I’ve been thinking a lot lately about cover appeal.
Wednesday, I went to our Borders’ going-out-of-business sale (which makes me sad) and picked up a book for my teenage son. I looked at the book, briefly read the cover copy and bought it. When my son saw the book that evening, he glanced at the cover, which depicted a dystopian scene of apocalyptic disaster (left). He said, “This will work. Thanks.”
Which bothered me a little. I made him read the back cover copy and he repeated that he would enjoy it. Then I thought about it…I’d really done the same thing. Looking at the cover, I knew in a second it was dystopian—his favorite genre. It seemed similar to other books he’d enjoyed—even down to the male and female protagonists on the cover. It made me buy the book, much as I hated to think it.
One of my editors called me about a cover earlier this week. She was preparing for the cover conference for the first quilting mystery and wanted to ask me what the Civil War quilt I mentioned in my manuscript looked like.
I hesitated. “Well, in my head, the quilt wasn’t very attractive. It was just old. How about if I sent you some attachments with some quilts that look similar to the one I imagined? And if it needs to be a pretty quilt, that will work fine. I never wrote that it was an ugly quilt.”
I knew that something attractive needed to be on the cover.
Then I’ve been busily working with a designer for the ebook I’m about to release. She wanted to tie in the book with the feel of the first, traditionally-published book in the series. She used the same colors, a similar font. I liked the simplicity and the humor in the cover. And….it looked good in a thumbnail, which is becoming more and more important.
I still like to think that covers are just a small part of a book’s appeal. In reality, though, I’m not so sure.
How important do you think covers are to a potential reader? What do you think the qualities of a good cover are….and, are these qualities changing with the digital revolution?
As an avid reader who has discovered some of her favorite books and authors by randomly finding them on the bookstore shelf, covers are just important to me as titles and back cover synopsis. Unless I go to a bookstore or library specifically looking for the next book in a series or the newest book by a certain author, I use cover art and titles to find new books.
If a interesting title catches my attention, I’ll pull the book out to check out the cover art. (Or if I see the cover art with the title, I’ll pick it up to check it out.)
Now the cover art has to give me a visual idea of the book’s characters, world, or plot. (Even if I haven’t read the synopsis yet, I still need to be able to tell what the book is somewhat about or at least its characters.) And if the cover looks interesting, then I’ll read the back cover.
So basically if the title or cover doesn’t catch my eye, I’ll put the book back down or simply ignore it. (Of course this “rule of thumb” for me goes out the window if the book is by an author I’ve read before.)
The book you picked out for your son would have been a book whose title and cover art grabbed me, so I would have at least read the back cover.
Elizabeth – Covers really are a part of what makes a book appealing or doesn’t. And the artwork does matter. To me the covers that really make me pick up a book are those that tell me something about it. I also like simple, uncomplicated covers where I can easily get a sense of what the story’s setting, or focus is. Title and Author’s names need to be really clear and in a simple font, in my opinion, on the spine as well as on the front. And I am immediately put off if there’s blurb praise on the front of the book.
Covers are hugely important. They’re like posters or trailers for a movie. I’ve never really had a problem with the idea that covers are important. I love books as a whole package. I want to enjoy the feel of the paper and the images on the cover every bit as much as I enjoy the story.
The cover for “Ashes, Ashes” is excellent. I haven’t read mush dystopian yet, but I’d pick that up and check out the blurb on the back, maybe even leaf through the first chapter. And that’s just based on an evocative cover image.
As much as I hate to admit it, I too am guilty. You simply learn to expect certain things from certain visual cues. We make those judgements in every part of our life: people we talk to, cars on the street, what a house looks like, if a restaurant is clean or dirty when you walk in…so it stands to reason, we’ll judge a book by it’s cover too.
I think covers have always been important and are becoming more important with ebooks. And you’re so right about looking great and being readable in a thumbnail.
I love your covers.
For me, I will buy a book based on cover along (which explains why I’m sometimes disappointed) but I usually know what’s in a book based on the cover alone. I can pick out my favourite genre from afar.
I never thought much about the importance of cover art until I started seeing so many poorly done covers on some self-pubbed e-books. There is a vast difference between something a writer does with no help from a graphic designer and one that has had that professional assistance. And the covers should look professional.
I’ve bought books because of covers before. But then, I buy them for all sorts of random reasons (I went through a phase of reading fantasy almost exclusively, then I found ‘Here be Dragons’, a historical novel mis-shelved in the fantasy section, bought it anyway and have loved historicals again ever since!).
I love the covers for the Memphis BBQ series by the way! I’ve never been anywhere near the US South, but somehow they seem evocative and put me right in that place, like the True Blood credit sequence.
I read novel titles first…I think it’s because I struggle titling things myself so I always appreciate a compelling title. But I know most people look at the cover first, so I think it’s super important to have an eye-catching cover.
However, I can think of a whole bunch of super popular, well-written and engaging novels with not-so-enticing covers (in my opinion). It always comes down to story! If the story is lame, a gorgeous cover isn’t going to help much in the long run.
Look at the covers on you food mysteries. If I see one of those in a bookstore or pictured in a blog, I immediately know who wrote it, who the main characters are, and, most likely, where the book will be set. All this is because I’ve read one book with the same style cover.
Covers are important, not just for attracting new readers, but for catching the eyes of your already-established fans too.
I’ve been following Clarissa Draper’s posts on covers, so have been thinking about them a fair bit. I love your covers and they would make me buy the book because they are CLEVER and they let me know that you are too. I love most of Haruki Murakami’s book covers – especially The Wind-up Bird Chronicle – so gorgeous. It is by Chip Kidd, who has done many fabulous covers – All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McArthy; Snow by Orhan Pamuk. All very different and very engaging. Ah, book cover art – I love it – because it means BOOKS!
By the way, I love the new site you created. How cool. What a great resource.
May-Day_Aura–Good points. That’s sort of the way I use covers, too–sorting the book into subgenres, getting an idea about the book’s contents. Titles are important, too.
Paul–It *is* a package deal, isn’t it? And “Ashes, Ashes” is apparently very good. My son is halfway through and was reading it in the car this morning on the way to band camp. :)
Dee–That makes me feel better! Yes, you’re right–so much in life is based on our perception of things. I guess I shouldn’t worry about getting an impression of a book from its cover.
Margot–Simple is usually really good for covers. I like yours!
Clarissa–Thanks! And thanks for your great series on covers that’s made me think about them more than I usually do!
Juliette–My son has read that series, too! The one about CS Lewis, Tolkien, et al, right?
And thanks! I think the cover artist, Hugh Syme, and the cover designer, Annette Fiore Defex, did a great job with the feel of the American South.
Laura–Oh, that’s happened to me before. I was excited about reading a book that looked really sharp…then it ended up being a let-down. Not fun!
Jan–I’ll pull up some of Chip Kidd’s covers–thanks for the heads-up! And the compliment. :)
Clarissa–Thanks! I’m just now plugging in the folks who have contacted me to be listed for design, formatting, editing, etc. Should be up and running soon!
I may check it out myself, once I’ve gotten through my current reading list. :-)
Hate to say it, but the cover is what catches my eye first. And if it’s not great, I won’t even bother picking up the book or reading further about it. That’s why I’ve been so relieved by my publisher’s cover illustrations for my books. I wanted them to rock, so people like me would pick it up.
Paul–The never-ending TBR list! Ha! I’ve got one, too.
Alex–You’ve got some great covers! And they help you to find readers–clearly shows your genre.
Carol–I’m thinking you might be right. After all, if we’re losing the ability to thumb through a book in a store (samples just aren’t the same for me), then the cover might be even more important to a reader who is trying to decide on a book.
Maryann–I’ve seen some pretty bad ebook covers, I have to say. That’s another reason I’m coming up with this directory–maybe writers can find a designer in their budget that can help them come up with something more appealing.
Joe–You’ve brought up an important point and something that I didn’t think about…the branding aspect of covers. You’re so right…the similar style of the covers establishes the series and author.
I was very shocked when I met my publishers’ sales rep to discuss my very first book and he told me that the cover was more important than the content. It’s taken me years to recover! But from many buyers’ point of view, perhaps it’s true. But covers don’t affect my own buying choices.
Many a time I’ve chosen a book only by it’s cover. I’ve yet to be disappointed.
I can’t say the same about books that have come highly recommended or that I’ve checked out the inside or blurb.
Go figure.
Book covers is the theme this week!
Cover art is really important to me. I love the artwork of yours, Elizabeth. (I love the way my books look because of the artwork.) But it really needs to convey what the story is about. Plain covers with just words or a single image don’t tell me anything. I want to get a feel for the story by looking at the cover.
Martin–I would *so* like to think I’m immune to the lure of a good cover. I don’t think I can say it, though! I bet you were flabbergasted when that sales rep told you that.
GigglesandGuns–That makes me sad! But…you know, I think I could say the same thing. Sigh.
Diane–Who knew? A cover theme for the week! And you’re right–the cover needs to tell a reader something about what they can expect in the book.
Blake Snyder gives two all important things that act as selling points for a movie in Save the Cat: 1) A solid ironic log-line that inspires a vision of the entire movie; 2) A great title for the movie poster which does the same as the log-line.
This equates precisely into the needs of written works as well. Does the one sentence log-line, often the top of the back cover copy, give the potential reader a vision of the entire book? Does the title and cover (the movie poster) give them the same vision?
They both should and they both are key components in connecting with potential readers so that they can discover all the incredible things we’ve put our writing sweat equity into.
Great post Elizabeth. Spot on.
Well I’ve certainly read many a pretty book whose contents weren’t great. At the same time though, I have picked up and opened, even read, books with really ugly covers. And I do mean ugly. I felt awful for the poor author whose book had such an ugly cover when the content was great. I admit a nice cover makes me pick up the book in the first place, but it’s certainly not the only factor, thank God. However, lately the deciding factor for buying books is price, what with the economy here and all.
Here be Dragons is by Sharon Penman and is about the conquest of Wales by England in the medieval period – but I do also have an enormous number of books about Lewis and Tolkien, including Duriez’s ‘The Story of their Friendhsip’, which also has a beautiful cover ! :)
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