When looking at the biography and memoir section in a book store, among the multitude of choices, the most current celebrities face is displayed on a glossy, eye-catching cover – “Why Not Me?” by Mindy Kaling is front and centre of the store. However, when looking at a virtual bookstore I noticed that the first choices that come up are the award winners, the CEOs choices and those that tell a touching, deep and often upsetting story. They are often less about the celebrities and more about historical, cultural or inspirational events in which people are telling their version. They are not the latest releases but those that the public have voted their favorite.
I have chosen to look at the marketing of “Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, And Life’s Greatest Lesson” by Mitch Albom. The cover does not have an air-brushed perfect face on the front, nor is it a blindingly bright colour like many of the covers I saw in the book store. Instead it is pale yellow, with the title central in blue and terracotta writing and a quote in the top right corner: “The runaway bestseller that changed millions of lives”. The subtitle of the book and the quote give the impression that it is going to be a heart-felt memoir filled with inspirational and emotional moments. The line “and life’s greatest lesson” highlights that you are going to learn something, possibly on an emotional level or from the use of “old man” and “young man” about your connections with relatives and other people that surround you. For me the importance of the simplicity of the front cover gives an indication that it is not going to be a drama filled, sympathy evoking struggle but more a touching story about two people and their relationship.
The blurb allows the reader to relate to the book through the use of the word “you”, it lists a series of examples in the first sentence of people whom you may be able to identify a similar connection to Morrie and Mitch, such as “a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague”. This personal connection along with the rhetorical question “Wouldn’t you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?” invites people to learn from the book, to discover what they can learn, how it can change their perception of the world.
The jacket of this book is a true indication of the inspiring story that truly touches you, allowing connections to be made to similar relationships in your life. It is a New York Times best seller and has been named “an elegantly simple story” by the Tampa Tribune, a “gift to mankind” by the Philadelphia Inquirer and a “timeless classic” by the New York Times.
Image source: Indigo Books and Music inc. – https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca
