Remember when album covers were so important? They were inspirations and compliments to the music on the disk. The album cover has been replaced by the music video, but book covers are alive and well. Rather, they ought to be.

Some of the problem comes from the disintegration of specialization. Yes, you could blame it on technology, but that would be too easy. Blame it on the guy who thinks he can do everything just because he’s got the technology.

Bob Sacks (www.bosacks.com) sent out an article on 6 February from the Independent about a new printer that produces 3D objects. I’ve seen similar printers used in the auto industry, but soon they’ll be available, and affordable, to anyone. The means of mass production will (or could) suddenly be everyone’s utility room.

Great, and not so great. Great for designers, craftspeople, artists; not so great for the rest of us who will experience a flood of the home-made and half-baked.

The same thing happened when desktop publishing was introduced – has it been almost 20 years! – spawning ugly newsletters, brochures, pamphlets, and now books galore. Just because you can produce a public document doesn’t mean you should.

An average book cover consumes 10 to 15 hours of a designer’s life. Ask yourself, do you even know what an average book cover looks like? And don’t ask your sister or your girlfriend or your mom, because unless they’re designers, they don’t know either.

A book cover inspires an immediate reaction. Whether that reaction is apathy, derisive cackles, or curiosity is totally up to you. My advice: Hire a professional.

Here’s a site I like to look at. Remember, though, just because you look at this site, it doesn’t make you a designer. http://nytimesbooks.blogspot.com/