Book Cover Designs

A while ago I came across The New York Times section on books and literature. They provide a variety of information about authors, reviews, changes in the industry and many more topics related to the field of literature.

One article that I found interesting is about book covers. It is a list of the best book cover designs from 2014. So many people just have their eReaders now so the novelty and importance of a book's cover seems to be going along the wayside. Just like the design on a wine or beer bottle or toy packaging; the cover art for a book is instrumental in the selling of the book. Of course the content of the book is the most important. But when you peruse the shelves (or online) the title and cover art jumps out to you. Does it say "Open me now!" or "Will I sleep at night reading this?" or "Hmmm...I must read on" or "What is this about?"

An artist may make a complicated picture to portray what is in the book. Or it may be as simple as the title in black and white, dripping blood, on a back drop of black (Dracula perhaps). Or just plain white with the title. Then there is the difference between the original cover art and the movie cover art (once it is a movie). Which copy sells more? Take your favorite book: how would you depict the story on the front cover? What scene would you illustrate? Or are there certain symbols or colors that you would use? Would you be more detailed or less?

The Huffington Post has an interesting article titled "20 Beautiful Book Cover Designs to Swoon Over." They also have a Rejected Covers series. It is interesting to look at some of them.