Judging a book by its cover.
Do you do it and to what extent?
I know this isn’t a simple question, but try to think of how much weight you give to the cover. If a book has a horrible cover, do you even click to read the blurb?
If you do click to read, do you do it with an open mind or does the book already have a strike against it?
Yes, the visual of an amazing cover can draw us in, but can it also repel you to the point you will not give it a chance?
I understand this is an open-ended discussion that can be debated until the cows come home so to speak, but try to simplify it.
For me, the answer is not so much anymore. Before I started writing I was a judge a book by its cover person 110%. I wouldn’t even look at any other information. I tapped out before I even started. However, now that I have been writing a while and understand the costs of covers (pic, fonts, design, etc.) I am a lot more forgiving. And in not judging by the cover as much, I have found some hidden gems. Books I would’ve never glanced at twice have turned out to be amazing. Yes, I am still not immediately drawn to bad covers and skim past. But I tell myself to stop for a second. I give it 10 seconds or two lines. If their opening hook or few lines are good, I keep reading the blurb and more often than not, end up buying it.
So, what about you? Do you give shitty covers a chance?
Question of the Week
One Comment
Kyla Orinick
Does a pretty cover sell a book? No. Great blurbs and amazing authors sell the book. That said…Book covers usually do matter. Spicy books deserve spicy covers. However, recently I’ve realized spicy isn’t always defined by a sexy man/woman on the cover. Sometimes, an artfully arranged vignette is sufficient.
Whatever is chosen, it should reflect the characters. I often go back to look at the cover while reading to fuel the imagery. This is my post-purchase habit.
A beautifully laid out cover might catch my eye as much as an author’s name that I happen to love reading. It’s also the book’s name for me. If the name of the book doesn’t tell me something catchy, I won’t click into it. It doesn’t have to have both the sexy photo and a catchy name. It just has to have one or the other.