Guest: Sarah Rutherford, a romance reader and Associate Professor of Design at Cleveland State University

@sarahatschool on Instagram

Highlights:

1. The evolution of romance novel covers from the 1980s to the contemporary post-digital age.
2. The significant role of design elements such as typography, color, and imagery in conveying the genre and themes of romance novels.
3. The impact of digital publishing on cover designs, including the preference for stock photography and simplified imagery.
4. How cover designs serve as a branding tool for books and how they contribute to personal branding for readers and collectors.
5. Sarah shares anecdotes about identifying and collecting romance novels based on their covers, highlighting the emotional and aesthetic appeal of cover art.

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