Editorial design, collective cultural and imaginary rhetoric: book covers of contemporary Chinese literature in Spain

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the design of book covers of contemporary Chinese literature published in Spain. Starting from the fact that the cover of books is a visual discourse for its persuasive purpose, our research adopts cultural Rhetoric as a theoretical framework in which the dialectical relationship between editorial design and sociocultural context is emphasised. The review of the covers of Chinese literary works translated into Spanish highlights the profound influence that the collective imaginary exerts on the design process. To establish criteria for the evaluation of designed covers, in addition to aesthetic and persuasive considerations, it is necessary to incorporate professional ethics and social responsibility as an indispensable principle.