The Ultimate Romance Question: Shirt or No Shirt

Shirt or no shirt?

Seems to be the ultimate question among my romance author friends.

On the cover, do people like shirtless men, or models with shirts?

When one considers statistics, shirtless men covers sell more. Check out this report here that shows some interesting numbers when it considers covers and sales numbers.

Certainly, in romance, covers with men sell more than couples, women, or scenery (per the previous report's statement).

But the question always returns about shirtless men or not on the cover. I believe when writing erotica, the bare-chested man sells more. But what about sweet romances, paranormal, or inspirational? I believe that most of it depends on the genre, because the cover is supposed to convey the overall theme of the novel to the reader, first and foremost.

But even in non-erotic genres, why are the sales so much higher on books with bare chested men on the cover?

Perhaps the age-old mantra is still in full effect: sex sells.

I certainly understand the appeal. And some of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen have the shirtless, ripped male model on the cover. One of my dear author friends has her entire brand around the washboard-abs hotties on the front. They sell like hot-cakes! (Pun intended).
For me, it's not an automatic turn off with a bare chested man on the cover. But it's not an automatic one-click buy, either. My romantic suspense novel, Prince of Solana, has one smokin' hot man on the front, but he's completely clothed. *swoon*

What are your thoughts? Do you like bare-chested men on covers? Why or why not?

Susan Sheehey writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance. She's a strong advocate for autism awareness and acceptance, and includes the element of water in all of her novels. She lives in Texas with her husband and two boys. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, BookBub, and join her monthly newsletter on her website for updated information and prizes!