Judge a Book by Its Cover

Dragged kicked and screaming into the digital age (ie, born in 1987), I am forced to admit when some technological advancements are absolutely necessary. The most recent case came from when I was looking at book previews for new releases for the coming year. The Millions massive book preview is always a great resource, and Flavorwire's list wasn't so bad itself. Obviously going straight to a favorite publisher (like Curbside Splendor or Other Press) is the most comprehensive way to find out what new releases are coming out.

You know what's sadly the most helpful out of this whole process though? Book covers. That adage, that cliche, that lie. It may have held weight in the past, but this is the age of design that is inherent in everything. The copies of my books that I inherited from my grandparents, leatherbound copies of Longfellow and Keats and Shakespeare that are too fragile to turn the pages, are absolutely beautiful in their minimal classicism. But they are literature from another era.

Today, an author should understand that the design of the book is as essential as the words that are written. The word 'writer' has been redefined: it no longer has to do just with the written language but the visual language as well. I'm not saying I agree with this, I am saying it is the way it is. For a new book, an eye-catching cover is just as important as the mind-bending work that is contained therein.

The most important reason is repetition. Personally, I still do as much shopping as I can at independent bookstores, new or used. But the way I find out what books I am initially interested in is through the web, where scrolling and rapid-fire-clicking is king. If I see a book's title repeated, I probably won't remember it. If I see the cover on twenty different websites, it is absolutely more likely to make an impact.

Another important reason is that there's so much uncharted terrain. You've seen plenty of blog posts that detail similar book covers and movie posters. So when a book doesn't take the lazy design route that everyone else has, it has the chance to stand out more. I think specifically about 7Vientos and the design of their books.

Lastly, an author who is writing words I enjoy or find meaningful (or, hopefully, both), will likely have similar other tastes: music, movies, art, and design included. An author and publisher who shows me that they care about design shows me they care about their craft as well.

I absolutely admit that the wrapping paper isn't always going to outshine the gift contained; likewise, you can't polish a...or can you? With all that said, here are some books that are making my longlist of what to check out this year (some covers included).

 

• Jan 12 Sunil Yapa, Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist
• Jan 12 Andria Williams, The Longest Night
• Jan 25 Rafael Chirbes, On the Edge 
• Jan 26 Diane Williams Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine 
• Feb 02 Alexander Chee, The Queen of the Night
• Feb 02 Petina Gappah, The Book of Memory 
• Feb 02 Jowhor Ile, And After Many Days 
• Feb 09 John Wray, the Lost Time Accidents  

• Feb 09 Alvaro Enrigue, Sudden Death
• Feb 09 Jhumpa Lahiri, In Other Words 
• Feb 09 Baz Dreisinger, Incarceration Nations 
• Mar 01 A Igoni Barrett, Blackass
• Mar 01 Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Cafe... 
• Mar 08 Saleem Haddad, Guapa
• Mar 15 John E Dugan (ed.), The Empty Bottle Chicago: 21+ Years of Music / Friendly / Dancing
• Mar 22 Karan Mahajan, The Association of Small Bombs

 

• Apr 12 Toni Neale, The Miles Between Me   
• Apr 26 Marie NDiaye, Ladivine: A Novel
• May 10 Julian Barnes, The Noise of Time
• May 10 Don DeLillo, Zero K
• May 10 Tony Fitzpatrick, The Secret Birds  
• May 31 Patrick Modiano, Villa Triste 
• Jul 05 Jesse Ball, How to Set a Fire and Why
• Sep 13 Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad
• Nov 01 Michael Chabon, Moonglow