When NovelPosters first launched on Kickstarter and then on Facebook and Twitter, I was intrigued. An entire book or Twitter feed in the shape of an iconic image? Words as images and images as words? I’m so in!

I spoke with Minesh Govenji, a designer who has been instrumental to the project’s development, about the decisions and processes behind NovelPosters and where they plan to expand in the future.

Who designs the posters?
I and a few other designers contribute to the designs of the posters.

How do you decide what image to emphasize?
We try to select iconic images that capture the feel of the works and that can stand on their own as captivating designs. For books, it could be depicting a scene; for the Twitter feeds, it could be an object or an act, in the case of the Shaq poster.

Have you considered different colors than your current black-and-white scheme?
We have thought about adding some color to the mix. Look for a new design soon that will be more than just two-toned. It’s neither a book nor a twitter feed, but we’re very excited about it.

Have you heard of these guys?
Yes, I have heard about Postertext and seen their work. Some of their posters are amazing in the way they depict each novel. We have expanded the idea of us using text, from books to Twitter feeds to other forms of text.

Are you only doing books in the public domain? Have you considered working with new authors as a promotional tool?
The Great Gatsby is not in the public domain, but we have secured the rights from the publisher. We’re working on getting the rights for several other more modern books as well. We’re always on the lookout to support current authors and their new works.

Metamorphosis and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are new posters on the site – are there any other new designs coming down the pipeline? Are customers able to request certain books?
We’ve designed the promotional art for San Francisco’s One City One Book program, which features Mary Roach’s very excellent Packing for Mars. Although you can’t directly request books, you can influence our decisions by letting us know what you’d like us to do next.

How many have you sold?
We’ve sold over 500 prints but we’re just getting started.

What’s your most popular poster?
Of course The Great Gatsby is by far the most popular.