Embarking on a two-hour journey through the literary landscapes of Waterstones and independent book shop Cowley Club, my mission was clear: delve into the world of book marketing. Armed with curiosity, a map, and my phone to write on and take photos, I explored the shelves to uncover the subtle strategies publishers employ to captivate readers into purchasing their books. In this blog, I’ll unravel the findings from my research and will focus on two contrasting books from different contemporary YA authors – Neal Shusterman’s “Scythe” and Phillip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials.”

The first thing I noticed when looking at the selection of books in the Young Adult fiction section was the abhorrent state of contemporary book cover illustrations. Everywhere I looked, I saw the same style of simple line art and drag-and-drop colouring technique that most people could creative themselves in ten minutes on an iPad with a free to use colouring app. What drew me to Phillip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” was its intricate cover design, reminiscent of an Andreae print from the 16th century.

I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but it’s my first insight into what the visual language of the story could be. I won’t read anything with that botched, easy-made and easily produced style I see so often now. That tells me that the publisher, or whoever decided the cover, chose style over substance. And not even a good style.