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RE: Jackets and Young Readers
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From: Reid, Robert A. <REIDRA_at_uwec.edu>
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:30:56 +0000
I spent this afternoon with author John Coy - interviewing him about how he collaborates with 5th graders editing his manuscripts - for a future issue of LibrarySparks. He brought up an interesting point how the kids liked th e manga-syle covers similar to what his publisher did for Top of the Order. They like the cartoon feel of it. They compared this style with the photo shots of real-life athletes, like those on Coy's paperback version of Love of the Game (I'm looking at Amazon for these cover shots) and they said tho se are the covers their parents would like. The kids didn't think their par ents would like the cartoon-influenced covers but they did. The bookstore r eps wanted to go with the real-life photos because they look like everythin g else in their stores. John pointed out the disconnect between art and com merce.
I also interviewed Megan McDonald a few years ago for Book Links. I asked h er who came up with the idea of the brown-bag style covers. She mentioned P eter Reynolds the illustrator went to the bookstores and every children's c hapter book cover was purple or pink. He wanted something different and cam e up with the brown paper bag style. I'm surprised more purchasers of the m ajor book chains don't go with the unique covers vs. the stock feel. I wond er how much field testing they do with actual children.
Rob Reid UW- Eau Claire
________________________________
From: Christina McTighe
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2012 2:12 PM To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject:
Jackets and Young Readers
Hi all,
I'm coming out of my dark little corner to ask a few questions. This is a f ascinating topic and I'm interested to hear more. I've loved the perspectiv es on how a different cover on the same book can elicit such different reac tions in people!
For those of you who work with kids and teens, what kind of feedback do you get on covers? Is there anything that they absolutely love and seem to gra vitate towards? Is there anything they hate? I know the common thinking is that all, for instance, YA paranormal romance books look the same (no-head, black and blue, forests, swoopy gowns) because if it ain't broke, don't fi x it. Teens like what they like and for those interested in a certain kind of book, they want to read that kind of book and little else-- at least wit hout encouragement. Do you see this as being the case? It's a little startl ing, I admit, to go to B&N, or some other store where there is a large spac e of face-out titles and to see them all repeating the same themes over and over again.
Thoughts from the field?
Christina
-- Christina McTighe christina.mctighe_at_gmail.com 440-328-5194
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:30:56 +0000
I spent this afternoon with author John Coy - interviewing him about how he collaborates with 5th graders editing his manuscripts - for a future issue of LibrarySparks. He brought up an interesting point how the kids liked th e manga-syle covers similar to what his publisher did for Top of the Order. They like the cartoon feel of it. They compared this style with the photo shots of real-life athletes, like those on Coy's paperback version of Love of the Game (I'm looking at Amazon for these cover shots) and they said tho se are the covers their parents would like. The kids didn't think their par ents would like the cartoon-influenced covers but they did. The bookstore r eps wanted to go with the real-life photos because they look like everythin g else in their stores. John pointed out the disconnect between art and com merce.
I also interviewed Megan McDonald a few years ago for Book Links. I asked h er who came up with the idea of the brown-bag style covers. She mentioned P eter Reynolds the illustrator went to the bookstores and every children's c hapter book cover was purple or pink. He wanted something different and cam e up with the brown paper bag style. I'm surprised more purchasers of the m ajor book chains don't go with the unique covers vs. the stock feel. I wond er how much field testing they do with actual children.
Rob Reid UW- Eau Claire
________________________________
From: Christina McTighe
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2012 2:12 PM To: Subscribers of ccbc-net Subject:
Jackets and Young Readers
Hi all,
I'm coming out of my dark little corner to ask a few questions. This is a f ascinating topic and I'm interested to hear more. I've loved the perspectiv es on how a different cover on the same book can elicit such different reac tions in people!
For those of you who work with kids and teens, what kind of feedback do you get on covers? Is there anything that they absolutely love and seem to gra vitate towards? Is there anything they hate? I know the common thinking is that all, for instance, YA paranormal romance books look the same (no-head, black and blue, forests, swoopy gowns) because if it ain't broke, don't fi x it. Teens like what they like and for those interested in a certain kind of book, they want to read that kind of book and little else-- at least wit hout encouragement. Do you see this as being the case? It's a little startl ing, I admit, to go to B&N, or some other store where there is a large spac e of face-out titles and to see them all repeating the same themes over and over again.
Thoughts from the field?
Christina
-- Christina McTighe christina.mctighe_at_gmail.com 440-328-5194
---Received on Fri 10 Feb 2012 07:30:56 AM CST
