"I think it appeals to people because it can be as simple or as complicated as you like—a quick snap against a bookcase or a really elaborate costume. It also suits the camera-shy as the face is partly or wholly obscured, so there are no excuses for not joining in," Marianne from The Willoughby Book Club told Bored Panda.
According to Marianne, book covers are incredibly important and play a vital role in our buying decisions. "We’re all extremely judgemental about covers here at Willoughby! I’ve also been a bookseller for long enough to see trends in cover design come and go," she said. "At the moment I think the increase in beautifully designed and presented books reflects customers’ buying trends: people are now prepared to spend on books as items to keep and build into the decoration of their home. The pandemic has also reminded us all of the importance of books and reading for comfort and escapism, we’ve all needed it this past year. I’m always glad to see when a title has been well presented, as a good cover can make or break a title."
How much input book authors have on what the covers looks like, however, depends on how much freedom they're given by their publisher. At times, they might have some leeway; otherwise, they're at the mercy of the publisher's marketing department.
Marianne also opened up about what booksellers and book lovers do when they're not working or taking part in the #bookface challenge. "I’ve done ‘spine stories’ sometimes, where you stack the books to make the titles read like a micro-story," she revealed, later adding that literature lovers tend to do what they do best and open up a book when they have a spare moment. (And the mountain of books I have at my desk, propped open and swaying in the spring breeze, agrees with her.)
Tons of bookstores, libraries, and organizations have been taking part in the challenge. And there’s even a #BookfaceFridays hashtag floating about on the web, too. As you’re lining up the book cover with your body, you try to create a seamless whole that’s both realistic and aesthetically pleasing.
So it’s not just books with real-life photos on the covers that can work; stylized covers can, too! However, the latter takes a bit more work and imagination to get just right.
Despite the name of the #bookface challenge, it’s not just your face that you can replace with a book. Any part of your body will do.
And some of the more creative shots show people posing in various different ways, moving away from the classics where people stare directly at the camera. Truly, the sky’s the limit here and we think it’s a wonderful way to get engaged with how visually stunning some books on display can look.
The New York Times suggests that the challenge may have started gaining more and more traction around 2014. The challenge isn’t just fun, however. It’s a great way for bookstores, libraries, and booksellers to remind the public that they exist and to engage their existing and potential customers.
As social media continues to expand into our lives, you can’t afford to not post something on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter because the barrier to entry is low and your competitors will be doing the same thing as well. The #bookface photos are a wonderful way to do that, translating our love for books into a purely visual format, akin to a tiny, easily-digestible work of art for the digital age.
