What
is in the Cover Page
The art of cover design of a book has become very important
these days. Authors and publishers spend a lot of time and money on that. The
buyers who are sincere readers have started taking the decision to buy a book on
the basis of cover design. Though they also might read the blurb of the book to
decide if the contents of the book suits to their taste. They also cast a
cursory glance at the bio of the author, if they have not already heard about
him. Does bio help them to decide whether to go for the book or not in any way?
Or the cover design is the most important thing when a book is in hand. What
makes the first impression on the mind of the reader title of the book or
blurb, name of the author or his bio? If a reader has already heard about a
book or author and he has already made up his mind to go for it, then of course
there is no stopping for him.
Many publishers put the title of the book and the name of
the author on cover page without any artwork. Still, those books are sold in
volumes. But those authors belong to classical series for whom one can say
"even name is enough". Those books are like jewels in the bookshelves
which the owner proudly displays. Nothing distracts your mind from the contents
of the book.
What could enhance the beauty of a good book? Amrita
Pritam's books use to have paintings of Imroz as cover design. It was a unique
combination to show how two different artists perceive a phenomenon with same
intensity, except that a writer depends more on the imagination of reader while
painting the picture of a scene with a keyboard on the screen.
Sometimes an author would be puzzled if the cover page is
more important than the content he has written. Many times publishers ask the
author if he has any cover design in his mind. If he is suggesting one, the
publisher would distort it with so called artistic improvisations that the
author would even feel ashamed to condemn it.
Who is to be blamed if the cover page is totally irrelevant
to the crux of the story? It is made on the basis of the title of the book and
has nothing to do about the contents of the story. The cover designer is not a
reader mostly. He is someone who more or less is, technically adept to tackle a
cover design software. Cover designing a book is not lucrative profession, or
rather it should not be. There is ample scope in other commercial fields for
them like advertising. Publishers are commercial people, they are in the trade
to make money. They are not a philanthropist or social activist. They are only
happy when they earn profit by selling books. So they adopt gimmicks of
attractive, sensational cover design. The reader might be misguided but the
purpose of publisher has been served.
Author at a point of time is made to think that he has done
some mistake by writing a book and having desired to see it published. So he
suffers the punishment of harassment and pecuniary losses with determination to
succeed.
Because he has faith in genuine readers.
Howsoever complicated this business of publishing and nexus
of publisher, copy editor, cover designer, distributor, typesetter,
professional reviewers, advertisers may become obnoxious, but the whole trade
is merely a link between author and reader.
In India the youth has become mature as readers and his
craving for serious reading is apparent. The days of Indian M&B and that
type of cover designs are counted. May be they would target preteens instead of
Young Adults in the future.
Kudos to generation x...y....z...
©Vipin Behari Goyal
