How to Judge a Book by its Cover
We’ve all heard the idiom “you can’t judge a book by its cover” but does it really apply to books? I think not. You can judge a book by its cover and here’s how.
Gone are the days of bookstores being poky little shops with books stacked neatly on the shelves with only their spines facing outwards. These days it’s big, brightly lit stores with floor to ceiling displays of new releases and best-sellers with their covers proudly facing outwards.
A book’s cover is not just an afterthought in the book publishing process. It is the result of the combined efforts of graphic designers and marketers. Authors are rarely allowed much input into the design process. Book covers not only need to be eye catching and appealing so that they grab our attention when we are browsing through the multitude of titles on the shelves but they also need to convey the essence of the book. Book covers often change with each new edition to change its appeal to readers.
Ignoring reviews as a means to select books, how can we decide what’s worth reading? The golden rule of book selection is to avoid anything with raised metallic writing on the cover. This is the book publishers’ most desperate tactic to attract us to what is, without exception, complete and utter drivel. Just think of the genres that often feature raised metallic writing on the covers: romance, sci-fi and thrillers; these are not well written books. I realise that fans of Dan Brown and ‘The Da Vinci Code’ will be horrified by my golden rule of book selection but I’ve read it, it’s rubbish and, as far as I am concerned, proves my point.
The classics are easily recognisable by the inclusion of old paintings and traditional typefaces on the cover while modern books have either photographs or modern art on the cover. If you are after a serious book, look for a serious cover and if you are after a fun, easy to read book, look for a fun cover.
Any book which has been made into a film will have a cover that features images from the film to remind us of the connection. If you liked the film, you will like the book. Children and adults the world over will be delighted to discover that the film ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ was based on the fabulous book by Roald Dahl.
The chick-lit genre has grown enormously and bookstores are bursting with new titles. Lovers of chick-lit should look for brightly coloured covers that have titles with whimsical lettering and cartoon images of sassy young women doing typical chick things like shopping. A fun cover guarantees a fun read.
Sex sells and if you like romance books look for a dark cover with its title written in a flowery script and a titillating image of a brooding, bare-chested male beefcake. History buffs should look for covers that look old and sensible while fans of sci-fi should look for covers with futuristic images and lettering. Fantasy books are a world unto themselves. Like the plotlines, the covers are dark and complex and feature ornate lettering and images with an excruciating amount of detail. The covers of mystery and thriller books don’t want to give away too much of what’s inside except to let us know that we’re in for a roller-coaster ride of intrigue and suspense; look out for dark and ambiguous covers and titles.
So, armed with this knowledge, you now have the confidence to go into your local book shop and make a selection based only on the cover. There is no need to agonise over reading the synopsis on the back or the brief biography of the author on the inside of the cover, simply choose from the shelves: a bright pink book with a picture of girl laden with shopping bags, a dignified looking book with an old oil painting on the cover, a book with a picture of Ewan McGregor on the cover or whatever else takes your fancy.
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