The underrecognized element ...

[houdinination]

Apart from the translators, the designers of book covers are the most underrecognized elements in book publishing.

I simply can't understand, how some illsutrators/artists who have created hundreds of book covers for a certain publishing house, (who have sometimes even designed a whole series for years, thereby shaping the way SF is perceived by the general book-buying public,) can vanish and be forgotten, even by the publishers themselves.

Especially since the payment is not the finest.

Very often, the cover decides, if the customers purchases or not. In some cases, the design is as important as the authors name, as can be seen, when other publishing houses copy design elements to increase the sales of their authors.

I hereby adress all publishers (of all genres, actually), to take more care about their visual artists, not only the writing ones.


Not my favourite designer, but I find him most interesting:
hhoudinination.de/illustrator/volkmer_eyke.html

[houdinination]

On December 31st I was invited to meet Eyke Volkmer at his home in Munich. He designed the book covers for the series "Weltraumtaschenbücher" ("Space paperbacks") for the publishing house Goldmann in Munich.

I'm currenty transcribing the interview (which lasted over an hour) and I'm writing up a short article to go with it.

Here are a few quotes:

"I tell you something, Mr. Fineartowner, it looks different in outer space!"
So said Wilhelm Goldmann to Eyke Volkmer at the beginning of the sixties, when Volkmer brought in some book designs.

"They paid like 75 Euros for a cover. No more."
Said Volkmer when asked about payment.

"I seldom read the books. To be honest, that wasn't my world."
Said Eyke when I asked him whether he read the books he designed covers for.

We talked a lot about how long it took him do design a cover, how it was to work for the publishing house, how he designed, which materials he used and so forth. We talked about Goldmann's desicion to go for a graphic style that was completely different to the competitors'.

The article should be online sometime this week, or beginning of next week.

Tom

[houdinination]

The interview with Eyke Volkmer is finally available for download as 7 page PDF from Houdini Nation.

Have fun reading it and post your responses here, if it triggers something...

[Dr. Atomic]

True, the book designers are often underrated -- though in the last couple years, I've seen two articles in the NY Times about jacket design and the people who put it all together. While the art work is obviously important for selling a book, it takes a good designer to use the art, along with text, to put together a package that looks interesting and accomplishes whatever it is that the publisher (and sometimes, though rarely, the author) wants to accomplish.

I've worked for a couple different magazines, and I'm always amazed with the effort that goes into producing the covers -- a good designer can take a lackluster photo and, with some creative layout and font usage, use it to crete a compelling cover that leaps off the stands.

As far as classic sf goes, I know that the author James Gunn (The Listeners) was working with Dell when they published the paperback edition of Robert Heinlein's Universe, and from what I've read, Gunn played a large role in the cover's design. (It's a great cover...) This was for their final "10 Cent" series of paperbacks...

And I also once saw a first edition hardcover copy of Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man, which was inscribed from the publisher to the cover designer (not the artist). Very interesting, especially because, using only two colors, the designer -- whose name I unfortunately forget -- created an amazingly dramatic book jacket. One of my favorites!

Finally, David A Kyle, who started the venerable Gnome Press (publishers of some of science fiction's most important books in the 40s and onward), did much of the design and layout for his company's books. People know him as a publisher and an author in his own right, but few realize how important he was to the look and feel of these iconic publications. He's the reason Gnome Press books are so cool looking, and, in my opinion, so much fun to collect.

I wish I knew more about some of the classic designers... I haven't had time yet to read it all, but your interview, Houdinination, seems very interesting -- thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[houdinination]

It sure is an interesting topic and it should at least receive as much attention as the packaging design for other products does.

You don't happen to have the two artcles at hand you mentioned? I'd love to read those!

PS: I just read a book where the cover has nothing (repeat: NOTHING) to do with the story whatsoever. It's a shame. Maybe the book publishers should
talk a bit more with music publishers. (Although there, the cover is having difficult times thanks to iTunes etc....)

[houdinination]

Hello peoples, some news regarding the cover illsutrator Eyke Volkmer. I have now opened the Online-Exhibition of all the covers he did for "Goldmanns Weltraum Taschenbücher".

have a look, if you like: WELTRAUMTASCHENBUCH - Sonderausstellung - Special Exhibition Houdini Nation