Nowhere in a magazine is the interaction of words and
pictures more important than on the FRONT COVER.
The cover has to do TWO jobs for a magazine: “It has
to sell the general concept of the publication as well
as to reflect, through its design, the intellectual level of
the editorial content” (Swann 1991)
Other commentators suggest that it has more personal
then intellectual functions: “It is the magazine’s face . .
Like a person’s face it is the primary indicator of a
personality” (Click and Baird 1990)
What’s more, the magazine front cover has to attract a
potential reader instantly in an environment where the
newsagent’s customers are browsing and where there
are shelves of hundreds of rival magazines, including all
the competing rivals in a given field. If it’s doing its job
right, then the cover will tempt the reader away from its
rivals.
“The fundamental thing is for the cover to sell the
issue, both to your regular readers . . . and to people’s
readers, who might be looking for a change” (Moorish
1996)
 Use a strong image
 Make sure that the masthead is clearly identifiable.
This does not mean that the whole word has to be
visible but enough of its distinctive lettering should be
there to make clear to the readers which title they
are looking at.
 Make sure that cover lines are legible from about 2
metres away. Some publishers refer to this as the floor
test. If you throw a magazine on a carpet you should
be able to read the cover lines without bending
down.
Promise a clear benefit to the reader.
 Offer something for beginners or new readers.
 Create strong links to the contents page. Readers are
irritated if the fascinating story on the cover page is
impossible to find in the contents list, perhaps because it
is given a different title.
 Deliver everything you promise.
 Put the emphasis on the left hand side of the cover, as
that is the part which will show when it’s on the
newsagent’s shelf. The other important site is the top,
which is why you don’t see many title pieces at the
bottom of the page.
Cover lines
Writing good cover lines (the name for the words on the
cover) is a craft in itself. There is a temptation to try out
clever word play, similar to that found in newspapers,
but in Morrish’s view this should be resisted:
“They are there to tempt and intrigue and invite further
scrutiny. They should be positive and enthusiastic. Above
all they need to be short, snappy, colloquial and
absolutely straightforward . . . Readers need to look at
the line once to understand what it means” (Morrish
1996)
Marjorie Ferguson (1980, 227) identified four types of facial
expression in the cover photos of British women’s magazines.
‘Chocolate Box’: half or full smile, lips together or slightly
parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to
camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, warm bath
warmth, where uniformity of features in their smooth
perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.
‘Invitational’: emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with
only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back
to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or
mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than
sexual promise, the cover equivalent of advertising’s
soft sell.
‘Super-smiler’: full face, wide open toothy smile, head
thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often windblown. Projected mood; aggressive, ‘look-at-me’
demanding, the hard sell, ‘big come-on’ approach.
‘Romantic or Sexual’: a fourth and more general
classification devised to include male and female ‘twosomes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling bigheads, or the overtly sensual or sexual. Projected moods:
possibly ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’.