Aesthetic Concerns - Books & Blogs #ArmchairBEA

by Donna Huber

Do you judge a book by its cover?

I know that I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, and I have to say for the most part I don't. If I'm just browsing for myself, the cover is what will really draw me into a book and make me take a look at the description. Now with review pitches, I don't usually see the book cover and it is all about the quality of the pitch that is the deciding factor in if I'm going to read a book or not. Sometimes I don't see the cover until I'm writing up my review and on occasion I have wondered if I would have picked up the book.

With all that being said, there are some really bad book covers out there and I sometimes wonder what the author was thinking going with that cover.  But even if the cover isn't that bad, it sometimes doesn't match the book. And I think those are the covers that I scratch my head the most about. I like for a cover to enhance the description and maybe give a little insight into the story that the description


Blog branding

When I started my blog I just used a standard blogger theme. You know the one that looks like books? Customized templates were all the rage then and "designers" were popping up every where and I even won a design, though the blogger/designer took on more work than she could handle and I never got mine. And I'm kind of glad I didn't. I was thinking of going with the "cutesy" blog design that everyone was getting. And I love those those blogs. But I don't think it would have been right for Girl Who Reads.

I want Girl Who Reads to be more of a media site, and the trend for media sites are clean lines, not a lot of fuss. As I have added other reviewers and features writers to the site, I've been happy with this decision. Though I am thinking of a design change as I want more of a magazine layout than a news media site. My current template has served me well, but it is a bit sterile. I want a little more personality and I think a magazine layout would give me that as it is more photo-centric.

One thing I have kept since the almost the beginning of the site is the logo. After I moved from the standard blogger template, I went to one that was an open book with black & red as its colors. That's when I created the logo. It might be time for a logo update as well, but I'm not sure. I use this logo everywhere as a way to create brand recognition across social media platforms.

Donna Huber, founder & publisher. Donna is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. She reads most genres (NO horror or erotica), but her favorite books are psychological thrillers and stories that highlight the survival of the human spirit against unbelievable circumstances.

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