Comments on: 10 unforgettable book covers http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/10-best-unforgettable-covers/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:30:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: HomelessOnWheels http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/10-best-unforgettable-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-1123915 HomelessOnWheels Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:38:37 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=26641#comment-1123915 "Do ereaders mean that cover art will become less important in the future - at least for books that are issued only in ebook format? I suspect this will be the case." It was thought that would be the case with music, too. While it's changed as music went from vinyl to CD to downloads, the cover art remained. I find it very useful while browsing my music library - it's often easier to quickly recognize a picture than a printed title. I already find it useful in recognizing books online as I browse websites. I think they will remain, at least for recognition/identification, and perhaps also to influence sales, as has been mentioned. Hopefully future generations of e-readers will allow one's library to be browsed by covers as well as lists. “Do ereaders mean that cover art will become less important in the future – at least for books that are issued only in ebook format? I suspect this will be the case.”

It was thought that would be the case with music, too. While it’s changed as music went from vinyl to CD to downloads, the cover art remained. I find it very useful while browsing my music library – it’s often easier to quickly recognize a picture than a printed title. I already find it useful in recognizing books online as I browse websites. I think they will remain, at least for recognition/identification, and perhaps also to influence sales, as has been mentioned. Hopefully future generations of e-readers will allow one’s library to be browsed by covers as well as lists.

]]> By: Garson O'Toole http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/10-best-unforgettable-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-1123900 Garson O'Toole Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:14:16 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=26641#comment-1123900 Illustrations are very valuable. Perhaps that is why every article at TeleRead has one? Illustrations are very valuable. Perhaps that is why every article at TeleRead has one?

]]> By: Christine http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/10-best-unforgettable-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-1123487 Christine Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:20:34 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=26641#comment-1123487 Book covers are one of those things in life I wonder about and don't understand. They are extremely important when we are deciding whether or not to read a particular book - and I can't understand why that is! I KNOW the cover has absolutely NOTHING to do with the quality of the content, yet I will judge a book by it's cover. It's something I have to be aware of and try not to do. I doubt cover art is going anywhere, or at least some artistic representation of the book. They are very important. What I don't like or understand (also) are the book trailers, and I unfortunately think they'll get more popular. The trailers go the other way for me - why do I need a video to convince me to read a book? Why would anyone? Book covers are one of those things in life I wonder about and don’t understand. They are extremely important when we are deciding whether or not to read a particular book – and I can’t understand why that is! I KNOW the cover has absolutely NOTHING to do with the quality of the content, yet I will judge a book by it’s cover. It’s something I have to be aware of and try not to do.

I doubt cover art is going anywhere, or at least some artistic representation of the book. They are very important. What I don’t like or understand (also) are the book trailers, and I unfortunately think they’ll get more popular. The trailers go the other way for me – why do I need a video to convince me to read a book? Why would anyone?

]]> By: Rob Preece, BooksForABuck.com http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/10-best-unforgettable-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-1123450 Rob Preece, BooksForABuck.com Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:40:16 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=26641#comment-1123450 When I started BooksForABuck, I thought book covers were a thing of the past. After all, eBooks don't need to protect their pages. I soon learned, however, that readers still use cover art as a key decision factor. So, now I try to commission the best art I can afford. Rob Preece Publisher When I started BooksForABuck, I thought book covers were a thing of the past. After all, eBooks don’t need to protect their pages. I soon learned, however, that readers still use cover art as a key decision factor. So, now I try to commission the best art I can afford.

Rob Preece
Publisher

]]> By: Steve Jordan http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/10-best-unforgettable-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-1123350 Steve Jordan Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:21:18 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=26641#comment-1123350 Though it may seem on its face that book covers will be less important in the digital era... keep in mind that these e-books will largely be sold online and in poster ads, both of which are very visual mediums, and not limited to the same size and layout formats of a traditional book. Cover art will likely undergo a change, but I suspect it will stay with us for quite some time. I suspect the real risk is to original art, as opposed to "click art" covers that are so much easier and faster to create from material gleaned from photo and art web sites. Though it may seem on its face that book covers will be less important in the digital era… keep in mind that these e-books will largely be sold online and in poster ads, both of which are very visual mediums, and not limited to the same size and layout formats of a traditional book. Cover art will likely undergo a change, but I suspect it will stay with us for quite some time.

I suspect the real risk is to original art, as opposed to “click art” covers that are so much easier and faster to create from material gleaned from photo and art web sites.

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