Lettered cover hook

Define

The cover is the hook, and the hook is lettering: a title treated as an image.

Mechanism

Type as bait. The words are drawn so they stop the hand before the contents are known.

Verdict

A journal, book, or issue must sell itself on a rack or a feed with almost no body copy.

Don't

The sale depends on a demonstration or a price. Beautiful type over a weak issue is costume.

Copy skeleton

[DISPLAY TITLE: lettered]

[ONE SUPPORTING LINE]

[VISUAL FIELD: spare]

[ISSUE / OFFER MARK]

Gulf note

Arabic display type is an advantage if we commission it. Do not auto-flip a Latin script and call it a lockup. The letter is the image.