Can You Actually Judge A Book By Its Cover?
The old metaphor “never judge a book by its cover” is built on a flawed premise. We judge book covers, and we are right to do so. Covers are designed to capture our attention and to signal book genre, tone and themes. Because those themes are stronger in better books, they tend to have better covers.
Book covers aren’t made in a vacuum. Publishing companies have a team of designers and marketers that create and ultimately choose a manuscript’s cover, not the author. These professionals are highly attuned to split-moment inferences people make when they see a book cover.
Penguin Random House, the world’s largest English-language trade book publisher, targets specific audiences depending on a book’s look. There is an entire industry built around creating a lasting impression through a book cover — an industry reliant on judging a book by its cover.
Contemporary literary fiction book covers follow strict trends. The popular unicorn frappuccino and minimalist styles combine similar features to signal their modern-day relevance. Unicorn frappuccino covers — think Brit Bennett’s “The Vanishing Half” — have saturated swirls, wallpaper patterns and white sans serif text. Flat minimalist covers have two-dimensional figures, bright pastel colors and empty space. Conjure up any Sally Rooney cover. All of these books are somehow New York Times bestsellers, and are decent.
Both styles are designed for the social media age, to be spread through Instagram and bought online. Their two-dimensionality and competing colors translate effectively to a screen where they scream for your attention.
Thankfully, we can judge great books from their covers, too. Classics are rightfully treated with care and, over time, gain beautiful covers to match their literary stature.
Evolving covers bring classics through the decades and allow new readers to rediscover great literature. I believe the quality of the book shows up on its cover. When a novel has stronger themes, symbols and striking images to draw from, its cover is more memorable.
Designing a book cover is a rigorous process that is essential to its commercial success. By scoffing at covers, we not only ignore the role they play in defining a book but also the signals they offer readers. Judging a book by its cover is an important component of determining its quality, style and tone if you are attuned to the right clues. Keep your judging eye open, and good reads will follow.
