Book covers

Perdita · Post by **Perdita** » Fri October 10th, 2008, 11:06 pm

Wow, EC's experience is a bit scary; not just for authors, but for readers too who might well be missing out on new HF just because of the proposed book cover!
It's sad to think that the publishing world has become so shallow that literary merit is secondary to the packaging of the product. I know that it's business but it's sad all the same

xiaotien · Post by **xiaotien** » Fri October 10th, 2008, 11:37 pm

i'm not sure i feel the same way.

i don't know about anyone else, but
i DO judge a book by the cover. it really
has to grab me -- at least a new author
or new genre -- for me to pick it up.

so would it be strange that publishers
want to have covers that have proven
to sell books? and wouldn't authors want it, too?

yes, it's what's inside that matters most
(the story), but as a soon to be published
author, i'd be sad if no one picked up my book
because of my cover.

Perdita · Post by **Perdita** » Fri October 10th, 2008, 11:56 pm

I agree that the cover is important since, in most cases, is tells you immediately what the genre is. I just think it's a bit petty for a bookshop to turn down a novel simply for not having the cover du jour
There are lots of different styles out there and I can spot an HF book from 10 miles away even if it doesn't have a girl with half a head on it! (Nothing wrong with that, of course!) The book covers with half a girl's head tell me that the book will be of a certain type.. a bit romantic but adventurous and I'm a sucker for them. But as a fan of the whole genre, I'm looking for story first, book cover second.
I can understand the businessmen's point of view but don't agree with it

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Sat October 11th, 2008, 3:41 am

I'm a cover snob. Its true. I was taken in by The Luxe because it was pretty. I think art is a huge factor in book sales (unless you already have a name for yourself).

pat · Post by **pat** » Sat October 11th, 2008, 5:33 am

How I feel about the half head HF covers, is that my mind can fill in the gaps. The gown is irrelivant as long as it fits the time, but I can put in the face, the features even the hair. That is how I like it: to use my imagination.

OK, it brands all HF with the same format of cover, but they are all different. They use a variety of colours and fonts, but on the shelf you can tell it should fit your reading bill.

Anita Davison · Post by **Anita Davison** » Sat October 11th, 2008, 1:45 pm

I designed my own covers and the reason why I didn't want the faces showing was when I read a novel, I like to picture the heroine in my head. Whenever I see a face on a book cover where this has been 'done for me', somehow I don't connect with the character in the same way. Especially if she is wearing 21st century makeup!

Tapper1 · Post by **Tapper1** » Wed October 29th, 2008, 9:30 am

Personally, I think, as an author, if HF is written about a specific historical character that has had contemporary paintings or sculptures created of them, then, in the spirit of acknowledging that this individual whose life was so amazing that you want to write about it, one should find a picture that is true to that character.
I was fortunate enough to have a say in the front cover of my first HF novel about Julius Caesar, and we played around for ages with various designs but nothing seemed to capture the essence of the man. Then I saw a statue of Caesar at the Louvre in Paris and just knew that "This was the one". It embodied everything I knew about the man, and, whilst the statue was created much later than Caesar's time, it was apparently copied from an original.
The picture stands in all its glory on my front cover. Nothing more and nothing less. I love it for it's simplicity. No amazing graphics or fantasy drawings...just Caesar, and the many favourable comments I have had regarding the cover proove to me that I made the right choice. My next novels will follow the same vein. Simple and honest. A true portrait of the individual.
If you are interested in seeing the picture it can be found on the website
http://www.Destinyschild-gaiusjuliuscaesar.com

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Wed October 29th, 2008, 9:44 am

[quote=""Tapper1""]
The picture stands in all its glory on my front cover. Nothing more and nothing less. I love it for it's simplicity. No amazing graphics or fantasy drawings...just Caesar, and the many favourable comments I have had regarding the cover proove to me that I made the right choice. My next novels will follow the same vein. Simple and honest. A true portrait of the individual.
If you are interested in seeing the picture it can be found on the website
http://www.Destinyschild-gaiusjuliuscaesar.com[/quote]

It's good that you are pleased with the cover Tapper, and that it embodies your view of Caesar. Covers are so important for that initial reader pick up. They also add to the ambience and feel of the reading experience as a whole - and the writing experience. It's not good to put heart and soul into a novel and then be given a cover that doesn't do it justice.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Wed October 29th, 2008, 1:36 pm

I do admire tho some of the red and black cover designs from the 50s (not on HF I don't think) that were very dynamic and fun to look at. I do often pick a book first based on a cover if I am browsing, so something unusual or stunning is going to get my interest. These new ones don't really, but I understand popular they are. As long as they aren't the old bodice ripper covers, I'm fine with most covers.

Spitfire · Post by **Spitfire** » Wed October 29th, 2008, 4:25 pm

I do believe the headless women (or partially headless) covers are quite beautiful. I always find they catch my eye if I am scanning the new releases! Who doesn't think a slim woman's body outfitted in a fitting bodiced period dress is attractive? I mean, isn't it every little girls dream to be a princess or at least dress like one?