With book publishers today watching each other’s profit margins shrink, it’s nice to see that some are still willing to put a little imagination into their book designs. “Solo” by William Boyd, the latest James Bond adventure, comes out Sept .26th with a cover to make 007 proud. Or wary.
Designed by Random House Creative Director Suzanne Dean, the dust jacket is – well just look at the photos below. Yes, the holes in the jacket are diecut – seven holes (6 small and one giant one), presumably for 007. And on the cover beneath the jacket, printed “burns” from the bullets, as well as a gecko – a nod to the African adventure inside.
“I had always been keen since finding out the title that there might be a way of using the two O’s within ‘Solo’ and [linking] it to the 0s in 007,” Dean told DesignWeek.co.uk. “The shadows thrown by the overlaying letters suggest hidden danger and tension, while the final ‘O’ in Solo suggests a door, or an escape route.”
All of which strikes us as being far more thought than has attended the writing of many bestsellers lately. Good job!
