This wont be a universally popular opinion, but i really cant think of a single instance where the us artwork was just incredibly, undeniably inferior to the uk counterpart. During this time melissa designed the book covers, created the print book layouts and ebook files, designed and maintained websites for the company as well as some of the authors. This may not come as a surprise, but when a book is sold both in the united states and the united kingdom, it typically has a very different cover in each country. One of their popular product lines is a selection of protective book jacket covers.
How and why theyre different what i dont know about art can fill a book entitled, i dont know if its art, but i know what i like. Other covers are brilliant, but then the publisher decides to go in a different direction. The changing covers of the mortal instruments series. These covers are so different in tone that its really hard to choose. How different is the uk version of harry potter from the us version. The reason i ask is because i want to buy the uk version of the book thief as i find that cover more appealing than the lackluster us cover. Does anyone know if there are any differences between the us and uk version. What is the difference between the harry potter adult.
Jul 27, 2018 most books in the us and uk are printed in one of these standard sizes. I originally wasnt planning on taking part in this weeks top ten as ive done quite a lot of posts recently about book covers. A list of different edition book covers for illustrative use only. May 30, 2012 in the united states, the book was released as harry potter and the sorcerers stone, and looks like this.
Ive always loved the covers of the throne of glass series. Hi, just a question for us owners which is probably 99% of owners at the moment. Both covers incorporate the lightning bolt, but are otherwise extremely different. Im from the us but live in the uae currently, and we usually get uk versions of books here. I think that the uk burnt shadows cover is ok though, fitting in with other uk covers of a similar ilk. The push for publishers in different countries to tailor covers for their individual markets actually feeds the idea that.
Mar 03, 2010 i agree also that the uk covers on the first too royally suck, whilst the uk atwood cover leaves the us one standing in about 1992 very disappointing job. These are the uk versions according to book depository. So vote for or add ya books that you think have the best ukeuropean edition covers. Virginia shows the different shapes, sizes, and types books can come in to help book collectors and readers. Mar 26, 2016 the changing covers of will look at how different countries have envisioned the same book and how that actually changes over time. Jun, 2018 its time to judge some books by their covers. Ive picked 5 us covers that i prefer to the uk edition and then 5 uk editions that i love.
Sep 27, 2016 heres how book covers look in the uk vs. But when i started thinking about what i could do, i immediately thought of uk vs us book covers. See how harry potter book covers have changed through the years. I currently already have the i5 128gb on preorder in the uk with a student discount for a price of. I have worked with selfpublishing authors for almost 20 years and designed hundreds of book covers for all platforms. Apr 04, 2015 im from the uk so i have the uk covers. I like the uk ones because the back has different colours. And only add them if they are different than their noneuropean original counterparts please. Banned books are books or other printed works such as essays or plays which are prohibited by law or to which free access is not permitted by other means. So translated books can also have different bookaccessories such as toys belonging to childrens books, for example harry potter. On that note, please bear in mind that i am an american writer and reader, and therefore us book covers are made for people like mebut also bear in mind that i may have gotten bored with the american covers, and the uk ones have that sparkly new quality that makes me like them better. In the united states, the book was released as harry potter and the sorcerers stone, and looks like this.
The era of internet sales has arguably not diminished the importance of the book cover, as it now continues its role in a twodimensional digital. Discover the most popular standard sizes for paperback, softcover, hardcover books. Why are our american pals constantly outdoing us with their beautiful cover designs. Book cover art is an interesting element of the literary world sometimes fixated upon, sometimes ignored but, as readers, we are undoubtedly swayed by the little billboard that is the cover of every book we read. They may vary from what is actually sold in stores in the uk. Jan 10, 2019 what book covers have caught your eye recently. Nov 20, 2010 towers of midnight uk towers of midnight us the gathering storm uk the gathering storm ebook the gathering storm us knife of dreams uk knife of dreams ebook and the absolute worst fantasy cover of any book ever. I think the us covers tend to look more like movie posters imagephoto based, and the uk versions, like you said, focus more on illustration or. Pretty much the only reason im picking the uk cover over the us. In recent years in the us and uk, the people with most influence over a book jacket have been those who choose stock for supermarkets and chains such as waterstones and wh smith.
I did a post like this a while and i promised that i would do it again when i had more book covers to talk about. For example, a cover might have a couple kissing when launced in the us, bu. But the us versions look great as well, and its made so much better with the option of getting the hardback plus assassins blade looks really out of place with its blue front and side reply delete. And this is all a ploy so kate can have a rant about some of her least favourite uk covers. For books banned by other groups, see lists of banned books. Its not a contest, of course, but if it were, the us covers would be edging it. Jul 18, 2010 hi, i wonder if you guys could help me on that one. Yesterday i came across a literary hub post comparing the covers in 2018, and its fascinating to see the u. Brodart offers supplies to protect and preserve books. Since the publication of harry potter and the philosophers stone in 1997, many publishers have created new editions of each book with new cover art provided by various illustrators. The american edition of hillary clintons what happened looks stylish and elegant. Feb 17, 20 why, the annual judging books by their covers competition held at, which pits us book covers against their uk versions to see which will emerge as top nation at least as far as. Uk book covers have definitely gotten better over the years, as they used to be way more boring than the swedish ones i was used to, growing up in sweden. American book covers were more colorful, almost garish, while british book covers were more austere and muted.
Knife of dreams us crossroads of twilight ebook im just wondering why tor cant use th. But before the matching us cover was released for the first book, it looked like this. Having worked as an independent bookseller in both the us and uk the difference in covers is always incredibly interesting and often confusing. Between march of 2004 and february of 2006, melissa, founder and ceo, operated new age dimensions as a small press. Historical fiction product categories the book cover.
I love the audacity of the uk cover, especially with the backward text. The idea behind this post is that i compare us and uk book covers and tell you which one i prefer. Both covers play with folded paperand the detail of the fold on the uk version is very deftly placedbut the us cover takes a much bolder stance, appropriate for the bold form of this novel, and the colors are pretty great too. Other terms for book size have developed, an elephant folio being up to 23 inches tall, an atlas folio 25 inches, and a double elephant folio 50 inches tall.
Why, the annual judging books by their covers competition held at, which pits us book covers against their uk versions to see. According to the 2003 guinness world records, the largest book in. May 02, 2017 i originally wasnt planning on taking part in this weeks top ten as ive done quite a lot of posts recently about book covers. Even though the us and uk share a lot of social similarities, their book covers are often quite different. Some books has two editions, with different covers, one us edition and another uk edition.
Its well known in the bookish community that book covers can often make or break a. Home book covers historical fiction historical fiction. I am in the middle of my own study on ebook covers from a different point of view. The reason they created adult versions of harry potter was because when adults wanted to read harry potter books, they felt ashamed to pick up a book with childrens charact. These 50 awesome book covers will inspire you learn. How different is the uk version of harry potter from the us. How different is the uk version of harry potter from the. Jun 12, 2019 as the cover of a book communicates to the potential reader what lies within, many conventions have emerged to highlight certain genres, such as an old photograph that promises a memoir, or a shirtless muscular man that promises a romance novel. Im no authority on cover art, but these differences really caught my eye the uk covers are on the right. Today, octavo and quarto are the most common book sizes, but many books are produced in larger and smaller sizes as well. The only difference between the two editions are the covers of the books.
I wanted to ask what the differences between the uk and us versions of novels are. Mostly some words are changed from the uk to the us versions to better suit the american vocabulary. And the standard book size is a bit bigger, so it gives nicer margins. Aug 29, 2014 im from the us but live in the uae currently, and we usually get uk versions of books here. Today well be comparing covers from across the pond and seeing which i prefer.
To investigate further, well look at four popular books sold in both the us and the uk and see what each cover has to say about the same story. Different book formats what different formats do books come in. My cousin is in the us on holiday in oregan tax free. A person of a different area, grown up in different fashion and been facing different consequences for an action would find different things attractive to him. Kindle direct publishing kdp, createspace now kdp, epub, paperback, hardcover and others. The us cover emphasizes that the boys in the boat is about american athletes while the uk cover refers explicitly to hitler, both choices that make sense given their different audiences. An examination of some of the top selling books in the kindle store yields surprises. I liked the idea of comparing covers for same book published for different regions. Bloomsbury is the british publication that has created both adult and childrens covers. Weve compiled ten of our favourite book covers from the gorgeous, to the unique, to the downright bizarre. The practice of banning books is a form of censorship, from political, legal. And, while some of us no longer do all of our reading on physical books with physical covers, those same cover images now.
The cover for queen of shadows was recently released, both the us and the uk versions, and it made me want to talk about them so lets. I assume only the charger would be slightly different. Most books in the us and uk are printed in one of these standard sizes. But on a recent trip to england, even i, the artistically challenged, noticed that british and american cover art was decidedly different. Let us know in the comments below and post your pictures. Nov 29, 2018 the us and uk editions of the harry potter books feature some of the first and most iconic illustrations of the wizarding world, but the wealth of potter artwork is truly global. This is only my opinion though, and im sure there will be plenty of readers out there who prefer the other covers to the ones ive chose. The british covers depict a major event in the book, while the american covers depict a series of objects and a person from the book against a common backdrop. Extras book, book blog, book blogger, book blogging, book covers, bookish, books, reading, uk book covers, us book covers, us vs uk book covers, ya fiction, young adult fiction previous article 10 signs youre a book lover.
It also seems to take a 2 pin figure 8 power lead so it would be easy to replace with a uk lead. Dec 07, 2018 on that note, please bear in mind that i am an american writer and reader, and therefore us book covers are made for people like mebut also bear in mind that i may have gotten bored with the american covers, and the uk ones have that sparkly new quality that makes me like them better. Terry pratchetts books have a hilarious degree of variation in covers from different countries. As for the album sleeves, though, i wonder if it was really such a dilution or desecration to have different covers in the us. Other examples of books with different covers include. Im sure there must be similar examples of almost identical book covers for vampire fiction and you only need to look at the chick lit section in a bookshop to see that all the books invariably use the same sort of curly fonts and pink colour schemes as these socalled marketing experts think this will appeal. The changing covers of will look at how different countries have envisioned the same book and how that actually changes over time. Harry potter and the philosophers stone first hit shelves in the united kingdom on june 26. Jan 12, 2015 book cover art is an interesting element of the literary world sometimes fixated upon, sometimes ignored but, as readers, we are undoubtedly swayed by the little billboard that is the cover of every book we read. Cover in this case and anthony horowitzs stormbreaker. Whether you work in a library or have your own personal library, brodart is a name to know. This is a list of the best uk and european edition ya book covers. The adult edition usually depicts an object or place that plays a key part in the plot while the childrens one features a. I love the composition of the title, and the smaller image of the boat against the vast ocean and sky really communicates the.
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