If these were the books in front of you, which one would you choose? Uh — you’d have to read a few pages or the back cover copy if there was any. What happens when you can’t judge a book by its cover? Because you know we all do. Today Carole Howard tells us her own cover story and about covers old and new.
Please share some of your favorite covers in the comments!
Amy xo
A Plain Ol’ Cover Story
In a recent nightmare, I was wandering around a bookstore. I wanted to get some idea of the kind of covers I’m drawn to, since I was going to be working with a designer on the cover of my upcoming Best Seller. (I said it was a dream, didn’t I?) Plus I wanted a couple of books for summer reading.
I wandered over to the “Staff Picks” table because that’s where I’d found some treasures in the past, probably because the owner/staff were women and we seemed to have similar tastes. But…..wait a second! All the books looked the same.
There must have been 60 or so books on that table, some old favorites like “Bel Canto” and “The Color Purple,” and some unknown nuggets. They all had cream colored covers with black Times Roman titles and authors. No pictures, no colors, nothing to indicate genre. Talk about a blank slate!
Time to wake up and be glad it was a dream.
And yet, in France, covers used to be just that way. Cream covers. Simple titles, though not always black, not always Times Roman. Elegant. Luscious, even. And while most of their covers are now just like the ones we’re used to, a French friend told me those old-fashioned plain-vanilla covers are coming back. Curious, that.
I don’t think the authors would want it that way. Don’t you want the cover of your book to lure potential readers like the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the next room? That’s what I want, to invite potential readers in by giving them some idea of what they’ll find.
I can only imagine the publishers (or the Academie Francaise, the on-high guardians of everything French) thought it was a way to discourage readers from judging a book by its cover. It’s a worthy goal, I guess, like school uniforms preventing kids from judging others by their clothes.
Mais, non, I say to the Academie. It’s not about judging a book by its cover. It’s about
persuading someone to take your book off the shelf, knowing from the cover that it’s about someone just like her, flip through it a bit before deciding whether to take it home to read. Then she can judge it.
It’s not surprising that I dreamed about book covers, since I was in the throes of re-designing the cover of my first novel, ABOUT FACE. The original cover was beautiful, stark, dramatic. But it didn’t give the reader enough of an idea of what she’d find. I wanted the cover to show some of the story, a bit of the atmosphere. Working with a designer was an intense exercise in deciding exactly what part of the story I wanted to portray. (Thank goodness it wasn’t not my job to figure out how to portray it.)
In a previous life, I taught business writing. If someone’s thoughts needed clarifying because their writing was contorted, confused, and complicated, I’d ask: “If you had to boil your message down to one sentence, what would it be?” The question often resulted in a whole lotta squirming; working with the book designer felt like those students’ revenge.
“Well, there’s the whole ‘doing well vs doing good’ aspect of the story.”
“Or, wait, it’s also about the power of women’s friendships.”
“How about middle-aged identity crises?”
“Got it: Corporate executive on the outside, Peace Corps Volunteer hollering to get out. Yes, that’s it.”
While it would have made my life oh-so-much easier if my cover were the default cream color with elegant title and author, in the end, I wouldn’t have been satisfied. I wanted my cover to say to browsers, like kids at a swimming pool to their mothers, “Look at me, look at me, look at me.” And, of course, “Buy me, read me.”
So, do you?
Read more about Carole and her books on her website.
Who wants blank book covers? Not I! Having a blank book cover is like placing an empty canvas in front of an art gallery and expecting every passerby to walk in to find out what type of art is inside. When I see a cover with a knife dripping blood, for example, I can say with confidence, “Nope, I’m not in the mood for that!” Plus, book covers are a form of art, and for a creative person like myself, they only add to the reading experience. When I look through my old books, I always get a nostalgic feeling by looking at the covers. Last thing–I promise. For an unpublished author, looking at a beautifully finished book cover can be so motivating! I can’t wait to hold my finished book in my hands. I would cry rivers if it had a plain cream cover!
I like for the cover to be part of the experience, whether I’ve written the book or am reading it. That being said, if I can see people’s faces on the cover, I’m less likely to buy the book. I want to be the one who decides what they look like. I love your cover, BTW.
I love, love luscious, seductive book covers, of which yours is one. I have a book coming out next year and am already wringing my hands over the possible lack of control over the cover art. First impressions are everything. Go figure the French. 🙂
I’m sorry, but I need a pretty cover. I judge books by two things: 1) Genre and 2) Cover. That’s what catches my eye and helps me to decide if I want to jump in and go for a swim. It’s a face for your book.
Great post; I’m reminded continually of how much I use cover art to filter through new potential reads (on Goodreads). I agree — covers are key to opening up a reader’s curiosity.
This is a topic I’ve thought a lot about over the last few years, first, when I worked at an independent bookstore and now, as I’m about to jump into the scary waters of querying. What I’ve noticed is how derivative a lot of covers are. Hope I don’t step on anyone’s toes here–how many covers have you seen that are mostly the back of a woman’s head? Yes, it’s a beautiful image, and I suppose it suggests that her face will be the one we see as we read the book, but it seems to me using this same image over and over could get the books mixed up instead of making each stand out.
I most definitely would NOT want plain cream-colored book covers for all books. I don’t believe it’ll ever happen. I don’t think I’m in the minority when I say my eye is initially drawn to a book’s cover then I turn it over and read the blurb. Then I buy or don’t buy. Those are the two things that prompt me to buy a book, IF I don’t already love the author and know I’m going to enjoy reading it no matter what.
How timely! After 9 days I have just signed off, accepted, the work produced by my cover designer. Although a pleasurable process, I could not help but hope each day was the last but tweaks just kept coming and coming. The bucks stops with me so I hope I have gotten this right.
Dee, I love the art gallery comparison. Yes! You’d never go into a gallery with a blank canvas in the window. Ditto re cover with bloody knife. Actually, Dee, I agree with everything else you said, too (especially about crying rivers if my book had a plain vanilla cover), so I won’t keep saying “ditto.” Thanks for the comment.
Lizk (hope I got your name right), thanks for the vote of confidence in my cover. If I’m allowed to say so, I love it too!
Densie, thanks so much for saying my cover is luscious and seductive — two of my favorite adjectives. As to “Go figure the French,” don’t get me started! Of course, there are many things about France and the French that I love, but then again……
Thanks, Melissa. Yes, I filter choices by the covers, too, even though I’m often not even aware I’m doing it.
Thanks, Christina. Interesting, your point about derivative covers. An opposite “problem” is that some books have many editions, each with a different cover. (Try looking for Moby Dick, for one.) If you saw one edition, it might appeal to you; if you saw a different edition, you might never consider that book. Yet, they’re the same book. What’s the message here, I wonder?
Patricia, I obviously agree that “I most definitely would NOT want plain cream-colored book covers for all books.” I also don’t think it will ever happen. Thank goodness!
Your cover is bright and intriguing. I would pick up your book. Ironically, decorating magazines are often showing bookshelves with cream colored covers–but that’s AFTER the selection made in the bookstore. Beth Havey
Thanks, Beth — so glad you like my cover. And I didn’t know that about decorating magazines. I guess their bookshelf photos need to be composed for color, not for hints as to which ones to read. But of course you’re right — those photos show books already selected.
Such an interesting discussion here. I love your cover, Carole, because it’s so different–and evocative. I’ve had to go back to my cover designers a few times because they always seem to want to make the cover look “happy,” which to me doesn’t really indicate that there’s a rich, emotional story between the covers. My newest cover is my favorite–I felt like the designer really “got” the sort of family mystery I like to write, with darkness as well as light. Nice post. Can’t wait to read your book!
I agree that a cover whose main point is to be “happy” can undercut emotional complexity. Glad your designer got it — a family mystery with darkness as well as light certainly sounds like a rich emotional story. And thanks so much for your comments about my cover. I love that you think it’s evocative, because I was really going for that. And I hope you like the book, too!
I know exactly what you mean, Lauren, when you say that the process was pleasurable but you hoped each day was your last. Congratulations on being done!
Though your cover is lovely Carole – and I confess my two covers are pretty much grab-me-please! – I do LOVE French bookshops and the feel of the paper and the uniformity of it all. But then I was brought up wearing a school uniform that had a pleated tunic, stockings, a tie, gloves and a boater hat – in sizzling Australia!
Thanks, Catherine. (And I love your covers, by the way.) Love the image of you in your school uniform — especially the boater hat — in Australia!
“A face for your book” — ooh, Caren, I love that. And, obviously, I agree!
I’m with you, Carole! Give me a good cover, a back cover blurb that hooks and it’s off to the races. 😉
Thanks, Zan Marie. We agree 100%!
Good follow up to my post on choosing books by first lines / first paragraphs. Covers are so important — they’re billboards for the product and draw the eye, and hopefully, the fingers to open to the first words (or the back cover blurbs), and from there the first paragraphs and then, of course, the cash register!