Christian Living

Onward by Dr Russell Moore

Mary Wiley

Jun 19th

We hope you will judge this book by its cover.

The creative process for developing a book cover differs from publisher to publisher; each house has a different method. I would even go as far to say that it differs slightly at each publishing house from book to book. There are many variables to consider, all of which have major implications for the reception of the book. The book cover is the first impression for every reader, and we all want to strike the correct balance between beauty and utility. Whoever said “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover” was out of touch with how real book-lovers peruse a bookstore.

One criterion publishers take into consideration when creating a book cover is the author’s aesthetic preferences. Often, this can be a difficult process because it’s easier for the author to communicate their preferences in terminology like, “I will know it when I see it,” than it is to construct an artistic vision from scratch. For that reason, we try to get to know the author personally and discern whether there are any aesthetic distinctives that stick out.

Recently, for example, B&H partnered with author Russell Moore for a project titled Onward: Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel. Moore, well-known for his love of country music, recently moved to Nashville as president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC. The artistic direction was a no-brainer––we called Hatch Show Print.

Hatch Show Print, founded in 1879, and headquartered in Nashville, TN, saw its golden age in the 1920’s through the 1950’s, printing posters and handbills for some of jazz, blues, country, and rock-and-roll’s most famous performers, such as Elvis Presley, the late B.B. King, and Johnny Cash. You probably know the “Hatch look,” without realizing it. The Hatch aesthetic is synonymous with country music, and I would say that Hatch’s very best days are yet to come. These posters were created from quotes from Dr. Moore’s book.
 Onward_Jukebox_Poster Onward_Kindness_Poster_BLUE Onward_Kingdom_Poster_SILVER Onward_TheMessageOfTheGospel_Poster_GREEN Onward_TooBigTooSmallGospel_Poster_ORANGE

The cover image for this 5.5 x 8.5 inch jacketed hardcover book was designed by Hatch also. The art created by Cory at Hatch became Onward’s brand, one of which B&H is very proud.

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Onward, due out August 2015, is a book you will want to take off the shelf, feel in your hands, and judge by the cover. Tweet your impressions @BHpub.

We can’t wait to hear what “y’all” think.


Devin Maddox is the Christian living and Christian leadership trade book publisher at B&H Publishing Group. He and his wife, Cara, and two boys live in Nashville, Tennessee.

This project was was guided by art director Jeff Godby of B&H Publishing Group.

Learn more about the history of Hatch Show Print here. (http://hatchshowprint.com/ContentPages/history-of-hatch)


 

Onward_Jukebox_Poster Onward_Kindness_Poster_BLUE Onward_Kingdom_Poster_SILVER Onward_TheMessageOfTheGospel_Poster_GREEN Onward_TooBigTooSmallGospel_Poster_ORANGE
ENTER TO WIN a set of the book posters like the ones above.
Gain up to 5 entries here.

5 winners will be chosen at random on Monday at 8am. You get two entries by answering the following question on this post:

What quote is most impactful to you? Why?