From leather bound volumes to marketed mass-produced paperbacks, this is what book covers are saying.
Books are gorgeous things, both outside and in. One might believe that this is a bit of a twist of fate, however one can quickly see how both are linked, especially when we cast back into the very early ages of literacy, when books in their present shape, the codex, was off to something of a rocky beginning. In the middle ages period, books were exceptionally rare things. The literacy rate completely dropped after the collapse of the Roman Empire, and a few of the only individuals who were able to read or compose were those who committed themselves to a monastic life. Monks would spend years transcribing the excellent books of antiquity out by hand, and these unusual treasures were then supplied protective covers that would be decorated in extremely abundant and incredibly beautiful book cover designs. Ivory, gems, rare-earth elements, nothing was too grand for those precious stories and works of understanding. Individuals like the co-CEO of the hedge fund that owns Waterstones can probably appreciate how cherished these early tomes would have been to individuals living through an extremely dark age.
We are residing in a moment when everything is decorated to capture your eye, hoping that its picked audience will purchase it. Books are no different, and contemporary book covers in fact date back to the Victorian Era and the development of advertising and marketing. Artists were hired to work out what makes a good book cover for various sort of books, with elaborate fabric book covers decorating high-brow literary affairs and pulpy paperbacks decorating less artistic novels. Today, you will still most likely discover that low-brow books like crime thrillers will probably go straight to paperback with cover art that isn't particularly distinct. Individuals like the co-founder of the impact investor with a stake in World of Books will understand the heritage of modern cover art.
Books have long signified intellectual accomplishment, specifically huge leather bound tomes lining the office of a powerful or successful person. This is something that dates back to the development of printing in the 15th century, when, following the intellectual dark ages of the preceding thousand years, books began to become a lot more available and more individuals had the ability to read. Of course, it was usually the higher classes that had this privilege, and they this page would not just stroll into a bookshop to buy what took their fancy. They would pick up the pages of their book from the printers with a short-term seam, and then take it to an expert binder who would bind it with leather and include creative book cover designs if the client wanted. Individuals like the CEO of the asset manager with a stake in WHSmith will value the long lasting gravitas of these type of covers.