Anna Billson is art director for penguin Random House Children's. In this interview she talks about what she looks for in a book cover.
A connection. Something that sparks an emotion – powerfully and appropriately.
A clear vision that communicates the meaning of the book in an instant.
Beauty and originality.
Attention to detail and skill in execution.
How do you feel a design can impact a reader – either in a good or bad way?
The moment you see anything you make a snap judgement – whether you realise it or not. You can’t escape the impact that physical appearance has. However visual or not you think you are you will have a gut reaction to what you see. A cover design is no different to anything else you see in the impact it can have. A good cover design is all about kick-starting the imagination of the reader. A good cover will intrigue and inspire, tap into memories or ignite new passions. A good cover will make the words inside the book speak more powerfully. A bad cover will just stop you picking up the book!"
Anna Billson highlights the importance of book covers and talks about how much we are affected by our first impressions. A book cover needs to have an instant impact because it may only be seen in passing. It has to be able to grab your attention and encourage you to stop and look. In a book shop a cover will be surrounded by hundreds of other books competing for the attention of the customers, a cover needs to stand out for the right reasons. She talks about the cover having "A clear vision that communicates the meaning of the book in an instant." I think this is where the real difficulties begin with cover design the cover has to be appropriate to the book, it might be easy to make a cover that stands out but it needs to appeal to the same people that the book will, it needs to communicate with them and provide an insight into the narrative and tone of the book.
when creating a cover you need to demonstrate "Attention to detail and skill in execution." The cover is the first point of contact and a badly designed cover will have an impact on peoples view of the books narrative. It is the same as selling anything, I some has made a nice product but has photographed it really badly or their website is terrible it makes you start to question the quality of the products. if they haven't taken time and care with one part of their business why would I assume they have with everything else. It is the same with covers it is a representation of the book contents, it needs to create a connection instantly, be appropriate to the book and show skill and quality.
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