By Morgan Mandel, guest author
I believe you
can and should be able to tell a book by its cover. However, for various
reasons that doesn’t always happen. Unfortunately, there are perfectly
wonderful books out there which go unnoticed. That’s because their covers don’t
match what the author delivers.
The books that
are noticed are the ones with covers that promise readers exactly what they’re
looking for, with no guessing involved. In this fast-paced world, most readers are
looking for instant gratification. They want to know immediately if a book is a
genre they like. If they can’t tell right away, it’s easy enough for them to
pass that one by in favor of another which fits the role.
My romantic
comedy, Girl of My Dreams, is
still my most popular book. I believe I owe that mainly to its cover. Without
it, the book would not get a second look. From the girl’s outfit, right away
you can tell it’s a contemporary novel. From the girl’s jaunty pose, and the use
of pastels, you can guess it’s a lighthearted read. Yes, there are tense
moments in the story, but all in all, I believe the book lives up to readers’
expectations.
For my romantic
suspense, Killer Career, I chose black
and red colors. The girl’s expression is grim. She’s holding file folders,
which hints at her occupation as an attorney. I could have reinforced the
romantic element by placing a couple on the cover, but the focus of the story
is on the mystery or thriller aspect.
Now, some
authors think it’s a good idea to mislead readers by enticing them to read a
book which turns out to be quite different than its cover. That might work in
the short-run, but it’s a very bad idea. Readers have good memories, and will
remember the deception. A torrid love scene on a cover emphasizes hot romance. Vintage
clothing hints at an historical setting. A kitten and a cute building might
promise a cozy mystery. You get the idea. The point is the cover should match
what’s inside.
Can you think of
novels with great covers that live up to their promise? Or, maybe some that
don’t?
Thanks for
hosting me today at Smart Girls Read Romance!
Morgan Mandel
 |
| Morgan Mandel, Author |
Morgan is a
former president of Chicago-North Romance Writers of America, and former
library liaison for Midwest Mystery Writers of America.
Her ever
popular Girl
of My Dreams, is a reality show romance; and her more recent romantic
comedy, Her
Handyman, features a handyman, a rich, quirky artist, and a crazy
canine whose toy lands in the toilet. Morgan’s presently working on a sequel to
Her Handyman, called A Perfect Angel.
Morgan’s
romantic suspense, Killer Career, about a lawyer’s dangerous career
change, and Two
Wrongs, Morgan’s debut mystery, are both set in Chicago.
For all of
Morgan’s books, see http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com
and her Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/morganmandel.
Interesting blog! I never thought about the cover of a book being the deciding factor. The cover "grabs" you and the story "feeds" you. I will pay more attention to covers in the future!
ReplyDeleteI admit to being guilty of first looking at the cover, the going further!
DeleteThanks for inviting me to your blog today, Caroline!
ReplyDeleteMorgan Mandel
Good points. I look at at covers but it's the blurb that hooks me or not. A great cover is a great draw, however. GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie
ReplyDeleteIf I cover doesn't match the blurb, I often pass on a book.
DeleteGood point on covers often being the deciding factor on willingness to read! I think I'd add "Smart men read romance" as well. Romance novels are far more diverse and interesting than what most men give them credit for.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, many men don't give romance novels a chance.
DeleteThe cover definitely grabs my attention first, along with the title and genre. Then I'll check out the blurb and first page or two. You're right Morgan, that it must all fit together to get me to buy it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing - your covers are great!
Stephanie Queen
Thanks, Stephanie!
ReplyDeleteMorgan,
ReplyDeleteI look at the cover, but never really thought about it being genre specific. I'm more of a blurb,and a couple of pages person.
Unless the cover is inappropriate, we can usually tell what type of book it will be, as far as genre. Whether it's good or not requires a bit of reading!
DeleteCovers draw me in or turn me off. I'm a visual sort of person--I need to see something to make it interesting. But Morgan, go to Amazon's Top 100 paid books, and you won't see many good covers. Most are downright ugly and don't tell me a thing. So, how do they get up there? Still, I have a firm believer in the right cover. You're right.
ReplyDeleteCelia, that's very strange. I'll have to take a look at the top 100. Most be another secret I've missed.
ReplyDeleteHi Morgan! That old saying about "Don't judge a book by it's cover" is out the window, these days, isn't it? With all the social media and electronic books, etc. the cover is the first thing people see, even before the title, a lot of times, or the author. Like Celia, I'm a visual person, and I need to see it. I knew a woman one time who only liked dark-haired heroes. I loaned her a paperback book of mine with a picture of a blond guy on the front of it, and she called and asked me if I would mind if she took a sharpie and made his hair black. LOL I said, Sure. Whatever works. LOL
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post!
Cheryl
Another old saying - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Chery!
DeleteOh, for sure! LOL
DeleteHi, Morgan. Fancy running into you here. I've always thought your cover for Girl of my Dreams was perfect. It's fun, conveys the story, and is memorable--everything a good cover should be. I love looking at book covers, and I too think you should be able to judge a book by its cover.
ReplyDeleteI thought I'd comment on men reading romance. A lot more of them do now that they can do it on an ereader so others don't see the covers. I actually have a lot of men readers, and I get emails from them.
Interesting observation, Joan. I hadn't thought of that aspect. When my new publisher created new covers for my novels that reflected a Vintage cowgirl theme, I was afraid that I would lose my male readers. But maybe I won't! Thanks!
DeleteGood post, Morgan!
Hi Joan, I'm glad you like the Girl of My Dreams Cover. So far, it's my favorite, probably because readers seem to really like it! About men reading romances, I wouldn't know. My DH only reads Facebook!
ReplyDelete*LOL* And my husband only reads industry-related stuff and listens to audiobooks like Lee Child, et al.
DeleteThis is something that I had to consider with my last novel as I branched into yet another genre. Love your books and this one describes it perfectly.
ReplyDeleteMorgan, I SO agree! The cover must match the book content or your reader will feel cheated. (Yours does!)
ReplyDeleteI'm a freelance editor, and I work with a lot of authors who agonize over the artwork for their books. A badly composed cover can really turn off a more sophisticated reader. In my opinion, it's worth the money to hire your own book cover artist if your publisher doesn't use people who can do it the way it should be done. I love a good cover!
ReplyDeleteCover art is extremely important. I agree that it's wrong to mislead readers. They know what they want to read. Our books have to represent honestly to build the right readership.
ReplyDelete