By Audria Wooster
A reader’s imagination can be stimulated with a simple glimpse at the cover; that is why the book cover designer has such a great contribution in the process of creating a bestseller. Basically anyone can write a book, but the question is how many people can write a ‘good’ book or a ‘great’ book. Since MS Word, almost everyone can star typing a story until their imagination takes a break. And that’s about it, you might think you have yourself a book, but that’s not quite that simple. Being a book designer takes more than a computer and the desire to create a book.
How would a book look if the pictures would be out of their frames, the writing would not be aligned, rulers and borders would not be adjusted, and you would only see letters thrown on a page? That would certainly be a chaos and no one would bother to see if there’s anything interesting about it. There are lots of books that just sit on a dusty shelf without being noticed for any other reason than the poor design. A good book designer should make it really inviting.
Practically-there’s nothing new about book design; it’s just about a work of art that requires a good eye and experience. In the past, a book designer would only focus on using strong paper to protect the pages. As time passed, people became more interested in culture, they wanted to read more, and demand for books increased. The design also changed with the passing of the time, so that today, using quality paper is not the only thing a book designer has to deal with. The book looks like a commercial package, because otherwise it doesn’t sell.
When entering a library, books have little time to make an impression and that is why a book cover designer has to create that perfect package. The book has to stand out, to catch the eye, and make the reader to pick it. If that happens, the first step is made; then the result of the book designer should make the reader find the book pleasant and easy to read. The rest is up to what the writer has laid down the paper.
The front cover presents the book title and the name of the author. Lately golden letters and shiny covers are used so as to catch the reader’s eye in an instant. The cover is like a billboard, and the message of the book should somehow transpire at a simple glance. Also the cover should have a single focal point; there is no need to exaggerate. Bold letters are recommended for the covers, and the font should be legible even from the distance; also the font should match the subject of the book.
Cheap covers with an amateur look may keep a book on the shelf a long time before anyone touches the book. That is why it’s compulsory a good writer hands his book to a talented book designer who has creativity, experience, skills, software, and printing knowledge that will make a book stand out the others in the library.
The author and the book cover designer should work together in creating a harmonious book. The writer should inform about what category of age the book addresses to, so that both artists could make the most of their creation. A bestseller book is always a mix of all these, because one without the other could make the book a simple one among many others.