There are many reasons for a book to appear on the reader’s agenda and to be read. Of course, we mean that it is mostly related to the books of unknown authors who are not yet known by their readers. Although those who are known, who have readers, and followers, do not need to know as much about their book as others, there is still a need for promotion, advertising and other things so that the book will be introduced and people are informed about it.
We can ask whether the author is first known by her/his book or the book is known by its author. In my opinion, firstly the book introduces its author and thanks to her/him, the book becomes famous, it becomes a brand in its own field. After that author becomes famous in her/his own field, she/he becomes sufficiently recognised in the field of creativity, has a readership group, this will be good for the book, and it enters the agenda of the critics.
Let’s consider that if the author is unknown, not popular, not known by the around many factors like publishing house and publishers, editors, promotions, advertisements, signing days, panels, etc. come into play to be informed about their books. For example, the publishing house and the publisher have a decisive and dramatic role in the publicity of a book. If they are known and the book that has been published is with a brand the reader immediately develops trust in that book. Even the editor, who is regarded as the author’s partner, ensures that the reader’s attention is drawn to the book. All these are important factors for the good of books and authors.
The name of the book, the cover and graphic, the writing on the back cover that shows its summary or give an idea about the book, even the font size and the characters of the letters affected this. Form and content should not be forgotten. Even if content is important, the form is the packaging of the book and observing and finding a place in the heart of the readers.
I appreciate the design, graphics and layout of the book. The books that are successfully prepared according to these, make it easy and enjoyable to read. They appeal to the eye as well as to the sense of aesthetics; as they say, what the eye sees is what the heart feels. The pages full of text, the texts that are mixed, no space between the lines, selection of the fonts and characters as small are some of the reasons that makes the reader cold, scared and tired of reading. For this reason, the pages should be readable. Also, the spacing of the text, the spaces above and below it and especially the spaces on the side of the book are very important. If these spaces inside the book are small, it would be an obstacle to reading. This wouldn’t not touch the heart of the readers.
Especially in the last few years, we still have publishing houses which have been doing a good and professional job in these fields. This mobilisation has a positive effect on the purchase of their books as well as on the recognition of the authors, the language and the market for Kurdish books. In addition, this attitude is to respect the readers. Instead of merely criticising the interests of Kurdish readers, they should act responsibly in their field, do their job well, and promote their books in various ways, including informing their target audience.
I do also criticise these publishing houses. They have many deficiencies, especially in terms of language and editing, and spelling of books published by them is not the same. In my opinion, this is because they lack professional editors who are not masters in their fields. When we say orthography issues, we mean the existence of apparent problems. There are some issues on which there is no complete agreement, this is due to the fact that we do not have an orthography standard, we should not ignore this.
Once again, it is the publishing house and editors who recognise a book, believe in it and bring it to people’s agenda. As we said at the beginning, it is the editor who fixes the book, cleans it of its flaws and defects, and gives it colour and appearance. Therefore, their role in this field is important. Publishing houses also makes the book visible and prominent with its graphic and cover design and page layout, opens up space for them with different activities to promote the book and authors in their fields, and expands their field of view.
At the beginning of the 1990s, Kurdish books, especially those with Latin alphabet, were rare in the North. Therefore, as a person who strove for Kurdish books, when I got a Kurdish book, I didn’t drop down from my hands and read. But I am not like that now. Except for books relevant to my field I chose books for reading now. The number of Kurdish books have increased and I cannot read every book. That is why I am selective. Sometimes the book forces me to keep silent because of various spelling issues. But I resist and don’t allow the books to close their page on me. On the other hand, I pay attention to every aspect of the book, even if the publishing house is unknown, I also look at who they are. However, when the publishing house is known, I do not see much need for details. When the author is unknown, the reference is the publishing house and people trust them for the value and quality of the book.
Publishing is a commercial activity, so they must provide their books to the readers that are also their buyers.There is nothing wrong with the marketing of books, and both publishing houses and authors should benefit financially from their labour and the market for Kurdish books, they should also get a return for their books.
If we talk only about written books, reading gives us mental satisfaction. The appearance and style of the book give us an aesthetic sense.
This article was translated by Betül Demir
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