About the Book
Combining both an industry and research focus, How to Judge a Book by its Cover not only judges books by their covers, but provides a methodology for others to do the same.
Despite book titles and book covers having been identified, defined and discussed as paratexts, beginning first with Gérard Genette and by many paratextual and publishing scholars since, there is currently no methodology or defined vocabulary for the analysis and discussion of their creation, the intent and effect of their structure, and their constituent elements. As these paratexts become further and further removed from their texts then, like texts, they can – and should – be studied, especially as literature is inextricably embedded in industrial and social currents. How to Judge a Book by its Cover looks more deeply at book covers and book titles, two paratexts that are of broad academic interest, but crucial to the placement, marketing, and commerce of the publishing industry.
Bringing together paratextual studies, publishing studies and media studies, visual design analysis and the world of advertising, this work marries academic rigour with industry experience to first define the role that book covers and book titles play, and then articulate a methodology for their analysis. By identifying intent behind book covers and book titles, defining the elements that may be achieved in this intent, and providing opportunities to measure their success, both scholars and industry professionals will have a clear and robust vocabulary in discussions of these key marketing paratexts. This book can be used for students and researchers that are interested in media studies, paratextual studies, publishing, internet studies, post-colonial studies and popular fiction studies.
Table of Contents:
1. Thresholds Section I – The Book Title 2. Book Titles: An Analytical Framework 3. Book Titles: A Case Study Section II – The Book Cover 4. Book Covers: An Analytic Methodology 5. Book Covers: A Case Study 6. How to Judge a Book by its Cover
About the Author :
Kate Cuthbert is the Publishing Director at Books & Publishing, Australia’s news and information website for the book sector. Previously, she held senior roles at Pantera Press, Writers Victoria and launched the Escape Publishing brand at Harlequin Australia. She earned her doctorate at the University of Queensland.
Review :
Judging books by their covers just got a lot easier, smarter, and productive with this wonderful examination of titles, covers, and how to make sense of them and their place in book culture.
Dr. Jonathan Gray, University of Wisconsin – Madison, author of Show Sold Separately: Promos, Spoilers, and Other Media Paratexts
The promise of new methodologies for the analysis of book titles and covers is enormous. In How to Judge a Book by Its Cover, Cuthbert presents a novel analytical framework for paratexts that advances scholarship on publishing and book cultures. Through exacting study of a small corpus of Australian romance and crime novels, Cuthbert develops insights applicable to many genres and national contexts, and offers a road map for systematic examination of paratexts with relevance across disciplines.
Dr. Laura Dietz, University College LondonGo ahead—judge that book by its cover! Kate Cuthbert offers a fascinating and original framework for analyzing key paratexts of titles and covers. Through a case study of Australian popular fiction, she demonstrates how cover design generates meaning. An important new contribution to publishing studies!
Prof. Catherine M. Roach, The University of Alabama
What can book titles and covers reveal to us as readers and researchers? In this accessible and rigorously researched book, Kate Cuthbert draws on her unique position as a publishing industry professional and academic to share with us a valuable new framework for understanding and decoding book covers and their titles. How to Judge a Book by its Cover is sure to become an indispensable text for literary and publishing studies.
Dr. Amy Burge, University of BirminghamIn How to Judge a Book by its Cover, Kate Cuthbert breaks new ground by offering a rigorous methodology for analysing book titles and covers. She combines academic analysis with industry expertise in a monograph that will be extremely valuable to scholars and publishing professionals alike, providing vital insight not just into how titles and covers work, but what they do in the world. A must-read for all students of the book.
Dr. Jodi McAlister, Deakin University This book is an important extension and deepening of paratextual studies, offering fresh insights into how covers, titles, and copy shape our engagement with books. Its framework for understanding titles is as valuable to publishing professionals as it is to academics, bridging theory and practice with clarity and precision. The case studies bring the concepts vividly to life, illustrating the enduring power of paratexts to influence, frame, and define a book’s physical and cultural presence. A thoughtful, intelligent contribution to the field—engaging, rigorous, and essential for anyone interested in the material life of books.
Susannah Bowen, Co-author, How to Market Books 6ed
