When Creativity Takes A Wrong Turn: Lousy Book Covers

Aptly titled new Tumblr "Lousy Book Covers" collects the delightfully dubious achievements in jacket design. The book Spending Christmas With a Yeti is already at a marketplace disadvantage, what with that title, but then there’s the book cover. Oh boy, where to start. The real-life snowcapped mountain intruded upon by a clip-art Ford Explorer and what looks like an albino King Kong drawing? The puke-green background behind the title? Fortunately, for our amusement at least, it was efforts like this one for which the "Lousy Book Covers" Tumblr was made. In an age of consumer-as-creator, it’s sometimes fun to see the self-generated works that aren’t soaring aesthetic achievements. Creator Nathan Shumate is a writer and artist who also--wait for it--designs book covers. This expertise gives him special insight into what makes these book covers so bad, but anyone can plainly see that perhaps Chip Kidd was not called in on these jobs. Most covers featured on the site look like self-published works gone horribly wrong. Of course, the major publishing houses are also capable of putting out the occasional clunker every now and then.Read Full Story Continue reading at 'Fast Company'

[ Fast Company | 2013-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #book cover #book covers #chip kidd #covers featured

Other Publishing stories related to: 'When Creativity Takes A Wrong Turn: Lousy Book Covers'

Books-A-Million Continues to Add More Items

The sale of nonbook items rose at Books-A-Million in 2014, compared to 2013, as the retailer continued to diversify its inventory mix in response to a decline in print books, the company reported in its 10-K filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #print books #company reported

Catalonia Celebrates Biggest Book-Giving Holiday of the Year

April 23, Dia de Sant Jordi, the Catalan festival dedicated to books and roses, accounts for 5–8% of annual book sales in Catalonia. The post Catalonia Celebrates Biggest Book-Giving Holiday of the Year appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #year appeared

Obituary: Courage Books Publisher Donald H. McGee, 76

Donald H. McGee, former president and publisher of Courage Books, an imprint of Running Press passed away in Sarasota, Fla. on April 20. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Markup Standards for Books and Journals: Digital Solutions in India 2015

In any standards landscape, there is diversity and not likely to be a single or permanent solution. Because content often has to connect to bibliographic and business metadata, integration with other standards can be a requirement and a challenge. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital solutions

Book Deals: Week of April 27, 2015

Bennett starts ‘Feminist Fight’ at Harper and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book deals

PW Picks: Books of the Week, April 27, 2015

This week: Werner Herzog walks on ice, Oliver Sacks's new memoir, and the golden age of murder. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #oliver sacks #golden age

As Mobile Travel Bookings Grow, This Private Jet Charter Service Is Catching Up

While the mobile boom took off for commercial travel brands a few years ago, the private sector has been noticeably slower to make the shift to digital. But that's starting to change for high-end players like Skyjet, a private jet charter service. After launching a website last year, Skyjet... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #commercial airlines #travel brands #phone numbers #mobile site #desktop version

We always knew it – 'Harry Potter' books really do cast spells

British scientists say their research confirms that emotion-charged passages in 'Harry Potter' books have significant impact on the brains of readers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harry potter #cast spells #significant impact

Connect Books: sales drop but business 'stabilising'

Connect Books has delivered a “much improved” operational performance in the last six months, although sales were down 3% to £103.4m. The Norwich-based company, which comprises Bertrams, Dawson Books and Wordery, also saw its underlying operational profit decrease by 18.6% to £1.9m compared to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sales drop #connect books #norwich-based company #dawson books

Univ of Minnesota Press Gets Interactive with Scholarly Books

Through a grant, the University of Minnesota is launching an effort that will allow it to produce interactive digital editions of the books it is publishing in print. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #minnesota press #scholarly books

How Much Should Children Read? World Book Day Infographic

In honor of World Book Day, the International Publishers Association has an infographic on how much children should read and why literacy is important. The post How Much Should Children Read? World Book Day Infographic appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #children read

Queen Victoria's children's book will be released this summer

The Royal Collection Trust will publish a children's story written by the monarch when she was a young girl. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #queen victoria #young girl

Juvenile Book Sales Plummet

With no new hits, sales of juvenile fiction print books fell 46% last week compared to the same week in 2014, while sales of juvenile nonfiction dropped 39%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Reviews of New and Forthcoming Spirituality and Religion Books, April 22, 2015

The sequel to 'Breakfast with Buddha' is among PW's reviews of upcoming spirituality and religion titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #forthcoming spirituality #religion books #religion titles

Village Books to Open Second Store

Village Books & Paper Dream, Bellingham Wash.’s long-time bookstore, will open up a second location this fall. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #village books

How Legendary Illustrator Maira Kalman Stays Creative

We caught up with the whimsical illustrator about productivity, creativity, and why her spirit animal is a "tiny, delusional bird."You've probably seen illustrator Maira Kalman's whimsical, wryly funny work, whether you know it or not. Her supersaturated gouache paintings have graced countless... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #isaac mizrahi

Cox to cover Skipper's leave at Waterstones

Waterstones' director of buying Kate Skipper will take maternity leave at the end of the month. In her absence, Melissa Cox, head of range and children's, will assume responsibility for the new titles and publisher liaison teams, while Caroline McNulty, category manager for related products,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #assume responsibility #category manager #related products

Non-fiction book club for Radio 2

A new non-fiction book club on Claudia Winkleman's weekly BBC Radio 2 "Arts Show" is to launch this autumn, as part of The Reading Agency partnership with the station. The book club follows on from the Radio 2 Book Club on Simon Mayo's show, and a children's writing competition called 500 Words... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #claudia winkleman #book club #simon mayo #chris evans

Short Takes: News in Spirituality and Religion Publishing

More on the Family Christian bankruptcy; the newest awards season lists; the Dalai Lama gets a book for his 80th birthday. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #short takes #religion publishing #dalai lama #80th birthday