(Don’t) judge a book by its cover

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Abstract

The article deals with the role of the cover in the economy of the book. During this period, when book sales moved exclusively online, the cover had an even more important role.

Is the cover a business card of the book? Does it focus on the message of the book, like the title of the book? Can the cover sell the book or not? The phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover" is wellknown. And yet we must not underestimate the importance of design even in the case of a book. Sometimes it is the cover that can determine us to purchase a book or on the contrary, not to give importance to a particular publication. 

Romanian artists Viorel Simulov and Luminița Penișoară,  members of the Union of Fine Artists in Romania, signed hundreds of covers and illustrations for books,  they try to clarify how important the design of the cover is in the success of a book.

Font, size of the letter, styling, all these elements attract us and influence the buyer's decision. They come with atmosphere and colour, just as the voice in the spoken language or in ads. In fact, the book cover acts like a commercial, and all the rules of an ad can be applied to the book cover too.  So, beyond words, commercials use images, page settings, colours. These additional elements carry out signification that can strengthen or contradict the meaning of words.

Kew words: book cover, design, rules of colours în book design 

Keywords

book cover, design, rules of colours în book design

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References

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Author Biography

Carmen Neamțu, Aurel Vlaicu State University from Arad, Romania

Carmen Neamţu (17.11.1973) is a professor at at the Faculty of Humanistic and Social Sciences at “Aurel Vlaicu” State University of Arad, Romania. Ph.D. magna cum laude from 2002. (1992-1997)Bachelor Degree, Faculty of Letters, History and Philosophy - West University of Timisoara. (1997-1998) Master Degree, Faculty of Letters, History and Philosophy - West University of Timisoara. Comparative Literature and Intertextuality. (1994-1998) Bachelor Degree in Journalism, West University of Timişoara. Member of the editorial board of the Professional Association of Writers`s Journal, “ARCA”. Member of the editorial board of “Romanian Journal of Journalism and Communication”, Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Bucharest University. Member of Romanian Association of Professional Journalists and of the Association of Training Experts in Journalism and Communication, Romania.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.33115/udg_bib/cp.v11i22.22776

Published

2022-07-21

How to Cite

Neamțu, C. (2022). (Don’t) judge a book by its cover. Communication Papers. Media Literacy and Gender Studies., 11(22), 120–132. https://doi.org/10.33115/udg_bib/cp.v11i22.22776

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Articles