting these 100 essential items without completely being overwhelmed or unorganized or just out-of-control!

January 27, 2012 at 10:34 pm

Vildy

Veteran

I am *only* interested in content. I buy relatively few books nowadays, most of them
as cheap as I can get them. I prefer hardback but will take anything. I don’t care if it happens to have any writing in it or is scuffed. Before I buy something online I will research the author, any interviews, readers’ opinions. I only read non-fiction – it is inventive enough – and I don’t have much patience to look through thrift shops because they often don’t sort out their fiction and non-fiction.

I have had that Nina Garcia book. I don’t buy books with a view towards keeping them or building a library. Those days are long gone for me: I admired a friend’s collection of paintings some years ago. I thought, Why don’t I have any art on the walls? Oh yeah, I have books everywhere and no wall space. Now I have mostly wall space and some paintings, a few bookcases.

Anyway, the first cover with the whimsical drawings is deceptive because I think Garcia’s attitude is more like the authoritarian pronouncement on the stark second cover.

Does this reflect my interaction with clothes? Maybe. I think of clothes as ideas. Nothing has to be perfect or perfectly executed [so what if they don’t make things the way they used to anymore]. I look for the gist or germ of the style idea. I have far less clothing than I used to. I don’t acquire with any expectation of holding on to it. If it turns out to be an unexpected favorite, fine. Otherwise is fine, too.

January 28, 2012 at 3:08 am

rachylou

Veteran

Haha! I totally judge a book by its cover. Esp. when it comes to buying nookbooks – it’s a pain to download samples. In a bookstore, books might get rejected because I also get a chance to sample some of the writing.

I’ve done copyediting for general publishing. You know, publishers definitely think about covers. They know their audiences and who’d want to read a book, and they do covers so those people will be able to register them. People really suffer from attention blindness. If they don’t identify with a thing, it might as well not exist.

I like the second cover better, whimsey is not my thing to be honest. However, if I were a bookseller, I’d absolutely go with the first one. It does say “fun” – and I think to a broader range of people, including myself.

January 28, 2012 at 9:18 am

Ana

(website)

Veteran

I think covers are very important from a general marketing standpoint. Personally though, I tend to read almost exclusively in digital, and I buy mainly based on word of mouth, so covers play less of a role in my book buying habits.

January 28, 2012 at 6:31 pm

clearlyclaire

While the paperback cover is whimsical and pretty, I find the cover pictures visually distracting from the title. I would actually gravitate toward the hardback cover in this case. It creates the desire to open the book to see what’s inside!

January 29, 2012 at 7:45 am

Travelgal Nicole

Veteran

Covers matter a lot to me. If I go to the bookstore just to have a look and don’t have a particular book in mind its usually the cover that draws me to the book.

If I’ve gone in for a particular book I usually pick the more basic cover. I would have chosen the silver cover for the Nina Garcia book.

January 29, 2012 at 5:01 pm

Meredith1953

Veteran

Love a classic cover! I have a collection of paperbacks dating back to the 30’s precisely because of the wonderful cover art (usually classic mysteries) However…in my practical real life I purchase more and more e-books (usually in Amazon kindle format which I promptly rip to the more open epub format). This is for portability though. I love beautiful covers and binds in books! They also make great decor.

January 29, 2012 at 5:29 pm

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

The simple cover on the right caught my eye first. The book’s subject matter, 100 essential pieces, came across better on that one. Whereas the one on the right put too much emphasis on Nina Garcia’s name (I’ve heard of her but she wouldn’t draw me in) and made it look like another “girl” paperback. The kind that talk about clothes and relationships.

I’ve heard the author has more input to the hardback, and has more of a profit share. Whereas with the paperback, the publisher keeps all of the profits, except in the case of really big authors. Is this correct?

January 29, 2012 at 10:16 pm

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Another thought — isn’t the paperback version of a book more mainstream? Therefore the cover of Ms. Garcia’s paperback book is, to my eye, more mainstream and less intellectual. It’s just a different readership so they adjust the art to match that group.

Which is exactly what happens to DVD covers. DVD is more mainstream than theatrical distribution. Those floating heads are there for a reason: they sell more copies/generate more rental turns from places like Blockbuster with floating star heads because as you are walking by you see a simpler, instantly recognizable image. Movies are not driven by posters, they are driven by reviews, word of mouth and especially TV commercials. DVDs are waning, and cover art will play less of a role than before as downloading/on demand takes over. Anyway, sorry for the derailment, but since someone complained about all of those floating heads, I thought I’d explain (16 year veteran of that industry here).

January 29, 2012 at 10:31 pm

aLaMoDe

Active Member

As a book cover designer, it’s easy to say that yes, the cover art definitely affects my decision… though I’m not proud of it (not that I’m ashamed of it either), there’s something exciting about picking up a beautifully well designed book to give you a quick look and taste into what gems are held within. I feel like the cover artist has a job to give the right that is due to the content… and if that’s not achieved, then … is it worth going over? It might be, but it becomes harder to convince yourself otherwise if the first thing you see is a badly designed piece of cover art.

On a lighter note, when I was in 10th grade and in Borders Books (RIP), I came across a beautifully well designed cover of Jane Eyre… I had no idea what the book was about, had never heard about it, but purchased it on the spot because the cover art was so enticing and the book itself fell so easily open in my hands. It turned out to be my favorite fictional book (still is), and besides Charlotte Bronte, I also have the cover artist to thank!

January 29, 2012 at 11:15 pm

rute

Veteran

I’m not very artsy, I’m practical, when I buy a book, I have studied already the contents and what I want, so the cover has little influence.

January 30, 2012 at 2:43 am

Lisa

Veteran

I would have picked the white cover, it is fun and whimsical, which is how I want to feel about my clothes. In general book covers do grab my eye when I am browsing a shelf but the content is more important to me. Often I purchase books based on recommendations from others or because I’ve already read another book by the author. So my book shopping is usually quite focused anyway. I am a bigger fan of the spine of a book since that is what I see most on my personal bookshelf.

January 30, 2012 at 6:14 am

(website)

The first cover looks like chick lit (pink and purple, cartoony pictures of accessories, author’s name in big letters), the second cover looks like a sex guide (looks like it is trying to be discreet with vague title and elegant gray lines, but has author’s name in ornate pink script). I would not give either one a second glance.

I like the idea of the book and clicked over to this site after reading the description of the book. I would rather see pictures of actual clothes on the cover, or something that says to me, “This is a book about helping you develop your personal style.”

January 30, 2012 at 7:03 am

Sihaya

Veteran

Really good question Inge. I would choose the one on the right as the one on the left looks cluttered to my eye. I like simple, clean lines that go with my classic vibe. I buy books because of their content. However, if I’m browsing in a bookstore or a library, attractive covers will immediately draw my eye – and then if the write up looks interesting, I am more likley to buy that one on the spot.

January 30, 2012 at 7:08 am

Jilly

Active Member

I think I started getting interested in book covers about 7 or 8 years ago. I remember walking into Barnes & Noble and noticing their giant, vintage book cover posters on the walls. I just fell in love with all of those book covers,and I’ve been interested in book cover art ever since. In other words I’m with Angie and all of you in being totally drawn by a book’s cover.

January 30, 2012 at 8:30 am

Jilly

Active Member

oops! to finish out, I was inspired by book covers to do an art/photo project with just the covers – so fun!

January 30, 2012 at 8:33 am

Antje

Veteran

Cover art totally matters to me! When I buy a book that’s been around for a while and comes in different editions, I definitely pick the one that appeals to me aesthetically, even it means paying a dollar more. For old favorites, I look for the most “era appropriate” cover art. and get miffed when a cover gets overly modernized. And when I shop for books by contemporary authors, I love browsing the “new and recommended” tables and see what speaks to me – and more often than not it’s the cover art that makes me pick up a book for further inspection.

January 30, 2012 at 9:28 am

LoP

Veteran

Cover art is definitely important for me these days more than ever. I generally (99%) read on Kindle and only buy a book if it feels like it will be visually pleasing to look and hold. That’s why I also like thrifted books.

January 30, 2012 at 10:17 am

MarS

Active Member

I do not like the movie tie-in covers–boring!
I have all 3 of Nina’s books: black, silver and gold and like the way
they go together.
The new version is nice too especially if all 3 get the new arty cover style.

January 30, 2012 at 12:22 pm

Inge

(website)

Moderator

I definitely see some of your style personas coming through in the comments:-)
And I love it that I’m not the only one with a few “book quirks.

Having worked in the publishing industry for 18 years I can confirm that a lot of thought goes into cover design and all other communication surrounding the publication of a book.
CocoLion: I’m not sure how this works in the US. In Belgium and the Netherlands an author receives royalties for each copy of the book that is sold. These royalties are based on the retail price of the book. Since hardcovers are usually more expensive, he or she would automatically earn a little more from a hardcover edition.

Melllls: I did see that episode. I’d definitely be doing research myself too if I had a book coming out and the publisher was asking me for input about the cover;-)

February 1, 2012 at 5:37 am

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