tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post5485534825501790759..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: Do YOU Judge A Book By Its Cover? - Liz KesslerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-90200687341127927722014-08-27T17:36:32.015+01:002014-08-27T17:36:32.015+01:00Shallow though it seems, I think I agree that it&#...Shallow though it seems, I think I agree that it's somewhere between a and b for a book or author I've no reason to otherwise like or have recommended. If I know I love the author, I'll swallow the awful cover, but if I don't know the author, I'd avoid the book. <br />A lovely cover, on the other hand, will draw me in enough to read the first few pages and flick throughout the rest of the book/read the blurb,and if the rest lives up to the cover, I'm more likely to buy it. I bought Frances Thomas's ebook, Helen's Daughter, recently, and I'd say the cover was at least 50% of the reason why I bought it. (The other 50% was Kath Langrish's recommendation and the blurb).C.J.Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12288574235370421625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-17239268538534997872014-08-25T10:24:30.124+01:002014-08-25T10:24:30.124+01:00A) Massively important. I am unlikely even to pick...A) Massively important. I am unlikely even to pick the book up if it has the wrong cover. By which I mean a cover that suggests to me that it's not the sort of book I like reading.Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07847390687632715336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-80169284167952400992014-08-25T10:10:37.301+01:002014-08-25T10:10:37.301+01:00It has to be a terrible cover to persuade me not t...It has to be a terrible cover to persuade me not to look further, but it can be done.<br /><br />What turns me off is when the blurb is nothing but a list of reviews, worse still if they are reviews for the previous book. I don't care how many people like this story and I certainly don't care how many liked a totally different one. Tell me about this story. Even if it is non-fiction, tell me what makes it worth reading.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09799125598133377058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-86048154587338707162014-08-24T22:05:55.512+01:002014-08-24T22:05:55.512+01:00Nick, ouch! That was a dreadful pun! :-)Nick, ouch! That was a dreadful pun! :-)Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-39101883963458226812014-08-24T20:28:10.391+01:002014-08-24T20:28:10.391+01:00b, probably, for things I wasn't previously aw...b, probably, for things I wasn't previously aware of. If a book has one of those obviously book-club oriented covers, I won't look at it. If it has a paranormal romance cover, I won't look at it. If it has an unusual or intriguing cover, and the title appeals, I'll pick it up and read the blurb. So the cover won't sell it alone, but the cover can certainly lose a sale.Stroppy Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560035800075465845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-26875214836630016392014-08-24T20:28:04.836+01:002014-08-24T20:28:04.836+01:00b, probably, for things I wasn't previously aw...b, probably, for things I wasn't previously aware of. If a book has one of those obviously book-club oriented covers, I won't look at it. If it has a paranormal romance cover, I won't look at it. If it has an unusual or intriguing cover, and the title appeals, I'll pick it up and read the blurb. So the cover won't sell it alone, but the cover can certainly lose a sale.Stroppy Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560035800075465845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-43613713575897489022014-08-24T15:17:24.268+01:002014-08-24T15:17:24.268+01:00My pseudonymous legal thriller, with a courtroom s...My pseudonymous legal thriller, with a courtroom scene on the front, absolutely tanked... Proving that a book should never be covered by its judge.Nick Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08191176209084540085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-68755532172084667252014-08-24T12:55:01.319+01:002014-08-24T12:55:01.319+01:00Actually, Susan, I once bought my first book by Ma...Actually, Susan, I once bought my first book by Mack Reynolds despite a dreadful cover because it was only 20c and science fiction. And a quick browse inside that told me it was better quality than the cover suggested. But for that price I was willing to take a chance and was very glad I had. I bet you were glad you read Gawain despite the cover! :-)Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-19904050098606341672014-08-24T12:11:51.579+01:002014-08-24T12:11:51.579+01:00I agree with Heather that titles are very importan...I agree with Heather that titles are very important - but, for me, probably not as important as the cover. Cover first - and then if the title's good and apposite, extra brownie points.<br /><br />With your score system, Liz, I'm sort of between (a) and (b). A and a half! A beautiful, striking cover will certainly make me look twice on Amazon, and pick a book up in a shop. - But if I don't like what I read with a bit of browsing, I won't buy it. (But my brother, the artist, has certainly bought books simply because he admired the cover so much.)<br /><br />A really bad cover will put me right off, though. I once had a second-hand copy of Gawain and the Green Knight, which I wanted to read, but couldn't bear to open it because I HATED the ugly cover. (I'd bought it despite the cover because it was only about 20p, but I still couldn't get past that hideous cover.) - And, as others had said, it was partly because the cover didn't reflect anything about a medieval poem. It seemed to be a crude collage of a knight (I think, it was hard to tell) made from dish-cloths. Horrible.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-41525471240496560152014-08-24T11:10:19.377+01:002014-08-24T11:10:19.377+01:00For me, firstly reviews. But if I'm browsing, ...For me, firstly reviews. But if I'm browsing, it's really the title. Especially since most books are only seen spine out on the shelf. (Note: Check that your title is legible on the spine from a good distance!)<br />Heather Dyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16663116147353986746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-86460529383815267472014-08-24T10:33:50.917+01:002014-08-24T10:33:50.917+01:00It's c for me Liz. The cover wouldn't infl...It's c for me Liz. The cover wouldn't influence my decision to buy, but a lovely cover does enhance my enjoyment of the reading experience. What I've learnt from my own recent experience is that it's not so much a question of a good cover as the right cover - the one that says subliminally what the book's promise is, and will appeal to the target reader. Jenny Alexanderhttp://jenalexanderbooks.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-6014599414661149362014-08-24T10:08:19.962+01:002014-08-24T10:08:19.962+01:00Interesting question, Liz.
I am attracted & i...Interesting question, Liz.<br /><br />I am attracted & influenced by covers quite a lot - on kindle, I usually Go To the cover of a bought or sample book to begin, even though the text is the first thing viewable - but the cover is only one aspect of my choice. I also like covers that tell me that this book is like another by that author. <br /><br />Adele mentioned her white cover problem. I had a lovely cover with a dark moonlit interior scene - beautiful in the hand but then a bookseller broke my delight with a sigh and comment that it was a pity. Why? Such covers don't stand out well enough on the shelves to attract passing browsers. Penny Dolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386668303428008498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-23182349921501771172014-08-24T09:57:04.459+01:002014-08-24T09:57:04.459+01:00It's not that a fabulous cover will take you ...It's not that a fabulous cover will take you to the bestseller lists, but an awful one will definitely lose sales. Juliet Marillier's Australian cover for her YA novel Shadowfell looked like that of an old-style Puffin children's book. It didn't sell as well as it deserved to. If she hadn't been such a big nae writer, they might not have published the rest of the trilogy, I'm thinking. But the other two covers were much better. And her fans read them anyway.<br /><br />On the other hand, my children's book on crime has a wonderful cover designed by a top artist and never earned back its advance, for reasons unconnected with the quality of either book or cover.<br /><br />I do know that a good cover will at least make a book more likely to be picked up. Your publisher surely knows that too.Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-61843549259522548412014-08-24T07:33:16.888+01:002014-08-24T07:33:16.888+01:00I'd say important but not crucial! I'd als...I'd say important but not crucial! I'd also add that sometimes what I think is a brilliant cover turns out NOT to be! Eg the cover for the hardback of my novel Facing the Light which was mainly white and matte turned out to be a fingerprint magnet! And I've had dozens of gorgeous covers in my life without troubling the best seller lists! Other things are also at work! adelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15826710558292792068noreply@blogger.com