January 2022 | Austin Macauley Publishers

Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover

It’s a pleasant weekend evening, and you have decided to visit your favourite book store. For most of us bibliophiles, it is one of our happy places to visit. You pick up a hot coffee and headphones and head towards the bookstore. Upon arrival at your favourite bookstore, you gaze upon a cover with a dragon and a boy holding sword. Your eyes waltz on the bright colours and the font of the cover.

You pick the book and go through the blurb. It’s about a young boy who left town to find the dragon responsible for the village’s loss. The book reminded you of all the fairytales you read growing up. There was drama, adventure, and a dark creature lurking in the forest. Your eyes lit up while looking at the cover. The book ticked all the markers of a fairy tale, and you decided to buy the book.

Sounds like a normal buying experience, right? You strolled through the aisles, found a book that caught your eyes, and you bought it. But…isn’t that what we have been told not to do? You know, judge a book by its cover?

Before we dive into the philosophy of the phrase, we should know about the meaning and origin of the phrase.

What Does the Phrase Mean?

The phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” means that we should refrain from judging someone or something and form an opinion about them mainly on their looks or appearance, because after having a deeper look and understanding, that someone or something may be different than we assumed. One should not form an opinion based purely on what is seen on the surface, because after taking a deeper look, the person or the thing may be very different than expected.

For books, this is considered a naive approach to choose solely based on appearance. The phrase has become more than a reminder to review multiple features while choosing a book. When we are looking for a book to buy, the first thing that always captures our eyes is the cover of the book. The cover could be illustrated with bright colours and bold writing with beautiful book aesthetics. After viewing the cover, readers can decide whether that book is right for them or not. As a result, they neglect the other key features of the book. However, if the reader opens the book and reads the description of the book, they might find it interesting. While choosing a book on the basis of the cover, the reader makes a rush decision and often misses a good aesthetic book and a good reading experience.

The same approach is applied to people. They are usually judged based on their external appearance. However, if one gets to know the person, they can make better judgement and decisions about that individual. Therefore, this term is used as advice or caution that we should not judge someone or something purely on their physical appearance.

Most book lovers know better than to judge a book by its cover. Why? Just because a book has an amazing cover, doesn’t necessarily guarantee that it’s an amazing book. Book covers are designed to attract the reader, but they are also meant to give a sort of picture synopsis for the story. The downside to pretty book covers is being deceived by them. You pick a book with an excellent looking cover, and after reading it, you realize that it wasn’t how you’d expected. Therefore, take the time to read the synopsis on the back and even flip through the book a bit.

Readers make decisions based on the details available on the cover. The visual aesthetics of a cover cannot be overlooked. They can judge on a variety of criteria, including the title of the book, the author, plotlines, blurb and so on. Readers must consider multiple perspectives before making decisions, in which case, cover is one of the factors considered in a book-buying decision.

From writing to publishing, good books are carefully planned. There is special attention given to major elements including characters, plots, artwork, designs and book aesthetics. Everything is carefully monitored and placed in the right spot. Overlooking the cover often degrades the work of designers and authors.

Many covers can be deceptive. They can add images of individuals having fun in the sun, while also hiding the severe depressive state of the character. The readers are advised to read the blurbs, read the synopsis on the back and even flip through the book a bit to know more about the authors writing style and storyline.

WHAT’S ON A BOOK COVER?

The cover plays a vital role in a book’s overall success. The cover tells a story, communicates with the readers, and plays a major role in the selection of the book. Cover art is what we will mostly judge a book by. The books’ publishers often put reasonable resources on the covers of the books to make them more popular and improve sales. Fonts, colour schemes, and image styles play a major role in the first impression while looking at the book. The book cover has these major elements discussed below.

Cover Art

Cover art is the first thing that catches the eye while looking for the book. There is a time when you can figure out the story by just looking at the cover. Children’s books have drawings or images on the book cover. We can easily assemble details about the characters and elements of the storyline.

Books marketed for a younger audience are judged based on their genres. Horror and mystery books have dark illustrations and deeper colours. Fantasy books have illustrations of fantasy characters and landscapes. Romantic reads often have attractive images. The publishers spend significant resources on the cover art to make it more attractive and improve sales.

Blurb

Blurb is a short definition of a book, often written to explain the story or a review by a critic of the book. These are the opinions other authors or reviewers have given about the book. Book blurbs are important as they provide a review of the author, their writing style, and previously published books. The book blurbs can help readers make the decision for buying the book they are holding.

Back Cover

The readers usually ignore the back covers of the book. The back cover is also a vital part of a book as it often contains reviews about the writing of the author, their previously written books, more blurb or even a synopsis of the book you are holding. So, do not hesitate to turn the book over and take a glance at the back cover as well.

To learn more about Austin Macauley and purchase any of the suggested titles below, CLICK HERE! We at Austin Macauley have compiled some of the books with covers that define a story and help the readers choose. These covers have all the required elements needed for an attractive cover design.

Kings of Darkness

The cover depicts a dark creature with bold text and a dark colour scheme checking all the markings of a horror read. This beautiful cover will easily prompt the reader to buy the book if they are a fan of the horror genre.

A Land Without War

This cover depicts a fantasy world filled with ruins and a sole protagonist on the front. The text is visible with bold letters and convinces the readers to learn more about the story.

Adam’s First Day at School

There is a captivating graphic of a kid in front of a school facility, dressed and ready to venture on a new adventure. The soft colour tones and beautiful illustrations can easily charm readers to buy this excellent children’s read.

Deadly Dates

This upcoming thriller has a cover depicting objects that have a major impact on society. The use of red colour to highlight the title text makes it an interesting thriller that could unravel the secrets of the story. The use of money, technology, and weapons is foreshadowing a tale of crime, love and violence.

The World Of Body Language

The non-fiction read is a perfect example of an excellent design depicting all the major elements in a cover. The title and subtitle clearly define the purpose and meaning of the book. The illustration also supports the title of the book.

After the discussion, we should not forget that the book cover’s design is impressionistic. It varies from reader to reader, everyone has their taste and choice of a cover. We are all drawn towards attractive products. The Cover plays a major part in selecting a suitable book. We have discussed the other factors that should also be focused on while selecting a suitable book rather than just a creative cover. Therefore, you should ensure you pick a book because you liked the cover and read the blurb.

Austin Macauley always strives to provide the readers with quality content. Read more inspiring blogs here. You can share your manuscripts here for review or use the online submission’s option here. Connect with Austin Macauley on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more updates.

Best Arabic Books for Kids in 2022

The language learning process is made up of two major aspects:, reality and fantasy. In reality, children learn by connecting words to objects and concepts through touching, hearing, and seeing. In addition,, they learn through reading stories, fairy tales and folklores, letting them fly through magical worlds and distant lands where honour rules. Stories for children are a means of education, helping them learn about values, morals, and norms in a community—in our case, the Arabic-speaking community.

When buying children’s books, we have to choose those books which have some purpose and moral. You want the books to be informative and relatable. A good book helps your child in learning new concepts, including colours, words, numbers and more complex topics. Picking up the right book can often start a discussion between you and your child and motivate them to read independently and find teachable moments in the reads.

We at Austin Macauley have some of the best Arabic books for kids that will not only enhance their Arabic language, grammar and speaking skills, but also guide them on Arabic culture. These reads will teach them important life lessons and provide them with a knowledge of their community and literature.

Our latest releases are a mix of fantasy, short stories, inspirational, and informative Arabic stories for kids that are guaranteed to spark their imaginations and bring joy and happiness to them. These children’s books open portals to worlds full of entertainment, knowledge, awareness, and understanding. They don’t just take them into the imaginary worlds of magic and colours, but also challenge their creativity and make learning more of an adventure.

Let’s dive into the world of fantasy and adventure filled with magic and marvels, with our latest Arabic books for kids that your child will surely enjoy. Inspire your little ones to love learning Arabic with these inspiring easy-to-read books!

To learn more about Austin Macauley or purchase any of the suggested titles below, CLICK HERE!

Ahlam’s Victory

We start our incredible list of the best Arabic books for kids to read in 2022 with Ahlam’s Victory, written by Najla Hamouda. It takes us into the life of a young girl, Ahlam, and her inspirational story of failure. During her study, she faced a failure, which made her frustrated and anxious.

She worked hard and managed to turn that failure into success with her strong will and commitment. This act taught her a lesson about facing failures and creatingher own success. This prompted her to encourage others to achieve their dreams.

The book motivates young readers to face their failures and empowers them with self-belief and strong devotion. The book is a perfect gift for your child.

Get the copy of Ahlam’s Victory here.

Aisen’s School Diary

Aisen’s School Diary is a delightful book written by Shahd Alkubar that revolves around Aisen and her friends attending an international school. The school has students from around the world with different backgrounds and religions.

The book shares the fun daily activities and memories they had in their school until an unexpected event hits them with an important life lesson.. A total of ten events are shared in the book with valuable end lessons.

The book is a good gift for your child, teaching them about respect, communication, and goodwill.

Find out more by ordering now.

At Grandmother Hissa’s House

At Grandmother Hissa’s House is a beautiful fiction book that explores children’s delight in visiting their grandmother’s house.

The book shares a captivating portrayal of scenes from grandmother’s terrace, singing of birds, the feeling of wind with the sweet smell of basil and the hussle in the streets. The author has always hada feeling of comfort and security when visiting his grandmother. These sensations are illustrated in his writing.

Get your copy of the book from here.

How a Whale and the Moon Helped Me

Yasmin was always a stubborn child as her father had spoiled her by fulfilling her every wish. She has become obsessed with having every new toy and gadget. Her latest absurd wish is of a new tablet, even she bought one only last month.

However, her father refused to buy her a new one.

To what extent will she go to get her wish? How can a whale and the moon help her fulfil her desire?

Find out by buying the copy here.

Munir the Millionaire

Munir the Millionaire by Zainab Ali Albahran is a delightful book about a young boy named Munir who is intelligent, energetic, and a keen observer. His knowledge of his surroundings and his observation skills helped him to realize the importance of wealth and finances.

This realization made him dedicated to finding ways to earn money and become rich. He starts searching for different ways to earn money when he grows up. This book teaches its readers about the importance of looking after your money and the advantages of being a keen observer.

How will Munir pursue his dream of becoming a millionaire? Find out by ordering a copy here.

Nahola and the Insect Hunter

Nahola and the Insect Hunter is a children’s adventure story written by Omnia Bint Saeed Albadi. The story is about an active bee, busy in her daily activities of collecting honey with her friends. Her days are the same going from flower to flower, collecting honey and bringing it back to the hive.

It changed when she and her friends faced a daunting situation. This was no ordinary danger as she encountered an insect hunter trying to harm them and their hive. What will she and her friends do to protect themselves from the hunter?

This book is a good example to use when teaching children how to deal with unknown situations.

Get your copy of this wonderful book from here.

The Lady of Colors

The Lady of Colors is a beautiful story of a gorgeous butterfly whose wings are mesmerizing like the colours of flowers. Her beauty is admired all around the forest.

The story begins when the butterfly and her friend start a journey through the forest. The story takes a turn when they encounter interesting events and unwanted disasters during their voyage. They must find a way to finish their journey safely.

The book is a good example of ecocriticism, beautifully featuring different regions of the jungle. Malek AL-Chouayakh portrayed a marvellous picture of the scenes that take place during the characters’ journey in the forest.

Find what happens next by ordering your copy here.

The Late Dress

The Late Dress is a short story by Knanah Hatim Eissa narrating the adventures of two curious children, Talal and Lamar, and their friends through the United Arab Emirates. Talal and Lamar have always wanted to travel through the UAE and explore its beauty, people, and culture.

Their wish came true when they were allowed to travel and experience the colours of the United Arab Emirates. They met different people, tried new clothes, ate diverse foods, and attended various cultural events. The adventure they shared resulted in an overall memorable experience.

Be a part of the adventures by ordering your copy of The Late Dress here.

The Little Nurse

Hima slipped and fell from the swing, injuring her knee in the process. The wound on her knee began bleeding, and she started crying as it was painful. She scampered home to her mother while crying with pain. Her mother comforted Hima and called Reem, the nurse living next door.

Reem came instantly and treated her wound, bandaging up her knee. Hime felt inspired and decided to become a nurse when she grew up. She started asking Reem questions about her profession.

Reem answered all the curious questions of Hima about her work. She explained the importance of nurses, their services, and the honourable profession. Author Reem Bent Nasir Aldosari gracefully describes the story and the nursing profession in the book. This book can also be a good gift for your child to spark interest in the nursing profession.

Inspirational New Year’s Resolution Ideas for Readers

It’s that time of the year again! The New Year has just begun, and its time to look back on the last 12 months to see how far you have come, and reflect on what you have achieved from the previous year. What were your goals, and to what extent you were able to keep up with those resolutions? What were the mistakes that we made and, how are we going to correct them this year? This year should not be the same as all previous years.

A new year means an opportunity to experience new things, read new books, explore new ideas and expand your literary horizons. Before all this, it’s time to think about your new year reading resolutions! Our New Year’s resolutions can be simple, and achievable rather than setting unrealistic goals and then punishing ourselves to achieve those goals. We can set the goals based on our self-compassion. In that way, we can keep our resolutions and feel happier in the process. Making yourself committed to your resolutions can result in a healthier, more balanced and satisfying year.

Setting a New Year’s resolution is one of the traditions of a new year. Similarly, another unwanted tradition is breaking those resolutions within a month. However, this year should not be the same, you can change this undesirable tradition by setting a realistic and small goal that you can achieve with consistent efforts and achieve satisfaction.

To help achieve your New Year’s resolutions, you have to stay committed whether it’s reading more books, listening to more audiobooks, or organizing your bookshelves. Well, we have rounded up a list of 10 inspiring ideas for our readers that are easy to complete and make 2022 a book-filled year. Making an effort and completing even one (or more) of these resolutions can further increase your happiness and satisfaction. We have also shared some of our latest releases that you can read as one of your resolutions.

To learn more about Austin Macauley & purchase any of the suggested titles below, CLICK HERE!

Join a Book Club

Reading is often considered a reclusive activity; however, it doesn’t have to be this way. For this year, try joining a book club in your area to socialize and make some friends while reading. This way, you can come out of your comfort zone and interact with like-minded individuals. If your non-reading resolution was to socialize more, then you can have two for the price of one.

Trek a Mountain

Sometimes you have to do something just for the sake of pride and achievement. Hiking a mountain can bring an immense sense of pride and accomplishment. While attempting this feat, don’t forget to bring your favourite book with you because sometimes all you need is a dose of fresh air and your favourite book on a hillside. This activity can be one of those New Year’s resolutions that you will remember for a long time.

Declutter Your Bookshelf

Do you have books sitting in the bags, overflowing your shelves, or lying around different places in your house? If so, then it’s time to declutter and organize your bookshelves!

Cleaning out your space can create a sense of relief. Quell your stress by decluttering your bookshelves, donating any book you don’t read anymore to your book club or library to create a clean and organised place. It is a useful resolution if you don’t have enough shelf space for all the books you own, and it can be an exciting New Year’s resolution.

Reread a Favourite Book

While cleaning out your bookshelves, maybe you can find the all-time favourite book that you were planning to read again. It could be best-selling science fiction or classic romantic poetry—whatever it is, commit to reading it and experience the joy and thrill you felt the last time. This resolution is particularly easy to complete and has no downside. Reading your favourite book will bring back a remarkable sense of nostalgia and feelings you felt the first time.

Explore New Genres

For this new year, if you want your New Year’s resolution to be more rewarding, then try exploring new genres. This can open up new horizons and you can read more diverse books. Reading helps us learn new things, explore new worlds and experience new emotions.

For this resolution, pick a number and read that number of books of different genres that you don’t usually read. Try reading foreign authors and experience how they view the world. This experience can be remarkable with endless opportunities.

Write a Thank-You Card

One of the trending New Year’s resolutions can be writing a thank-you note to someone. It can be your teacher that helped you start a career, any family member that inspired you on the way, your favourite author that you love reading or your childhood friend that was always there for you. Buy a card, write down what changed you and how they inspired you, and send it. This will bring immense joy and pleasure, and they will cherish your kind words, and in a way, you will fulfil your resolution.

Finish a Book Series

You’ve always promised yourself to read that famous book series from the best selling author. Well, it’s time you make it happen. For this New year’s resolution, make sure to read the series that you always desired. You can read at any pace while enjoying the moments you experience during that read.

Support Your Local Library

Libraries rely on readers. Their survival is dependent on the community and the readers. Without them, the libraries fail to exist. Therefore, this year, make your New Year’s resolution to support your local library in every way possible. You can contribute and show support by donating your books, time, and money for the betterment of your community library and readers.

Have Fun While Reading

The most important resolution on the list is having fun and enjoying reading. Whether you managed to achieve other goals or not, you should always find ways to have fun and create memories to cherish. Reading is a source of joy and happiness and, we should do those activities that give us pleasure and personal satisfaction cause every day is a beginning of a new year.

Here are some of Austin Macauley latest releases that you can make a part of your new year’s resolution reads.

Like a Movie Subtitle

Like a Movie Subtitle is a mesmerising blend of poetry, imagery, and prose. The book is a combination of creative writing, colourful images and thoughtful phrases. This book will make you fall in love with the art of writing. The author’s beautifully expressed words make the book a treat for the eyes and mind.

Grab your copy of the book here.

Blossomed With Love

Blossomed With Love is a poetry masterclass expressing the feelings of the author for her loved one. The book describes the feelings, emotions, and sentiments expressed in a dreamy way. The sense of security, calmness and peace is reflected in her writing.

Get your copy now.

Self-improvement Convo

Self-improvement Convo is a wonderful self-help book to improve self-esteem. It takes its readers on the path of confidence and positivity. The book teaches us about confidence and self-development. The book urges the readers not to get discouraged about their appearances, lack of confidence and other related issues. It encourages them to improve themselves to live a happy and steady life.

Order now from here.

Crows on Fetish

Crows on Fetish is a poetic book filled with waves of emotions, from sadness, grief and depression to the rebirth of his emotional self. The book reflected the author’s loss and emptiness he faced and shaped those feelings into poetry.

The use of analogies in his writing reflects his thoughts of mind and soul. The beautiful portrayal of his thinkings during that time and the spirit and determination shown in overcoming his struggles.

Get your copy of the book here.

My Heart’s Words

My Heart’s Words is a beautiful portrayal of the tragedy that the author faced when the sudden news of her mother’s death shocked her world.

Her world turned upside down and from an early age, she had to experience the harsh reality of the world. She expresses the pain and sorrow that she felt during that time in this book.

Get your copy of My Heart’s Words here.

These inspiring New Year’s resolutions can help readers set new goals for the new year. Austin Macauley has always tried to provide its readers with a unique and memorable experience. If you are interested in reading more informative and inspiring blogs, you can check out our blog section. Be a part of Austin Macauley by sharing your manuscripts here for review. You can also submit online by filling this Online Submission Form.

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Month: January 2022