Why You SHOULD Judge A Book By Its Cover
Artwork: Lysander Colindres
We’ve all heard the phrase “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” You likely heard it growing up, but it’s so ingrained into our culture that I’m guessing you don’t remember where you heard it for the first time. I, however, have a vivid memory of my elementary school librarian uttering this phrase to our class, and it’s stuck with me ever since.
I’ve grown a lot since then, as both a consumer of media and as a creative individual. As I’ve progressed through school and gained experience within the worlds of graphic design and communication, this phrase has started to age very poorly for me. I’ve learned a lot about the importance of not only creating high quality work, but also providing a high quality framework in which that work is presented. In the simplest terms, you SHOULD be judging books by their covers.
Why?
Because poor presentation of a product evokes a lack of care and attention to detail. If a book has an underwhelming cover, it insinuates the author or publisher didn’t care enough about the product to focus on every minute characteristic. This lowers the likelihood that the book is even good. If a product is lacking in one area, it’s very possible to be lacking in other areas as well. If the creator doesn’t care about how their work is presented, why should we care about it?
The importance of presentation can also be seen in the artwork for music albums. A strong example of great presentation versus poor presentation can be seen in the comparison of two albums by Childish Gambino: Because The Internet (released in 2013) and 3.15.20 (released in 2020).
Because The Internet was an incredibly unique project. Along with the rollout for this album came a corresponding screenplay, website, artwork, secret tracks, and more. These bonus features all contributed to the world building of the music, strongly enhancing the listening experience by utilizing the art of presentation. It was a fun concept that made fans very invested in Donald Glover as an artist, and even helped to strengthen his career. This led to future success, with more albums and even the massive hit single This Is America. Because of these achievements, everyone was eagerly anticipating Childish Gambino’s next project. This is why 3.15.20 is an infamous example of wasted potential. The album has no artwork (just a blank, white square) and a majority of the song titles are just the time that it takes place on the tracklist. Even the name of the album is literally just the date when it was released. These factors, along with the fact that it came out right when the COVID-19 pandemic started, made the project extremely forgettable.
So, how do you make sure your project isn’t forgotten? There are a lot of factors working against you, especially now.
The Influence of New Technology and the Internet
Due to the rise of new technology, specifically through the internet and social media, our attention spans are shorter than ever. This makes it difficult to grab the attention of anyone, especially if they’re scrolling mindlessly through their phone. However, you can combat this through specific elements of good presentation.
A very notable example is the use of compelling thumbnails in videos. This is a form of presentation that has become very relevant in the world of YouTube. The emergence of video thumbnails as a way to grab your attention is almost a modernization of a book cover, since both are trying to accomplish the same thing.
It’s also important to adapt old mediums with new presentation techniques. A popular place to currently advertise your book is Amazon, where anyone now has the ability to sell copies of their work. It can be extremely easy to just scroll past the endless number of books being sold, so a good cover is important. TikTok is also a common place to discuss books right now, specifically on “BookTok”. Because of the endless stream of content on the app, it’s definitely helpful to have a cover that stands out from the crowd.
Album art for music is also more important due to the exponential increase in music streaming. Services such as Spotify or Apple Music allow music to be more accessible than ever, which makes it even more difficult for artists to break through. Having a great album cover brings you one step closer to success, as people scroll through Spotify looking for new music.
Movie posters fit within the same realm of streaming. Many people using services like Netflix or Hulu aimlessly browse through hundreds of movies and TV shows, so a poster that grabs your attention is almost necessary. This is why Netflix even makes their own posters that are only shown to certain users through their algorithm, because they think you’ll click on it. This is a very similar methodology to YouTube thumbnails.
The world is changing rapidly in regards to technology, which is why it’s important to utilize these new resources to present your work. Using these avenues, you can begin to use the art of presentation to your advantage. If you’re proud of a project, make it presentable. Whether it’s your personal portfolio or branding, social media, or even a book, put effort into how it’s seen. You never know who’s attention you might grab.