Hello Scribblers. I can’t believe we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It has been a crazy couple of months. My family and me have been under a shelter in place order since March 17, and despite the fact that my state (California) has been slowly reopening, where I live, in Santa Clara County, the order still stands with no definitive end date in sight. Personally I’m hoping for June 1, 2020, but honestly I have no clue.
As you can see my blog has been quiet since April 15th, which says a lot for how little has been actually going on here on my end. Well that’s not completely true. I’ve been working my day job (from home), working on two new writing projects, and I continue on with my local writing group. So, I’ve been busy-ish.
A few weeks back, I was contacted by Desiree Villena over at Reedsy about one of their folks providing a guest blog post, for those of you not familiar with Reedsy check them out here. She pitched an idea about doing their take on the 10 Best Covers of 2020 (So Far). I loved the idea, and today I’m thrilled to share the blog post from Thao Nguyen:
2020 has been an unexpected year. The global pandemic has put everything on hold, and it feels like most of us are sitting at home, waiting for some positive development. But as writers and readers will tell you, the publishing industry has far from come to a halt.
All this extra time actually means more availability to enjoy or even publish their own books. Indeed, the first half of 2020 has welcomed an array of new titles into our (virtual) bookshops. And what greater way to find inspiration than to appreciate the creativity and hard work of other authors and designers? As a silver lining in this strange time, here are the ten best book covers released so far this year. Enjoy!
1. The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin
This jacket does everything a cover is supposed to do: it grabs your attention and sets the tone for the whole novel. And then of course, it’s just a wonder to look at. Among the cover design trends of recent years is a nostalgic nod to 90s movie posters — demonstrated here by the bold yellow font and the anaglyph 3D effect that pops out from the grimy background.
This image almost vibrates with energy, perfectly setting the stage for the adventure that lies within, that of five individuals who each carry a different part of the soul of New York and are forced to come together to protect this city from a sinister spirit.
2. Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
Continuing with the bold trend we’ve got Interior Chinatown — a story of a minor Asian actor wading through the typecasting swamp of Hollywood.
This book cover ticks all the boxes of fantastic design. Firstly, there’s the two-tone color scheme which quickly draws the eye. The red-yellow palette immediately evokes stereotypical perceptions of Asian cultural identity — an idea that is meaningful to the story. Which takes us to the second point: the cover leaves simple but effective indications as to what the story entails. The camera, the mighty gate, and the foot — expect some kung fu, some movie sets, and most of all, some stereotypes that are about to be shattered.
3. Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
Julia Alvarez’s books have always been well-designed, and this year’s Afterlife is no exception. It follows four Dominican-American sisters, who, despite having migrated to the U.S. long ago, still haven’t found their identities. The cover illustration alludes to this theme simply yet delicately. With bold strokes and basic hues, the artist brings to life a pensive profile lost in the many layers — the many leaves — of her identity. In a thoughtful touch, the title and author’s name weave into the illustration, making it as much a part of the story as the text itself. Obscuring the author’s name was once taboo on book covers, but it seems to be a trend to look out for in the coming years.
4. Mazes of Power by Juliette Wade
This vertigo-inducing cover seemingly pulls the reader through its many doors and deeper and deeper into its world. While it is simply designed with few colors, basic shapes, and silhouettes, this cover hypnotically draws readers in. Which is exactly what happens with the story inside: Mazes of Power takes readers to a netherworld, a land literally under the earth, where human society functions in a completely alien way. A young nobleman is drawn deeper into the nucleus of this odd social structure, encountering sinister faces as he tries to grapple with the power plays that uphold this society.
5. All Adults Here by Emma Straub
Speaking of simplicity (are you spotting the trend?), it’s hard not to mention Emma Straub’s much-anticipated novel All Adults Here. Taking a break from our dive into political intrigue, let’s jump back into an identity crisis, this one experienced by Astrid Strick, a woman in her sixties who’s just seen her friend get into a bus accident. This compels her to call her adult children back home to reconnect with them — as equal adults learning about one another’s quirks and troubles.
The designer for this cover used basic everything — two-dimensional shapes, colors, and even the font is squared away. And yet it hits all the right notes; the main characters huddled together, the warmth of the color scheme, and the embedded title — all of them make the book seem familiar and light, which indeed it is.
6. Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener
Uncanny Valley is Anna Wiener’s raw experience put to paper — it’s the story of her journey through the innovative world of Silicon Valley, and her realization that her vision of that world was far from reality.
Here’s another book cover that utilizes the double image technique to evoke something slightly psychedelic and active rather than a static image. While the image style and the sans serif font reminds us of computer screens, the addition of the hazy clouds tear us from that reality and gives the cover a dream-like quality. And emerging from the clouds is the symbolic face of the world's most advanced industry.
7. Cleanness by Garth Greenwell
Unlike the previous covers we’ve seen today, Cleanness’s cover features creative photography — a technique more often applied to self-help books than fiction. This is the perfect example of minimalist cover art, with standard lettering laid onto a black-and-white photo. But it’s not without artistic complexity; the way the picture is rotated onto its side forces you to question what it is. The eventual realization that it’s a man’s back, deeply contrasted, gives the book the solemn appearance that the story inside — one of coming to terms with one’s gender orientations in a world that’s unwelcoming — demands.
8. Writers & Lovers by Lily King
When in doubt about what design approach you should take, you can’t go wrong with a classic. Lily King’s Writers & Lovers is about a young writer’s life suddenly falling to pieces, much like the miscellaneous objects strewn across the cover. From the striking crimson serif-font title on the black background to the elaborate sketches of every little thing (which suggests some quirky and humorous turns of events), this cover is a true work of art. It goes to show that you don’t need minimalist modern designs to impress readers!
9. Below Deck by Sophie Hardcastle
Across the waves we go with Olivia in Below Deck as she develops a passion for traversing the seas. But the cover says it all: while the golden waves look wondrous at first, the more Olivia discovers the murky ocean, the more she learns about the dark side of humanity. Not only do the rolling strokes and splashes of blue set the tone for the novel, they provide the perfect background for the block-lettered titles to pop out, thereby drawing the eyes of passers-by.
10. Topics of Conversation by Miranda Popkey
And finally, capping off our list is another photographic cover. The tone of the overall design is mellow, perhaps even a little bland, but that’s exactly what is needed for the two women in red and yellow to stand out. Just as the book focuses on conversations about mundane things that are made special by the women who are experiencing them, the cover highlights the fact that even the most unexpected people can take the center stage.
From elegant illustrations to stand-out photography, 2020 has brought in a promising batch of cover designs so far. Hopefully these ten thoughtful and creative book covers will inspire you on your storytelling journey. Happy scribbling!
Thank you, Thao, for stopping by and providing your 10 Best Covers for 2020 (So Far). Well, my lovely Scribblers that is all I have for you this week. What are your favorite covers so far for 2020? Do you agree with Thao? What kind of covers gets your attention and makes you want to pick up the book and read? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time I hope you stay safe and have a great week.
About Thao Nguyen:
Thao Nguyen is a writer at Reedsy, a platform that connects authors and publishers with the world’s best editors, designers, and marketers. She enjoys writing non-fiction, especially the historical kind, and is delighted by the prospects that self-publishing provides for aspiring authors nowadays.
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