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Wednesday, February 24, 2016

UNDERCOVER MYSTERIES

Have you ever bought a book because of the cover?  Have you ever rejected a book because of the cover? Deciding on the perfect cover for your book can make or break your sales. I know traditionally published authors rarely get to choose their covers and I've seen some strange choices.

One of my favorite authors had a few titles reissued. It was a medieval historical romance set in Scotland. So why were Texas bluebonnets gracing the cover? If I hadn't already been familiar with the book, I would have thought it was a western.

Another well known author did have a contemporary western set on a ranch outside Houston. Some editor, probably in New York, designed a cover of a cowboy riding his horse down a dirt road along side a ranch house with beautiful mountains in the distance. Huh?  The nearest mountains are over six hundred miles west in Big Bend. These were obviously somewhere in Colorado.

I have to admit, I've put down a book because of cover models who look like teenagers. Who wants a hero who looks like he's fifteen? Even the guy who is prettier than the female model turns me off. Yeah, I know, everyone has their preference.

The sad thing, is, these authors had little or no say in these disastrous covers. I hope it didn't affect their sales, but prolific readers know what's right and what isn't.

With e-publishing, you at least have a little control.  Of course, a professional cover can cost quite a bit. Is it worth it? Readers are quirky. Many do judge a book by its cover.

Choose wisely, ask friends and critique partners, the hope for the best.

5 comments:

  1. Great post, Brenda. Hard lesson to learn when I first went indie. I went the cheap route and had some bad covers I've had to replace with professional covers. Of course, some of the covers for my traditionally published books were awful, too.

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  2. Good advice. Personally, I'm turned off by cover boys who have abs that can only be obtained by spending hours at the gym, but I may be in the minority on that!

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  3. That's what I love about being an indie writer-- choosing our own covers, whether we make them or buy them and being sure they do fit the characters and setting. :)

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  4. Love your post--especially about the mountains near Houston. I've seen that in movies too. *LOL*

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  5. Loved your post and used it as a stepping stone to my own tomorrow. Smaller ePubs don't give you a choice. What they give you, you better love. Larger pubs do put out more effort to please the author. Great post!

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