that I will be reviewing and hosting a giveaway of tomorrow. Margaret is guest posting as part of her Pump Up Your Book blog tour. 
Why Book Covers Are Important
Everyone knows that old saying, You can’t tell a book by its
cover. Maybe not, but almost everyone
has bought a book simply because of its cover.
So covers are very important.
They are your book’s calling card to the world. Like that old ad for a
perfume, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” the cover
is your book’s first impression and if it gives a bad or misleading one, then
it’s stumbled right out of the starting gate.
There are fads in covers.
You can date a book’s publication pretty accurately by the type of cover
it has. Presently the fad is for what I call partial bodies. A couple of feet dangling off a dock. A bust in which the picture stops at the
neckline. A head turned away, with a twisted
swan-like neck. A part of an arm. I hope this fad fades away soon because…I
don’t like it. It doesn’t make me want
to read the book, which is the objective---and the only objective---of a cover.
Another fad that seems to be creeping up is using a photograph
of a model rather than a drawing or art work.
It makes the book look like a movie poster, although maybe that’s the
point. If it crowds out the partial body
cover then it will have done its duty.
Covers serve as shorthand to signal what sort of book they
cover. A house with a porch (sometimes
with a rocker or a swing or potted plants) means a domestic drama. Enormous, plain print means a thriller,
usually of the political type. A
muscular man clinching a peasant-bloused woman (the main variation being
whether the man was on the left or the right) used to identify a romance novel,
but that’s changing somewhat. Crime
novels often feature large print and a misty figure in the background, or maybe
bare-branched trees. Chick lit has
cartoon-like line drawings.
Certain authors have their own ‘brand’ covers, which are
recognized by their ardent fans. Janet Evanovich has a multi-color cover with
big letters and no art work. In general, the bigger the author, the larger the
name and the smaller the title, because what people are looking for is the
author’s name and they couldn’t care less about the actual title. Sidney Sheldon once said, in answer to a
question about the title of his new book, “What difference does it make? Just call it ‘Sidney Sheldon’s New Novel.’”
Authors have very little say about their covers,
unfortunately. But sometimes we can sway
the publisher, especially if we provide a good alternative suggestion. So, be vigilant and always ask yourself: If I
knew nothing about this book, what would I expect on the basis of this
cover? Does it say what I want it
to?
About the Author:
.
Margaret’s research has taken her from the
islands of Scotland to the temples of Upper Egypt, with experiences that
include snake-keeping and gladiatorial training.
She lives in Wisconsin and Washington
DC. Interests include reptile
conservation efforts, Middle Eastern dance (aka bellydancing), and archeology.
