I’m always looking for something for my 7th grade son to read. He gobbles books up instead of savoring them. And—he’s a picky reader. He’ll read 30 pages and, if he isn’t grabbed, he’ll look for something else to read.
I was relieved to discover there was a popular fantasy series, Discworld. And that there were 37 of these books (which are extremely popular in the UK.)
I decided to pick up the first title at the library to make sure my son liked it before investing a lot of money in the series.
It took a little while to work through the library system, but I picked up a copy a couple of days ago, told him I’d heard rave reviews, stuck it in his backpack, and sent him off to middle school with it.
He came home and said (only half-jokingly), “Did you want me to be laughed at all day in school?”
The book’s cover? It was pink.
This wasn’t something I’d even noticed, of course. But it was—hot pink. That might not bother a secure guy in college…but a 12 year old boy?
Which made me wonder. Why would a publisher’s art department sign off on a cover that would turn-off one segment of readers automatically? Aren’t many fantasy readers young men?
Looking online, I found other editions of the first title in the series in non-pink colors. :) I’m planning on getting one.
Authors don’t really have a say in their covers. I’ve felt really appreciative when I was asked my opinion on my last couple of covers. It’s a nice courtesy. And, fortunately, they were great.
No, we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover. But do we? Are we influenced as buyers and library patrons by book covers? If we see a really standout cover, is there something inside us that assumes the story must be just as good?
And, Discworld fans—don’t worry. I know how awesome that series is supposed to be. He’ll try the book again.
I love Discworld (the Guards books and the Witches are the best), but Pratchett’s “Nation” and his “Wee Free Men” are even better. I laughed, I cried…
At least here in Oz, most are available with tasteful black covers. I agree that the other versions, usually with crazy colored drawings, put me off from reading them. I’m a sucker for a pretty cover, but, in the end, I always buy based on the story inside.
(BTW I finally received “Pretty Is As Pretty Dies” and can’t wait to read it! I like the cover AND the first page)
Discworld is amazing but I wonder if some of it might go over the head of a seventh grader – it will still be an amazing read anyway. Most of my Discworld books are in loud, bright colours and I like that because so many fantasy books are dark and it makes my shelves look bleak. The Discworld books stand out from the crowd but I can imagine a young male probably wouldn’t appreciate it so much.
I loved Discworld when I was a kid! Great pick :)
I don’t know too many kids who DON’T judge a book by the cover. They’re so aware of others looking at them, they almost have to be :)
I’m guilty of judging books by their covers. Maybe not judging so much as being drawn to them in the store or online, especially if the book is by an author I don’t know.
When I made my decision to independently publish Buckley’s Story rather than going the traditional route, cover design was definitely a consideration for me. I had some pretty strong ideas of what I wanted. The cover was professionally designed, but with my input – and the designer far exceeded my own concept and expectations. I’m such a control freak that not having control of my cover would have been hard for me to deal with my first time out!
And I, too, love the cover for Pretty Is As Pretty Dies – I bought it because I wanted to read your book after following your blog for a while, but it would most definitely have intrigued me if I’d seen it in a bookstore.
I’ve always found “don’t judge a book by its cover” self-defeating as the cover is integral to our attraction towards a book.
For example, I wanted to read “The Wretched of the Earth” by Frantz Fanon for ages, but the cover was a grainy shot of a poverty-stricken African. So I shied away.
When I did read it, it was brilliant. Point is, everyone judges books by their cover subliminally, so it’s pointless to pretend otherwise. Sometimes we have to strain really hard to overcome our hatred of a really naff cover.
I am definitely drawn to a more artistic cover. Bright colors don’t bother me now that I am a writer (at least, I can call myself among this understanding community!), but when I was just a reader, I really didn’t want attention brought to me. Now I understand I am also a marketing tool for the writer…Which brings up an important question about Kindle- which I’ll have to blog about soon!
Michele
SouthernCityMysteries
Elizabeth – I do get influenced by a book’s cover, but not as much as I get influenced by the blurb on the book. I’m especially put off by covers that are really graphic, I must admit. But I’m quite biased towards books with gnomes on the cover, especially hatchet-bearing gnomes ; ).
The book cover is usually what catches my attention. I tend to pick up the “catchy” books first and then browse the not so catchy for the blurb on the cover to see if I’d like it. I have overlooked books before because of their cover, only to read a synopsis later and love the book.
I’ve seen books that have two different covers and I wonder if that’s way.
Book covers are the product’s “package.” In much the same way Procter & Gamble uses packaging to attract the eye of the consumer, publishers use book covers. A good cover can mean an awful lot towards a book’s sales (and ditto for a bad cover, in the negative).
I said it before, and I’ll say it again, “Pretty is As Pretty Does” has a great cover.
My son used to read voraciously, now he’s nineteen and no longer does. Where did I go wrong?
His head is for his cell phone, girlfriends, laptop, and nothing else. A phase? One can only hope things will change back to what they once were, (at least in the reading department.
Covers definitely are what draw me to a book when I’m in a bookstore. And it’s one of the benefits of self-publishing- you have total control of the cover. I love the cover on your books, Elizabeth. They match the wonderful story and characters.
Karen
I bought a YA book for my daughter for Christmas that was a weird lime-green color with no illustrations and very plain text. I’ve already forgotten the title, but I remember the description sounded great. Still, had I picked it up myself when I was twelve, not sure I would have wanted it. For your son’s sake, I’m glad you have found a book with a different cover. It’s childish, perhaps, but covers do influence our perceptions–perhaps one of the reasons teachers have their students cover their textbooks ;)
Oh, and I think there is a Discworld movie, too. Not sure if it’s available in the US, but worth investigating! Terry Pratchet also wrote a book called Hogfather, which I haven’t read, but it’s reported to be fantastic and very popular (also a movie).
Aw, that’s tough! Glad he’s going to give it another shot, though. I’ve never read the series, but it sounds pretty good.
I have chosen books solely for their covers, especially when I’m choosing between two authors I’ve never heard of before. I don’t like to read more than a line of the backcover because I want the story to completely surprise me, down to the characters themselves. I want them to appear as they do instead of me expecting their arrival. So I guess covers do play a huge role, but only if I have no other information on the story or the writer.
Pink? No, someone wasn’t using their brain that day at the office…
Be thankful your son reads! My nephews (now both out of high school) hate to read.
I very much judge a book by its cover. It was difficult for me to learn I’d have little say in deciding covers for my work. I’m glad your experience went well.
~ Wendy
Covers are very important because so many people DO get grabbed by the image and judge by appearances. That being said, buying a book only for its cover is a little like buying a bottle of wine because the label is attractive. Thanks for the tip on Discworld – got a 1o yr old grandson who loves to read – I’ll check it out.
Marvin D Wilson
I used to have a difficult time keeping my daughter supplied with books because she went through them so quickly. Now that she’s grown, she keeps me supplied with books. It’s great!
I do tend to judge a book by it’s cover even though I know it has nothing to do with how good or bad a book might be.
Haven’t heard of Discworld, but then my kids are older.
Considering the pink book you put in his backpack, your son is quite wonderful to give the book a try!
I have to admit, covers do influence me when I’m in the bookstore.
Helen
Straight From Hel
Yeah, I’d say pink HAD to be a bad decision there. I know a lot of fans of Disc World, the vast majority of whom were introduced as teens and that is an age SUPER sensitive to perceptions. (You’ll have to let me know what your son thinks–I’ve been debating when to get them for my son-a 6th grader, but was warned he was probably a little young)
As for ME judging… I’m sometimes drawn to covers, but the ones that turn me OFF tend to be the ‘beautiful people’ that many are drawn to. I want to read about more realistic characters and honestly prefer to use my imagination a little to conceive of them. Doesn’t help that it seems more ‘people’ covers are romance–not my genre.
Admittedly bright pink on a book cover would of been off putting to me. I tend to get drawn in by covers.
That’s being honest.
I think publishers miss a huge marketing point, when the cover of a book doesn’t exactly represent the storyline well. If the story is haunting and horrifying – a happy themed cover doesn’t exactly work.
In any case, I’m crossing my fingers when it comes time to cover a book of mine, I can breathe easy. (Hugs)Indigo
Lorel–Are those different series by Pratchett? Maybe I should get them as well?
I hope you enjoy “Pretty!” Myrtle is…different. I hope you’ll like her.
Elizabeth–At nineteen, he’s probably just done with it until he’s out of college. I didn’t have any time to read anything but the literature from class, I remember!
Cassandra–It might. Does it have a lot of subtexts? He’s read things like the Lord of the Rings, but there is action in those books (and a few boring parts. He skimmed those, he said.)
Jemi–He’s made faces before over some of the ones I’ve picked out. The best is when he LIKES a book with a crummy cover. I feel like he’s realizing that we can be surprised by a book.
Ingrid–I think you’ve got a great cover. And I think it’s challenging to take GOOD pictures of cats–mine don’t want to cooperate!
M.J.–It’s so true that we are *conditioned* by the media, I think, to go for particular products, books, etc. I’m like you–if I’d seen a grainy photo on a book, it would have been a turnoff. I’m glad it ended up being such a great read. Wonder how much better it would have sold with a good cover?
Michele–That’s what I wonder, too…about the Kindle. My book is for sale on Kindle, but it’s got the same cover (Amazon just lists it separately.) My large print edition has a TOTALLY different cover.
Margot–Aren’t you nice! I was *so* surprised when I saw that cover. And tickled. I thought they were going to focus on something else, so the humorous approach delighted me.
Diane–I read this article about teens and books. It found that if *parents* were active in finding reading material that suited their teen, they’d continue reading. But that teens don’t have the tools to figure out what to read, themselves. Of course, if I keep messing up with my son, that may come to an end!
Mason–I wonder about that, too. I bet you’re right. And sometimes there are different covers for US vs. UK releases.
Wendy–I’ve heard some horror stories from friends of mine. But there was nothing they could do. And their books didn’t sell. They saw it coming…
Alan–Which is why I’m so glad we’re with Midnight Ink. They REALLY get it. Berkley is very good, too…they seem to know what sells there.
Marvin–Now THAT is a great analogy. And I’m guilty of buying wine bottles with funny labels. I wasn’t impressed with the quality of the wine. :)
Jane–I’m looking forward to that day!
Helen–I was amazed that he continued reading it during the day. I guess once everyone had noticed it, he just stubbornly stuck with it?
Karen–Thanks! And you’re right…that would definitely be a benefit for self-pub–being able to find the perfect way to represent your book to the world.
Hart–I’ll let you know. Right now he’s still irritated with me. :) Yeah, it’s ALL about the perception right now, with him. I guess that’s normal.
My most unfavorite type of book? The pretty-people-with-problems books. :) You and I have that in common, I think!
Indigo–What I’ve heard from other authors is that it can depend on the clout your editor has at the publishing house. Since the art department/marketing sometimes do their own thing, your editor is really your representative there at the publishing house. That’s when you hope your editor has friends in the art department, has clout at the publisher, has been there a while, etc.
Carolina– It definitely is childish! I guess it’s human nature, though. I’ll have to check out the movie! Thanks for the tips on the books…I’m heading out to the library this morning before the winter storm gets worse.
Of course I judge books by their covers. Jeesh. And men by their shoes (puhleeze – no socks with sandals) and apples by their skins and perfume by its smell and love by the nice shiny look it leaves in my eyes! I judge dancing by my toes, bread by my nose and friends by the laughter in my belly.
love, Jan
ps – I adore your book cover beyond all reasonableness. I’d like to get a poster of it!
Some covers do turn me off. If the book is by an author I don’t know, I might put it back without reading the blurb. 50/50 here, depending on the title. If the book is by an author I know, cover doesn’t matter to me. Sometimes not even the blurb matters if I really like the author’s work.
I look at the cover, but I am more captured by the title. I’m not sure why.
Oh and Elizabeth – a pink cover? My son would have disowned me at that age. Now, I think he would wear pink, it wouldn’t bother him at all. :)
I had to laugh at this …. when I was in the 7th grade I was just as concerned what others thought about the books I read as the book itself. I started reading action and sci-fi books at that time and stowing my Hardy Boys books in a box in the garage.
Stephen Tremp
Looked up Discworld, I’ll have to tell my sister about it. My nephew reads a lot, and we are always looking for new books for him
Like you, I order several books from the libary to try them out, or I buy them second-hand (not having any idea which edition I will get), but when I have a chance to browse books, I certainly judge books by their cover, and a pink book wouldn´t tempt me the least. I would think chicklit, not crime, and give it a wide berth.
Uh, yeah. Hot pink covers for a 12-year old boy are a no-no. I wouldn’t care so much now, being all secure in my masculinity and stuff, but 12-year old me? Instant mortification.
And the Discworld series starts out just plain funny, then takes a turn toward true satire in later books. It’s a brilliant series. You should read it too, good lady.
I never paid much attention to covers until I had to deal with them for my books. I’ve liked some better than others, but ultimately, I hope it’ll become my name on the cover, and not the art, that sells the book.
Then again, there are cover types I’m not attracted to — the cartoonish covers of chick-lit, or the cliche ‘heaving bosoms’ that still show up in romance from time to time.
My cover for When Danger Calls is very ‘non-romance’ and I wonder sometimes who might be inclined to give it a second look. But because you have to order it from customer service in the brick and mortar stores, or Amazon or other on-line venues, I figure it’s not likely to be a deciding factor.
The art department for Nowhere to Hide, my August release decided to go with a ‘hot’ cover. I really had no say other than to request a tweak of contrast so my name stood out against the background. I consider the book a police procedural mystery with a romance sub-plot, but the publisher is a romance publisher and wanted to emphasize that.
“Nation” is a one off, and the three books “Wee Free Men”, “Hat Full of Sky” and “Wintersmith” go together. The latter 3 take place in Discworld, but they’re self contained. They’re some of my all time favorites. Hope he enjoys them!
Jan–I told my husband that I would have a full-scale intervention if I ever saw him in socks and sandals! He says he’d NEVER do such a thing. Well, he says that now at 41. We’ll see how long that lasts!
Thanks for the compliment on the cover! I don’t even know the artist’s name…everything I got from them was signed the “Art Dept.”
Stephen–Now THAT is funny! I think I did the same with my Nancy Drews. I moved on to Agatha Christie (who is fantastic, of course), but I missed Nancy.
Carolyn–The sheer number of books alone made the series interesting to me. If I can get my son hooked, we’re golden for a while!
Simon–I’m thinking about reading it. I keep hearing really good things about it.
While your entire post is interesting, as usual, Elizabeth, one part caught my attention and wouldn’t let go. You wrote, “…he’s a picky reader. He’ll read 30 pages and, if he isn’t grabbed, he’ll look for something else to read.” Wow. Now here’s a challenge. Do you have the courage to try him as a first reader for any of your works??? (Grin) Talk about brutally honest feedback. Bet you’d get it. Please, don’t let him see anything I’ve written.
Best Regards, Galen.
Imagineering Fiction Blog
Carol–It’s almost like we’ve developed a trusting relationship with the author, isn’t it? I’ll read a book by an author I like, even if it has a really crummy cover.
Galen–Ohhhh, no. He’d never last 30 pages into *my* book. :) Well, he’d like the dead body on the second page, but then he’d be disappointed in the lack of action following the beginning.
Teresa–I think he’s thinking about disowning me. I really didn’t even notice! I must have been in Laa-laa land that day.
Dorte–Well, and that’s another thing. I don’t *usually* read chick-lit….”Nanny Diaries” was an exception. If I see something that looks like chick-lit, I don’t even pick it up. It’s a very quick look-over, very quick dismissal. I wonder if I’ve accidentally missed out on some good reads that way?
Terry–And we have to go with the flow, I think. I’m with you–maybe one day it’ll be our name that’s the draw and covers won’t mean quite as much.
Would you consider changing publishers over something like that? The fact that you want the mystery aspect emphasized and they’re interested in the romance? No, you don’t have to answer that on the record! But it would be something to think about.
Maybe I’ll get “Nation” as well as the first of the Discworld books, then. Thanks, Lorel.
I definitely judge a book by its cover, when I’m shopping for new work. When I’m at the library looking for classics, I don’t. It’s only the new stuff that gets my critical eye.
Perhaps because in this day and age, it matters to both the shopper and the publisher? If they can’t fork over the money for a good cover, how good could the book be? They know the public wants an attractive cover, and if they can’t even manage that, I have to wonder what else they didn’t manage.
(Shame on me though!!)
Corra–I think the same thing. If the publisher didn’t invest in the cover, why should I invest in the book?