In a recent issue of “The Horn Book” Thom Barthelmess a librarian, curator, and current lecturer at Dominican University tackles the question of “What Makes a Good Book Cover?” We have all seen book covers that we don’t like; some even alienate us so much that we don’t pick it up to read. Barthelmess believes that a book cover has a variety of jobs to do and so it is important to understand just what the cover is trying to do.
The most important job of the cover is to communicate the book’s content both “what the book is about and what the book is like.” The front and back flaps of a book cover give the reader clues, but the “text and graphics on the cover deliver the most immediate and indelible impression.” A cover can convey to a reader character, setting and plot. The style of the cover can suggest mood and tone.
Thousands of books are published each year and all of them are competing for the attention of publishers, booksellers, librarians and readers. The cover, therefore, must give the book a “unique identity.” Books that generate buzz and sales often have their covers copied. They generate formula plots, as well as, formula covers.
It is Barthelmess’s hope that cover is a complete package guiding the reader toward a rewarding experience.