Oh, La La

Good morning and welcome to Monday Blogs. Today, we’re going to be discussing cover art. This won’t be the usual discussion, but one I picked up on while cruising through Facebook one day and happening across a romance author demanding to know why all other romance authors were picking a certain type of man to use on their cover art.
What type of man you want to know? Well, instead of the scantily clad females, or women in dresses so low one had to assumer we were to assume these women were about the be bedded by the strong man firmly gripping them, we are now being assaulted by another type of cover in the romance genre.
First of all, I do write romance. I don’t select covers with people on them for a very good reason. It’s rare that I’ll find a cover I feel portrays my story when the people are holding onto each other so tightly you can’t see daylight between their bodies. Honestly, take a look at most romance covers. They’re very much the same. Oh, the models used in the pictures might change a bit, but other than that, there’s one theme very prevalent in them. You, the reader, are to assume this couple will have the usual break up, fighting all the time, get back together and more than likely end up in a bed type romance. The  kind of romance stories that have sold well since… well, since books have been published, I guess.
Those covers seem to have run their course, until a year or so back a new type of cover hit the stock photo sites. In this picture, we are bombarded with bare chested men. In fact, the use of this type of cover—the strong, man with a hairless, deeply tanned chest—bats his eyes or stares at the woman while she’s swooning into his arms. Where once scantily clad women were firmly gripped by men, we’re now seeing scantily, depilated men pretending to be the strong savior of the woman in need. Or it could be the woman rescuing the man with a hairless chest. These types of photos are especially prevalent among the outdoors set romances.
First of all, a rugged cowboy or any man in a traditionally male profession usually doesn’t get into the current fad of removing all of his body hair. Most think that’s not how they want to portray themselves. They certainly don’t want people thinking of them in this way and that they would pose such as those men are on the covers of romance novels.
Secondly, what someone thought was a cute way to show men romancing women has now become overused that it’s pretty much all you see when you search for a new romance to read. As a reader, I’m fairly certain it gets old fast for you to have to look at covers that are pretty much the same and decide on which book you’ll buy next.
In other words, guys, put your shirts on when the photographer suggests taking them off. Authors, you need to be more original in your cover art. Instead of following the current trend, go for a cover that speaks to your story. Find one with a background that’s important to your book. Forget the people. Let the background of wherever your story is set be the invitation for a romance where they aren’t already shown what the characters look like and can find that out in your carefully crafted descriptions.



About K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond. game when plotting a new story.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:  
Facebook 
Twitter 
Website 
Goodreads 
Amazon Author Page 
Google + 
Pinterest 
Manic Readers 
AUTHORSdb 
Readers Gazette 
Authorgraph 
Email