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Friday, October 28, 2011

Cover Up

There is a very interesting article here about book covers.  The author, a bookseller, writes about how hard it is to sell a wonderful book if the cover is horrible.  Her solution?  To have publishers work with book sellers to create covers the buyers want to see.  She discusses the trend for covers to be populated by white girls wearing gowns, quite often walking in nature.  There have been a lot of covers like that lately, and honestly I’m a little over them.  I don’t hate them, but I’d love to see something different, something that stood out.  Of course I think most of these covers have been for the YA audience and that age group does tend to be a little trendy.  I guess if they keep selling the publishers will keep using it. 

Despite the fact that we have a time honored saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” we do.  For me the cover is not final reason I will or won’t buy a book, but covers are what catch our eye, or don’t, as we walk down the aisle in the book store.  It definitely plays a big part in marketing. 

Do you have a favorite or least favorite cover?  I tend to like covers with landscapes on them. 

10 comments:

  1. I TOTALLY judge a book by it's cover! I really loved the big dress covers, but I can't believe how many books have them now! Variety is the spice of life, people.

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  2. I like a fancy dress too but I agree about the variety. Mostly it bothers me when it has some fancy dress or Victorian woman on the cover but that has nothing to do with the book. I think it's a little misleading.

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  3. I like covers that at least have some resemblance to the genre and the story within, but when it comes down to it, it's the title and back cover blurb that sell me.

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  4. FWIW, I designed the covers of my two devotionals--selecting the graphics, fonts, and arrangement. The Christmas one really draws the eye.

    For other books, I'll look at anything, but read the inside. ; ) Covers don't really make me read the book or not.

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  5. Widdershins, Titles! That's another killer.

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  6. Zan Marie I like the covers of your devotionals. You did a good job.

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  7. I love your covers too Zan Marie.
    I don't think I pay attention to covers. Sort of. The only time I think about it is if there's a cover that's faintly embarrassing. Like reading Jo's book on the train to work. I kinda didn't do it...

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  8. I TOTALLY buy books based on covers. TOTALLY. At least, that's a major factor in getting me to pick it up.
    I guess, later, it's all descrip, but it's the cover that makes me pick it in the first place.

    Also. I SWEAR I posted a comment on this post already, and it's not here. Blogger is up to mischief again . . .

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  9. Jolene, sorry Blogger ate your comment. That happens to me sometimes too but usually because I forget to hit post.

    I'm glad I'm not the only one swayed by covers. I'll pick it up just because of the cover too.

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