Judging a Book by its Cover

REPORTBACK

JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER

TUESDAY, APRIL 20

On April 20, the presentation “Judging a Book By Its Cover”by Jim Kates of Zephyr Press took the half dozen members who participated on Zoom through the processes and discussions that publishers go through both in-house and with their authors about the aesthetics, politics, and marketing of book covers.

Questions afterwards focused mostly on questions of copyright for cover art, and the availability of public-access artwork for use. Following up on questions raised, and with the understanding that copyright use can sometimes be fuzzy, here’s an oversimplified follow-up: For the most part, “Old Master” images are considered “orphaned” and can be used without seeking copyright permission. Online services provide a library of available images, but some of these supposedly “free” websites may in fact charge fees.