Many of us today love curling up to a good book. But what makes it good? Is it the most talked about publication with your group of friends? Is it on Oprah's booklist? Or was it just a bright pretty color on the cover? Before this class, I never really stopped to think about why I chose I book to read, it just simply seemed good to me. But now that I think about it, publishing companies have been slowly becoming advertising gurus.
First, the infamous on the back or inside of the publication. It has to be intreguing enough to get your attention but leave you wanting more. Some can do this very very well but others not so much. Without this however, the reader is left confused and annoyed and probably will not read that book.
Then, the quotes reputable strangers. This tactic is basically lets show you that a bunch of people you do not know love this book and use adjictives that can apply to anything such as "beautifully written", "delightful", or"excellent", so that you love it too. To me, these are extremely rediculous. These are people that you never met before and are not garunteed to love the same things that I do. Therefore, why would I choose a book based on their comments?
And the last thing I will touch on today is the color chosen for the cover of the book. Darker colors are used to portray a more serious, adult-like situation, whereas, colorful book covers attract children and teenagers. While this seemed a bit rediculous to me at first it makes perfect sense. If you are attracted to a bright pink book then I highly doubt that you will be looking for a tragedy where someone dies in the end. It is a great strategy and works pretty well along with the other two.
Ah, the rhetoric involved in bookstore browsing. (Might I add that I'm absolutely, irrevocably, hopelessly addicted to books? Last week when I was descending the narrow staircase within the Pattee Stacks I thought to myself, 'why do people use drugs and alcohol when the library's so near?!' But I digress.) I, too, have always put a lot of stock--probably too much--in book covers. Some catch my eye because they're artistic and engaging, others because they scream "guilty pleasure!" and seduce me into taking them home (and, my, this is getting provocative...haha). One thing you and I diagree on, though, are those little quotes emblazoned across the front and back covers. Yes, sometimes they're banal ("Masterful writing" or "You won't put this one down") but other times they effectively reach target audiences. For example, I'm a fan of Jodi Picoult, so when I saw her name attributed to a flattering quote on the cover over "Slow Moon" by Elizabeth Cox, I bought the book. (Call me brash, but I was desperate! Picoult hadn't released a new book in nearly a year and I'd lost all willpower.) Also, I'm more willing to sample books by lesser-known authors if they're said to be "in the style of so-and-so" or "a page-turner that fans of what's-her-name will love!" Sometimes, those little snippets determine whether or not I ignore a novel completely. And while those quotes are published for advertising purposes, I think they also function as helpful signposts for readers to follow.
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