5 Reasons Why Publishers Need More Colorful Spines
How often do you flip through a magazine to see how the professionals are decorating homes? Or, let's be real, how often do you jump on Pinterest to check out all the great styled pictures to get ideas on decorating?
Have you noticed the number of books in decor?
It's not a new phenomenon.
Books as decor elements have been a staple for decades - as soon as books became affordable to for the average homeowner to purchase, books started showing up in home decor.
[ Are you curious about what I'm talking about? Here's a great selection from pinterest! ]
If you know what I'm talking about, you probably also know that most of these examples show off antique books, leather-bound books, and bright colorful books.
But if you go to a bookstore today, you will quickly realize the majority of hardcover books have black covers with simple metallic stamped titles on the binding (once you remove the dust jacket).
Where are all the pretty covers?
If you are a book lover, you want to purchase books to display that you love, that also is pretty on your shelves. Of course, you'll buy the books you love anyway, but if you only wanted to read the book once, and it wouldn't fit your decor, you won't keep it. Or maybe you will only borrow it from the library.
I am sharing five reason publishing companies need to consider publishing books with colorful covers and spines. You see, this week, the book blogging group of Top Ten Tuesday on That Artsy Reader Girl is talking our favorite colors for books, and unless you love black, or maybe darker shades of blue in your home decor, you could have a problem finding books!
5 Reasons Publishing Companies Need to Put Out Colorful Covered Books
- Consumers today are visual shoppers. We want our purchases to catch the eye. Stores know this. They spend hours and millions annually to properly display each and every product. Homeowners and decorators also want to properly display purchases in the home, a good book is no exception to the rule. How often do you avoid going through the stacks of books in bookstores and walk the perimeter, or fancy front displays when you shop?
- Print book sales would benefit from colorful covers. The numbers seem to be different from every source, but its fair to say the digital market is a solid player in the book business. So publishers should be concerned about how to attract more buyers to the print options, they are more expensive, right? Again, we are visual people!
- Color coordination on bookshelves allows the decor to appear more lux. Have you ever noticed how luxury offices, both professionally and personally, often have large bookshelves full of books that are leather bound and impressive looking? Home bookshelves are too often mismatched and almost sloppy looking in comparison. Most of us would say that is because we buy books we want to read, and those offices buy official books for work. Fair enough. But why shouldn't our fun reads books look just as pretty? Barnes & Noble sells Collectors editions of classics to help with this exact point, and it appears to do very well for them. For that matter, Penguin also has some gorgeous collectors covers, but they are the exception, not the rule.
- Many consumers see buying a hardback book as an investment. If you are going to purchase a book, it's probably a safe bet you hope to read it multiple times. In between those times you probably would like to keep it on your bookshelf. Of course, you will pick a prettier option if all other factors are the same, right? And, if you are a typical American, your bookshelf is in your main living area, where guests will see it. So I'm going to guess you care that it fits in with your decor, at least a bit. Did you notice on Pinterest the suggestion is to keep the shelves aesthetically pleasing by turning the books around so the spines are on the inside of the shelves and the pages all show?
- Eyes are drawn to colorful pops in decor, and a colorful spined book on someone's home library shelf could lead a new reader to an author, allowing for more sales over time. Publishers pick authors of stories they believe will sell, but there isn't a ton of money in publicity for those books, at least not in comparison to the printing... So sales somewhat depend on word of mouth from reader to reader. Once a reader has forgotten a good story, for so many reasons this happens, a pretty cover will attract new eyes. And isn't that the goal? To sell an author's book?
Maybe these reasons do not resonate with you. In fact, there is a good chance that if you are reading my little blog, you are already a book lover and you gush over books all the time. But let's be honest, publishing companies already know they have our money, they need to find ways to draw in those readers who maybe only read 10 books a year, and will look to the library before the stores.
If you have some reasons you think publishers need to hear about moving away from the standard black hardcovers, please add them to the comments!
24 coment�rios
I don't buy a book for the cover but a gorgeous cover never hurts. Especially when giving them for gifts!
ReplyDeleteExactly - I want books I know I'm going to love, or already do love -but good looking books are better than boring ones.
DeleteI couldn't agree with you more! I know they say don't judge a book by its cover, but if I'm looking for a new book, I'll pick one based on the cover/spine for sure!
ReplyDeleteI mean I know it's about the story, and in the end it does rely on the story, but as far as the books we keep on our shelves, the cover totally matters!
DeleteI'll admit that I get very attracted by a book's cover. It makes a big difference. And your pics really show the value in a colorful spine. A colorful bookshelf makes for an inviting home.
ReplyDeleteIt does make a difference, we might not even know we are doing it, but when it comes to spending money and showcasing a book, the cover matters a lot!
DeleteI need to admit that sometimes I look how it looks like and do I like book's cover - guilty. I wish I don't do this so often
ReplyDeleteAw it's okay - there are many many many books around, you have to start somewhere and a pretty cover or a bright spine is going to stand out
DeleteYes, agree!! I don't buy books I'm looking to read based on the spine, but when I was decorating my builtins, I definitely bought books solely based on the spine cover!!
ReplyDeleteRight, they are the end all be all, but they do influence where our money goes - and if more spines and covers were colorful they could attract more buyers, instead of only borrowers
DeleteThis was so informative. I am with you! I am definitely drawn to more colorful spines, it is what pulls my eye to a certain area on a bookshelf. Plus, I love the decor factor with the color pop.
ReplyDeleteyes, I'm glad to hear this makes the point clearly - they do attract our eye!
DeleteI love this. Sometimes, I am not going to lie, I do pick books based on their covers. I know they tell you not to, but it is hard not to. Plus, I LOVE decorating with books, so if they're really colorful it's even better.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think there is anything wrong with picking books because of pretty colors at least some of the time! You gotta narrow down the field, why not go with beautiful and colorful???
DeleteI would love brightly colored books like hot pink and yellow for my house. Bring on the color!
ReplyDeleteYes! Big bold colors would be so fun!
DeleteThis is a wonderful post Marissa and I agree, I would like to see beautiful spines as well. I purchase books because of the author and don't really go by cover art, but I would like the spines be eye- catching, so they beautiful on the shelf. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jovita - I too buy books with stories or authors that I enjoy - but the idea of more eye catching spines would probably pull me into buying even more
DeleteThat's so true! I'm much more likely to grab a colorful book versus a black one.
ReplyDeleteI think more and more people would agree with you if they thought about it... ;) thanks for joining the conversation!
DeleteI never really look at the cover unless it's food or a romance novel to look at the guy on the cover!
ReplyDeletehehe that's a fair and honest response! Would a brighter color attract you to at least see if the cover had food or said guy???
DeleteWhile I love a good old-fashioned leather-bound book, I fully agree with what you wrote. There's just something special about colorful book covers that isn't celebrated as much.
ReplyDeleteOh yes classic leather covers are amazing... I still try to get them when I can... So glad to hear you are on the same page with the colorful covers!
DeleteI love comments!!
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