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Don't judge a book by its cover, they say. But what if it looks so bad, even a five-year-old with the oldest version of MS Paint could have done a better job?

There's a subreddit, called r/TerribleBookCovers, and its members are—you guessed it—collecting the worst book covers that have ever been published. Whether it's an insulting title or a hideous drawing, they have it all. Continue scrolling and check out some of the most popular pictures within the online community.

In order to understand what is a bad book cover, we can start by figuring out what is a good one instead. Renowned book designer Chip Kidd (who created the cover for Jurassic Park and many others), said that book design is all about giving form to content but also appreciating the balance between the two.

In his Ted talk, Kidd explained that on his first day of graphic design class in school, the teacher drew a picture of an apple, then wrote the word Apple and said: "Listen up. You either say this," pointing to the word apple, "or you can show this," pointing to the picture of the apple.

"But you don't do this," he said, pointing to a picture of an apple with the word Apple beneath it. "Because this is treating your audience like a moron. And they deserve better."

So a book cover can show or tell, but can't do both.

#2

It’s Worth A Look!

It’s Worth A Look!

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Aurelia!
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

who said to themselves 'somebody really needs to write this book'????

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Best-selling author Jeff Goins thinks covers should also know and respect the audience of the book.

"Books are not created in a vacuum. They are not merely a manifestation of the author's creativity. The content needs a form, and the form will influence the way the content is consumed," Goins wrote. "All art has an audience, and books are no different. Good book design, then, is not just an expression of the story or idea behind a book. It is a piece of the marketing. As such, it needs to matter to the people it was intended for."

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#4

The Hobbit

The Hobbit

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#5

Do Your Kids Suffer From Nightmares? No, Not Yet? Well This Should Help A Lot

Do Your Kids Suffer From Nightmares? No, Not Yet? Well This Should Help A Lot

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#6

My Mom Used To Read This One To Me

My Mom Used To Read This One To Me

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Kakofonyx
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Keep in mind that the R word used to be a medically acceptable term. Let's not use modern sensitivity to judge the past.

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Coming back to Chip Kidd, he said that a book designer has a responsibility to three groups of people: the reader, the publisher, and the author. So the ultimate goal of a good book design is to get people to respond. For the reader, you want people to say, "Wow! I need to read that." For the publisher, you want them to say, "This is something we can print." And for the author, you want them to say, "Yes! This expresses my idea better than I could!"

So I guess you could say that a terrible book design is boring, unmarketable, and superficial.

#7

Found This In A Doctors Office A Few Years Ago. I Think About This Way Too Much

Found This In A Doctors Office A Few Years Ago. I Think About This Way Too Much

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Isaac7lego
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What..........The.............F***!!!!! If I saw this in my doctors office I would be seriously weirded out!!!!

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#8

Not Sure If This Has Been Posted Before, But...

Not Sure If This Has Been Posted Before, But...

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#10

The Very Hungry Cthulupillar

The Very Hungry Cthulupillar

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#11

Kissing The Coronavirus (Coronavirus Erotica?!)

Kissing The Coronavirus (Coronavirus Erotica?!)

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#14

My Librarian Wife Always Has Interesting Finds

My Librarian Wife Always Has Interesting Finds

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#15

When Your Mom Tells You To Get A Real Job, But You Double Down Trying To Prove You Can Start That Cult You Always Said You Would...

When Your Mom Tells You To Get A Real Job, But You Double Down Trying To Prove You Can Start That Cult You Always Said You Would...

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Dash Blue
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was not interested, but then I saw, Foreward by Maxine Sanders. Hell. I’m in!

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#16

Woof? I Feel So Empty

Woof? I Feel So Empty

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Troux
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is another photoshop. The word is Tonsils. https://www.amazon.com/Good-bye-Tonsils-Whitman-Tell-Tale/dp/B0007FB2L4

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#18

Browsing Through Books At A Thrift Store, Um...

Browsing Through Books At A Thrift Store, Um...

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#19

Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover, Even If It Is A Collage Of Jpegs

Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover, Even If It Is A Collage Of Jpegs

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#20

Even The Price Is Questionable

Even The Price Is Questionable

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Ian Milne
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rihanna wrote the accompanying song to this book - we found love in a hopeless place

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#21

I Think I've Found It! The Most Glorious Photoshop Of All Time!

I Think I've Found It! The Most Glorious Photoshop Of All Time!

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#23

How To Talk With Your Dog About Homosexuality And Communism

How To Talk With Your Dog About Homosexuality And Communism

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Aurelia!
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Translation: how to talk with your puppy about homosexuality and communism (portuguese)

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#24

That Lighthouse Imagery...

That Lighthouse Imagery...

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Pusfarm
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I ever wanted to shine a light on constipation, a lighthouse would not be the first thing to come to mind.

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#26

His Leg On Ready Player One’s Cover

His Leg On Ready Player One’s Cover

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Isaac7lego
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought this was photoshopped at first....I looked at my copy its real!!!!

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#28

Romance Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Romance Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving

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#31

The 50th Edition Lotr Covers Are Something Else...

The 50th Edition Lotr Covers Are Something Else...

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#32

I Don't Even Know What To Say About This Book Cover

I Don't Even Know What To Say About This Book Cover

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#33

Til That Native American Women Shot At Cowboys With Lasers (Also There Was Young Love In The Wild West)

Til That Native American Women Shot At Cowboys With Lasers (Also There Was Young Love In The Wild West)

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#35

Ten Things Doctors Won't Tell You About Your Cpap Machine

Ten Things Doctors Won't Tell You About Your Cpap Machine

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Note: this post originally had 142 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.