What makes you pull a book off the shelf and look inside? The publishing industry spends a fortune on jacket designs because a good cover will increase revenue. But with book sales, the cover only takes you so far. A cover design that doesn't appeal to the target audience affects sales. To make money in publishing, you need good reviews and word of mouth recommendations. Of course, you only get those results with great content.
Designing a Marketing Asset
An October 2010 conference at the Radcliffe Institute for Advance Study and Harvard University, Why Books?, featured a session dedicated to design. Led by Timothy Jones, Art Director of the Harvard University Press, Why (Design) Books? discussed the many ways design influences the success of a book and not always in the intended way. Book covers are often redesigned for different countries. Titles also change. Have you ever noticed a paperback version of a book with a jacket different from the hard cover? Chances are the original design didn't work the way the publisher expected.
Judging a Book
It's not all about the cover. More and more people are looking for their content online and publishers are doing everything they can to keep people reading print editions. The first business book I noticed using design as a reading aid was Body And Soul: Profits with Principles — The Amazing Success Story of Anita Roddick and The Body Shop . Published in 1991, the reviews mention the way illustrations, photographs, images and pull quotes are used to enhance the text. Roddick was a pioneer in business and, as it turns out, blazed a few trails with content, too.
The convenient truth of An Inconvenient Truth
Al Gore's book on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, relied heavily on design to attract the masses to a scientific argument. Gore gives credit to his wife, Tipper, for understanding his topic matter needed to be presented in a visual, easy-to-read format. Personally, the book disappointed me because I wanted substance. However, the book was a publishing success and Gore achieved global recognition for his views on climate change.
The Brand Gap solution for time poor people
Substance comes with a price and you pay the bill with your time. When a friend recommend Marty Neumeier's, The Brand Gap I told her I would hold it until my holiday when I had more time. She assured me it was an easy read and she was right. The Brand Gap uses bold type, images, and lots of hooks to keep you turning pages. I got through the 208 pages in just over a day and was glad I did. The book was full of great ideas and the design made it easy to read.
Designing Your Long Content
An attractive cover will encourage people to take a further look. For blog posts, newsletters and other short forms of content, a good design is usually enough. What about books, eBooks and long presentations? Can you get by with an attractive cover and let the content stand on its own? Probably not. Design is a critical factor in getting and keeping readers. When every part of your content has a design element applied, your readers will stick with you right to the end. Investing in design enhances the chances your content will become an asset to your business.
Do you judge a book by its cover?
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