Ultimatum

Author: Simon Kernick
Publisher: Century

ultimatum-1As regular visitors to Fixabook will know, we despair at missed opportunities on hardback covers. So often we see back covers with anodyne review quotes, meaningless author pictures… or just nothing at all.

So it is fantastic to see this — a hardback blurb that acts as an advert — a trailer — for the book. It doesn’t bombard you with a synopsis or exhaustive character list; nor does it try to impress you with reviews. It just heads straight to the heart of the action.

What’s even better is that Century have resisted the temptation to stick a long plot summary on the inside flap. Once again, the copy takes you immediately into the book’s dilemma and makes you want to read on.

ultimatum-front-flap-1

At a time when money is tight and hardbacks are increasingly expensive, it is even more important to apply this sort of thinking across all genres and to make our back covers work as hard as they possibly can.

Tags:
comment No Comments
  • Share/Bookmark
Posted by: Katie Roden
Monday, April 29th, 2013

Gulp

Author: Mary Roach
Publisher: Oneworld

gulp-ukThe great thing about designing covers for non-fiction titles is that so many of them have very precise and distinctive propositions.

In this particular regard, Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal will take some beating… but a blurb that boasts ‘enema exorcists, stomach slugs and rectum-examining prison guards’ could easily have led the design astray.

To our great relief, the publishers have arrived at something which is strong, memorable and witty, rather than crass and ugly.

However, the most impressive aspect of this cover is the sheer economy of the communication within the design. With just one visual device, the cover manages to show the alimentary canal itself, present the title and add a warm touch of humour.

Compare this cover to its American counterpart and you will see how clever it really is.

gulp-us

It is an act of genius to communicate so much with so little, and to make something so difficult look so easy.

Tags:
comment No Comments
  • Share/Bookmark
Posted by: Damian Horner
Monday, April 29th, 2013

The Goldfinch

Author: Donna Tartt
Publisher: Little Brown

goldfinchThere will have been a lot of attention paid to this cover, and it shows.

It is fresh, confident and memorable.

Given the title, plot and genre it would have been so easy to end up with a beautiful but boring painting of a bird. (All very arty but it would have added little to the overall communication.)

Instead, by using the rip device to reveal the bird behind it, the publishers have created something all together more graphic and intriguing.

The rough paper, taped edge and handwritten type create the sense of an intensely personal story. Interestingly, they also make the package peculiarly tactile.

We quibble, however, with the words ‘A novel’, as we have done many times before. How many people won’t be able to work this out from the Amazon description, the signage on the bookshop shelf or the blurb on the back? It feels like an industry practice that is maintained out of fearful habit rather than genuine need.

Tags:
comment No Comments
  • Share/Bookmark
Posted by: Katie Roden
Friday, April 5th, 2013

Polpo

Author: Russell Norman
Publisher: Bloomsbury

polpo It seems that at Christmas, many people bought  this book as a gift and the spine often played a major part in their purchase decision.

Yes, that’s right — the spine.

Although to be strictly accurate there is no spine. Instead the book’s stitching is revealed (In bright green no less).

As well as being beautiful and different, there is also a practical benefit to having no spine — The book can be laid out flat on the kitchen counter so the recipes are easier to read.

Form and function.

How nice to see a spine play such a pivotal role in the design process.

And because this kind of thinking cannot be replicated in a digital version —  we expect to see a lot more of this kind of innovation over the coming year.


Tags:
comment No Comments
  • Share/Bookmark
Posted by: Damian Horner
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

1984

Author: George Orwell
Publisher: Penguin

1984-censored It was a tweet by the literary agent, Jonny Geller, that alerted us to this cover. It is his favourite version and quite frankly it has shot right to the top of our list too.

The title and author name are printed in gloss black on a matt black background, so can only been seen when held at the right angle.

This wonderful piece of (apparent) ‘censorship’ might seem crazy at first yet it tells us so much about the story contained within.

In fact, it is perhaps the most concise piece of design communication that one could possibly imagine for this incredible book.

And yet at the same time it is also utterly distinctive, memorable and intriguing.

A remarkable achievement.

Tags:
comment 2 Comments
  • Share/Bookmark
Posted by: Damian Horner
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

Penelope

Author: Rebecca Harrington
Publisher: Virago

penelopeThis is a deceptively rich cover, laden with communication.

At the most basic level it looks ‘different’, which in itself is no mean feat.

More importantly, however, it delivers an enormous sense of the story and wonderful tonal nuances about the lead character with the bare minimum of detail.

As with any book that takes the main character’s name as its title, the designers will have been forced down a particular track. Who is she, and why should readers care?

In this case, the juxtaposition of a photograph of a young woman with unexpected, Disney-like cartoon imagery all around her whispers ‘innocent, naive and charming’.

This is a young woman who is clearly out of step with expectations (a fish out of water) and we all know that is a recipe for humour and chaos.

Job done.

The blurb simply needs to deliver the setting (Harvard University) and we know exactly what we are in for with this book.

The fact that the publishers did not resort to using a strapline is testament to the power of this design. For that alone, they deserve our congratulations.

Tags:
comment No Comments
  • Share/Bookmark
Posted by: Damian Horner
Friday, January 11th, 2013

Ratburger

Author: David Walliams
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

ratburger-1This cover merits close attention by any of you out there with authors who are genuine brands in their own right. Of course, the main text is a guaranteed child-pleaser, full of bogies, bullies and spit. But it’s the first-person approach that we find really intriguing.

The author’s voice adds warmth and confidence. For children who know Walliams in a range of guises — author, actor, presenter — it is exciting to be spoken to in this way.

Now think about the possibilities for other genres. How about a crime author using their blurb to describe how they construct their plots? A historical novelist exploring their favourite character? This is an opportunity to speak directly to readers, to give them an insight into the mind of their favourite authors, and to do something very different.

(As an added bonus, underneath the jacket is a great Tony Ross illustration — another example, like My Time, of a designer doing something extra and special and thus making the overall package irresistible.)

Tags:
comment No Comments
  • Share/Bookmark
Posted by: Katie Roden
Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

My Time

Author: Bradley Wiggins
Publisher: Yellow Jersey Press

wigginsThis whole cover is a stunning piece of book design. Tactile, clean and simple, it’s a truly lovely object to give a cycling fan, or to treasure for yourself.

But what we love most is the attention to detail under the jacket — the yellow board, the repeated images and, particularly, the spine. It’s a witty surprise for anyone who takes the time to look.

Random House didn’t have to do this. But the fact that they did shows true empathy with their market. For cycling fans, this is more than just an autobiography. This is about treasuring and savouring a truly astonishing moment in British cycling — and the love and care lavished on this book reflect that perfectly.


Tags:
comment No Comments
  • Share/Bookmark
Posted by: Katie Roden
Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

Infernal Devices

Author: Philip Reeve
Publisher: Scholastic

reeve-frontThese covers look like nothing else around them and as a consequence they leap off the shelf and Amazon screen.

The reason is quite simple: The publishers have taken the visual language of video games and applied them directly to a series of print books.

A clever idea when your target audience are young teenage boys and your content is all about cities waging war on one another at some point in the distant future.

Every detail is correct from the CGI visuals; to the book numbering; curved edges and series identifier (“Predator Cities” which in itself sounds like a video game collection)

It is great to see designers make leaps like this and start with the mindset and interests of their target audience rather than remain stuck in the confines of what ‘books for boys normally look like’.



Tags:
comment No Comments
  • Share/Bookmark
Posted by: Damian Horner
Friday, December 14th, 2012

The Teleportation Accident

Author: Ned Beauman
Publisher: Sceptre

teleportation-1Here at Fixabook, we’re often to be found bemoaning the lack of time and effort publishers seem to give to their back covers, even on books with wonderfully designed fronts.

So it’s a real pleasure to find a fabulous exception — The Teleportation Accident.

Sceptre’s designers have created a rich, tactile and utterly desirable hardback, with beautiful colours and finishes. What we love is the fact that they have lavished as much care on the back as on the front, with a really pleasing result.

True, the quotes chosen aren’t particularly special… but the design actually makes you want to read them. Even the barcode has been placed carefully to add to the sense that this is something unusual and special. Overall, the design works hard to make the mysterious title appealing rather than off-putting.

It’s a book you want to pick up, stroke and explore — front and back. Lovely…

Tags:
comment No Comments
  • Share/Bookmark
Posted by: Katie Roden
Tuesday, November 27th, 2012
« Older Entries