Where would the groom be without his tuxedo jacket? Where would the book be without its cover jacket? In the same straights I’m afraid: just a guy with a shirt and tie, just a book with a cover and spine. That’s why jackets are important, both to grooms and books! That’s why a new weblog on Publishers Weekly is worth a read.
Called Jackets Required, this blog is a weekly column by Fwis, a design group that critiques book jacket design. The articles are short and pithy, but they offer a designer’s perspective on the artistic side of jacket design. If you’ve ever wondered what thought goes into creating a book jacket, this column will give you some interesting insights. And like any good blog, there’s a place for comments, so you can add your two cents or ask your daunting question to people who should have an educated opinion.
Why should you care? Think about how many books you’ve picked up off the display table because of what you saw on the jacket. Think about the ones you didn’t pick up. What made the difference? Maybe Jackets Required will discuss it and you can say, “Yeah, I thought so, too.”
This week’s Jackets Required column is on the book Loving Frank: A Novel.
One of Fwis’s project websites is called Covers and its tagline reads: “Covers is dedicated to the appreciation of book cover design.” They feature other articles including one on bookshelves that caught my attention. Those are some pretty wicked looking bookshelves! Take a look.
2 comments:
Great tidbiton that blog! I'm a sucker for a great book design. I have to admit that McSweeneys have some great ones!
I'm not sure readers give much thought to jackets, but there is some great artwork accomplished in cover jackets. I've also read that a well protected jacket can be worth more than the book itself in the used book/collectibles market.
McSweenys is a slightly different species because it's actually a periodical. That doesn't diminish its artistic value or the impact of its jacket, but it often has to compete with magazines rather than with books and it likely enjoys the treatment of a different cadre of art directors than book designers. All to your benefit as a maeven of the series.
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