OK, Let’s talk about something that irritates me….stickers on book covers. I never understood why it was necessary to put these big sticky pieces of paper on someone’s artwork. They can be very difficult to remove, and sometimes even damage the cover.
Now I do understand many of these stickers have bar codes on them for bookstores to be able to put their own pricing and inventory system on it. So on one hand, I get that. But if you are going to put a bar code sticker on, they should be placed over the original printed bar code in the bottom corner; Not just anywhere. There is no reason to place a sticker anywhere else that would cover information or any part of the artwork. Because at that point, it is inconvenient and annoying for the consumer.
To be clear, I am not talking about used books that are sold at garage sales, libraries, or markets. If people want to mess up the covers to their books, that is their prerogative. I am instead talking about new books sold at a bookstore. The people who put these stickers on should know better. I am thankful that some do know better. See this one here? It is a nice placement on top of the original bar code, not covering any important information or artwork. A perfect example of how it should be done….Beautiful! But there are still many people that do not understand this.
And then there are all the other stickers without bar codes. And these can be in all shapes and sizes. Some are way too big, and some are flat out pointless. Do we really need this large sticker to talk about a book club?
Here is my main problem with stickers on book covers: They are used incorrectly and too much. They deface the artwork of the covers, and in the case of this cover, it literally was defaced. Like look at this? Can you believe someone actually placed a sticker on Bob Dylan’s face? Well maybe some can believe that. But whether you like Bob Dylan or not, to do this to a cover is ridiculous. Whose idea was this? Like what was this person thinking?
I appreciate the artwork of any media format. Part of my enjoyment of owning a movie, a video game, or a music album, is being able to look at and appreciate the artwork. Some people do not understand that. They don’t understand that someone spent hours upon hours designing a cool looking cover. So to have it tarnished by a big sticker slapped on is not only disrespectful to the graphic artist, but also the author.
With Blu-ray movies, video games, or any entertainment product, if they are brand new, they usually have a plastic wrap. This adds a layer of protection for the placement of any sticker if needed. And even if there is no plastic film, there is still a plastic layer which still protects the artwork. That is not the case with books. There is no clear plastic layer or wrapping of any kind. So in that way, books are unique from most forms of media. The artwork is not protected with any layer of plastic. This is why books should not receive the same sticker treatment.
I know this problem seems small and petty. I sound like a big complainer. And yes, it is easy to complain about a problem and not offer a solution. But that is my issue…I don’t have a solution. Because stickers to this day are still needed. The price of a product changes over time, and instead of trying to reprogram an existing bar code, a sticker has always been a quick easy solution. Almost any store that sells small individual products usually have stickers on them. So I do understand the purpose of stickers. I know you cannot completely wipe out stickers. So I did come up with a few compromises to help reduce this problem.
The first compromise is to remove many unnecessary stickers. There is no need for these gigantic ones. The only information a sticker needs to communicate is a barcode and a price. That is it. No discounts, no special editions, no book clubs, no seller picks. None of that.
The second compromise is to use stickers with less adhesive glue. Now to be fair there are stickers that are not difficult to remove. These ones here have the right amount of adhesiveness which makes removing them not too difficult. But not all stickers are the same. While these small stickers are the right size, these ones in particular are way too sticky. Some have so much adhesiveness that it almost damages the cover when trying to remove it. It leaves residual glue that is difficult to remove. There is no reason for this whatsoever.
The third compromise is the location of where stickers go. I propose that stickers should always be on top of the bar code or right beside it. This causes the least amount of interference with the artwork. There is plenty of space for it to fit. If a store is going to be placing a sticker on the book, they are not going to use the original bar code anyways. They either have their own bar code, or they are changing the price.
Yes, I am aware I could buy all my books online as a way to avoid stickers on a book. But most readers will tell you there is no greater experience than being inside a store and buying books straight from the source. The fun of browsing and finding deals does not compare. Purchasing online also hurts the longevity of bookstores. I don’t want to avoid bookstores or put them out of business. I just want a better solution.
If I had it my way, there would be a universal sticker meant only for books. One that is small and does not leave a sticky residue on the covers. Along with that would be a universal standard on where it should be placed. But who on earth is going to enforce that? In a perfect world, there would never be stickers on books…period. But since we do not live in a perfect world, my message to all the bookstores out there is this. If you love the books you sell, then please treat those books with that same love. Be responsible and respectful with how you use stickers on covers. These books are not blocks of paper; they are works of art.
