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Why are US book cover designs so poor?

Stewart

Stewart

Active Member
I've been browsing about listal this evening, looking at others' accounts and seeing some right dodgy looking covers, the majority of which belong to US editions. So, choosing five books at random, I got a copy of both UK and US covers and put them side by side. UK to the left, US to the right.The books, in order, are:

  1. Oracle Night, Paul Auster
  2. Dreamcatcher, Stephen King
  3. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, Haruki Murakami
  4. The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman
  5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth

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I don't know what US citizens think of their book covers (so this thread can help) but there's just something about the US ones that don't appeal. Perhaps it's just that I'm used to the UK versions from my endless browsing of the shops' shelves. But some, like The Amber Spyglass above, just lack of any sort of imagination. Do the designers just read the first couple of pages (Dreamcatcher - "ooh, deer hunting", Oracle Night - "ooh, blue notebook") and then sling whatever literal object they see on the front?
 
I agree 100%.

Man, I just noticed that too, recently... I was like, WTF?!

Even some of the DVD covers are better than the ones in US. Now, thats f**ked up.
 
Fortunately, I think, the majority of time we get the UK editions here in Canada. There are studies that say Americans, Europeans and Canadians all have different buying habits. How, or if, this has been applied to cover design I do not know. Possibly books are pitched at slightly different audiences in the different markets and the different art is an attempt to maximise that? Maybe it has to do with manufacturing? The books are often printed at different presses for different regions. Possibly the different presses have different capabilities technically thus different covers are designed? I have no idea really, just hypothesizing.
 
No ion, read my previous post, right above you.

That's why.





Also, the artists in the US seriously lacks creativity, compared to overseas. That's why true artists go to Europe and learn; whereas artists in the US work in art supply stores behind cash registers or even a lower position job, and can't even make ends meat--depressed, lonely individuals, who constantly think of suicide as the only way out.
 
Your anser is complete, correct and final is it? Okay then why spend the extra money paying designers for two different covers?
 
Ouch! That hurt Stewart! ;)

Another possibility is different publishers. Some books have different publishers for different regions thus different covers.
 
You're not getting to the root of the problem, ion, just skimming the surface.




What if Ion and Eyez are really the same people pretending to have multiple personalities? :eek: :cool:

:mad:
 
I agree 100% and I have noticed this for some time. I have even considered ordering some from the UK sites just because of the covers. I hate the US covers and can't figure out why they always need to be different. I even prefer the UK Harry Potter covers - this I say because I was just recently considering buying a set of the UK editions.

I think it is probably a mix of all the hypotheses above. I have noticed that the editions are printed from different publishers and presses, so I am sure that is part of it. I would hate to think that it is marketing incentive for the US to buy such crap and find it appealing!
 
lady.cordelia said:
I agree 100% and I have noticed this for some time. I have even considered ordering some from the UK sites just because of the covers. I hate the US covers and can't figure out why they always need to be different. I even prefer the UK Harry Potter covers.
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ahh, but never judge a book by its cover. :D

I've read horrendous writing in beautiful covers, and splendid writing behind atrocious covers. :mad:
 
eyez0nme said:
I've read horrendous writing in beautiful covers, and splendid writing behind atrocious covers. :mad:
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eyez, you want to give us some examples?

The UK Covers do seem to be better overall - they seem to represent the content of the books better as well. Perhaps the US artists just don't read the books before designing the covers :D .
 
Christ, that could be it!

I thought the same exact thing. The artist is given a simple plot or an outline of what to draw, instead of him reading the whole book for himself, and creating, designing, truly drawing from the depth of his heart.

That could be a good reason, also, dam, gem! :)

So there's 3 reasons:

1. Publishers don't give rat ass about art or writing

2. Artists who do care, are given threadbare storyideas of half ass plots, no tools to create something special

3. US artists lack the creativity of the artists in Europe and around the world, because of the robotic way they're taught in their f**ked up schools. I know.
 
eyez0nme said:
3. .... because of the robotic way they're taught in the f**ked up schools. I know.
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You said you know - did you go to art school eyez? Are you an artist? If so then I'm doubly interested in what your take is on this whole book cover thing.
 
Gem said:
eyez, you want to give us some examples?
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James Frey: a million little pieces. (that's exactly what it was; piece of sh.t novel)

Ray Bradubury: Something Wicked this way Comes (the ugliest drawing of a kid on a carasuel I've seen, yet the must luminous story) *shudders*
 
I noticed it a few years back when I was addicted to reading the Sevenwaters trilogy by Juliet Marillier. I was on a website looking at the different covers for the releases around the world and lamented at how the U.S. versions just weren't as pretty as the other ones.
 
you have a point

.

and gem you have a great point, too!

*

not that there are a lesser of two points! ;)

i am bored, can you tell??? lol

bored, tired, and rambling . . . am i even coherent?
 
lady.cordelia, you're coherent :) .

eyez,- I just saw the cover for Something Wicked Comes This Way on amazon and it truly is awful - I would never even look twice at that book let alone buy it based on that cover. Of course perhaps it fits the book, I'll just have to take your word for it that the book is not as awful as the cover ;) .
 
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