The Visual Identity of the Book: From the Renaissance to the Digital Age provides a framework that considers the ‘materiality’ of the book (from printed to digital/electronic), the aspects of the stakeholders in the publishing chain, the traditional and ongoing promotion strategies, reader engagement, and personalized publishing services. The aim of the book is to interpret current issues in the publishing industry and to provide an overview of the evolution of the visual appearance/identity of the book in order to approach and explain current issues and to discuss aspects of visual information and aesthetics of the book.

Other sections introduce promotion strategies, publish policies, and provide a methodological framework that can also be used in the book business.

• Explores the development of the visual identity of the book from the Renaissance to nowadays;
• Exhibits the impact of new techniques as well as of information and communication technologies on publishing;
• Discusses the transformations and transitions of the book (from the manuscript to the printed book, from the printed to the new forms of the book);
• Focuses on the creation of the typology and identity of the book;
• Highlights the role of the stakeholders of the publishing chain;
• Explains older and current issues of the visual appearance and identity of the book
• Comments on reader engagement and personalized publishing services
• Exploits challenges and opportunities for the ongoing “aesthetics of the book” as well as for promotion strategies and publishing policies; and
• Introduces a methodological framework that may serve for both theoretical approach and practical use.