The other day we discussed book covers and how they’re designed to intrigue readers enough to pick up the book and give it a chance.
I read several industry blogs, one of them Michael Hyatt’s. If you don’t know, he’s the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. His recent post about the importance of listening to consumers, talks about market research and how to best use the spine of a book cover as a marketing tool. What a great point. After all, most books are shelved spine out, so making the most of that narrow piece of real estate is a wise move.
To help them decide a new design choice, Thomas Nelson is conducting an online survey about which spine designs consumers prefer.
There are three choices. After looking at them, I wish there were four choices. Go and take the survey and then voice your opinion in the comment section below. Explain why you liked a particular choice, and what you didn’t like about the other choices.
Personally, my preference would be to combine choice #1 with the top of choice #3, when it is appropriate. The second two choices had a library-feel to them because it looked like the information libraries put on books, but instead of the bottom information being in library white, it was in black. And perhaps I’ve purchased too many college textbooks in the past decade or so, but the text on the top part of choice #3 looks like the sticker the college bookstore applies to the books that are “Used.” Sorry. That’s just the way it looks to me.
What’s your opinion?
Comments
I'm a bad book person. I couldn't tell the difference. :(
Hi Megan, I picked #2. I felt #3 was too busy.
#3 made the publisher and noteworthiness of the book stand out more, so i picked it.
I like a combination of 2 & 3. :)
I like choice #1. The others all blend together.
I like #1. Somehow adding the black square either top and or bottom as exhibited in choices #2 & #3 limits the individuality of each book. Does that make any sense?
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