Fantasy Aficionados discussion
Discussions about books
>
Does a Good Book Cover -Make you want to read it?
You right Donna ,I feel the same way i dislike/hate those urban fantasy covers with their sometimes horrible(As you said "Ass-in-Leather-Pants) cover pictures or art that every other author does most if not all the time with that genre and if that said author his a number of book that are a bad read then it make's (For me) other books with that style of art taboo for me.
Donna wrote: "Bad covers are more likely to turn me off than good ones are to convince me to buy something.Agreed! And I do find myself getting annoyed when covers all look alike, especially when the last book I read with those same unnaturally posed models on the front made me cringe. It makes it really hard to sort the good reads from the crap.
Most definitely! I am an artist and I look at that kind of thing. I feel bad for authors who get gypped with bad covers.
Savion wrote: "You right Donna ,I feel the same way i dislike/hate those urban fantasy covers with their sometimes horrible(As you said "Ass-in-Leather-Pants) cover pictures or art that every other author does m..."Same with me.
Ala wrote: "Book cover buying, or as I call it "oooh, shiny!", has led me to purchase books/series I'd never heard of that I ended up actually enjoying.The Night Angel trilogy comes to mind. I saw it at the ..."
I did the exact same thing. I was walking past the fantasy section and was all "It's white and pretty!". I then read the summary and bought it. Glad I did too.
All I know is that TV or Movie covers are the bane of my existence, i.e. when they change a really awesome cover to promote a TV show or movie.
I hate overly cheesy movie or book cover's that try to hard..period -_-*
Kolonelklink wrote: "All I know is that TV or Movie covers are the bane of my existence, i.e. when they change a really awesome cover to promote a TV show or movie."^^ me, too!
Kolonelklink wrote: "All I know is that TV or Movie covers are the bane of my existence, i.e. when they change a really awesome cover to promote a TV show or movie."OMG, I love your name! Love that show.
I agree with everyone who hates when they change book covers to promote a TV series or movie. It's about the book, people, not the associated media.I really like browsing in bookstores so a pretty cover will turn my head, but probably not induce me to buy something I didn't already want. If the cover caught my eye, and I like the description of the book, since I don't read reviews, then I'll probably jot it down to check out of the library later.
I must admit that i do judge books by their cover, mostly when i am looking for a new book to read when i have run out of books from my favorite authors. The cover catches my attention and makes me curious enough to read the back cover. If the back cover is good enough, I may read a few of the first pages.
Pauline wrote: "I did the exact same thing. I was walking past the fantasy section and was all "It's white and pretty!". I then read the summary and bought it. Glad I did too. "
I'm glad I'm not the only one :P
I'm glad I'm not the only one :P
Nah, I think we all get distracted by shininess :)
I don't know what you're...oooh, pretty!
Yes.....definitely, a Book Cover compells me to ready just as much as the book itself. I know we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover...but truthfully, I do. It's what compells me to pick it up and look at the back cover to see what the book's about. And similarly,that's how I first got attracted into seeing the third installment of the Chronicles of Narnia. When I saw a picture of the dragon like shaped boat called "The Dawn Treader", I figured I had to go see the movie "Chronicles of Narnia" Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Donna wrote: "Bad covers are more likely to turn me off than good ones are to convince me to buy something.One thing that bugs me are overused cover art trends (for example, those urban fantasy "ass-in-leather..."
Agreed! A good cover won't really tip me over to buy a book if the title/plot aren't interesting, but a bad cover ("ass-in-leather-pants", front-and-center manchest, etc) will certainly make me more reluctant.
Intresting, a book cover is like the first impression of a person. Does it count? Yes. It is often wrong? Yes. But when exploring literature, a good book cover calls me to the book. I discovered Brandon Sanderson when I spotted a dazzling image on the cover of the hard back version of Warbreaker. I might have opened the book otherwise. Then again, I might not. I didn't read the book because I said "oh, shiny" but I read the book because I said "oh, shiny. I'll see if the story is as intriging as the cover."
Covers definitely catch my attention, and make me pick up a book to check what it says on the back cover or inside flap. But if it's a book or a certain author that's already on my want list, I don't really care what the cover looks like.
I feel like a cover has more power to help or hurt a new/lesser known author.
Beautiful covers will sucker me in and slap me around... and I will LIKE IT. *hangs head in shame*However I recently was given a kindle and now book covers aren't my deciding factor. Now it's SAMPLES... evil evil evil samples that tease me into buying a book that isn't on my list!
Totally agree, E.K! I was just asked by a self pub author to draw their coverart for them. I was rather flattered! I really want to do a bangup job for them in hopes that it'll help their sales
Absolutely! I didn't know you were an artist. Ya learn something new every day!
Lol...somewhat ;) I drew up our artwork here at FA that you see on our homepage :) I have far better examples though and truth be told sculpting is my first love
That's awesome! I wish I could create fine art of any kind. Alas, I am limited to stick figures and birthday cards.
lol..stick figures have their place in the world too. Once upon a time when I was still a romantic, I would draw little stick figure caricatures on notes and leave them for my former significant other.
Awwww :) now people don't even leave notes anymore.
I consciously know that a cover does not make a book, but as a school librarian I know that covers can attract or repel people and I know that I am not immune from this. The blurb is greater deciding factor for me however.
Agreed. The back cover copy is generally the deciding factor of whether or not I'll open up to the first page (of something I've never heard of). And surprisingly, there are so many really horribly written blurbs!
The front cover is meant to catch the eye so that a prospective reader at least picks the book up to have a look at the back cover. Established authors usually just need their names prominently displayed somewhere on the book cover.
I would love to see more of the fantastic type covers. I love the idea of getting a glimpse of the world inside the author's head...but it only really works with both the author and the artist work well together.
As an artist I ALWAYS react to the cover and an interesting cover WILL tempt me into at least picking a book up.But... it still comes down to whether or not the book sounds interesting to me. I will read the back cover, the front blurb, if there is one, and often, several pages of the book itself.
But I DO love those pretty covers! -grin-
Cover art can really mess up a book as well. If, IMO, the art has little or nothing to do with the story, it's always nagging me in the back of my mind as I read, trying to discover the relevance. Not a good thing IMO.And lets not even get into multiple covers for the same book. (as I do just that)
I can see that for different countries, sort of, but otherwise feel it is a cheap attempt to trick people into buying the same book again. (yeah, I've done that a time or two when I was in a hurry.)
Then there are covers that make you go hmmm.
Relevant or not relevant? Does it matter?
The covers for the new 'Samuil Petrovitch Trilogy' by Simon Morden are pretty interesting. Bright spines and black and white Op Art. Cool design and really catch my attention.
(I was/still am a huge Op Art fan in college)
I do hate "collector" covers. I'm not collecting multiple copies of the same dang book! Give me one cover to "ooohh" and "aaaahhhh" over and I'm happy.I also hate non related covers - or covers that are in clear violation of the written text. One that drives me totally INSANE is the covers for Kushiel's dart series:
I love these books but the dang tattoo (marque) that is VERY obvious in all there covers DOES NOT MATCH THE WRITTEN DESCRIPTION. It's not big enough (tall), it doesn't have the droplets of red in it, it has that huge rose that is way too big considering the tattoo is supposed to look archaic.
/rant
MrsJoseph, I had the same problem with those covers. The tattoo described would have been much different. Yet, If you go to Carey's website, she has picture after picture that fans have sent in of their tattoos. Almost all are replicas of the cover, not what is described. Are they crazy?!
Laurel wrote: "MrsJoseph, I had the same problem with those covers. The tattoo described would have been much different. Yet, If you go to Carey's website, she has picture after picture that fans have sent in..."
I thought the same thing. Why would you get the tattoo and not get the real tattoo?? Yeah, I get that it would be more expensive to pay someone to actually design the correct tattoo but this is your body... come on!
I agree with that. The ones described in the book, both Phedre, and Alcuin's, sounded so beautiful, definitely not a big black rose looking thing that a bunch of people have tattoos of big and small. I'd like to see awesome, truly artful renderings of them.
I'm not a big fan of having a clear picture of characters on covers (especially when they ignore the descriptions in the book).
I completely agree. I read a book once where the heroine was described as having short curly blond hair, and the illustration on the cover was a girl with really long red hair. I was like, whoa, did the artist even get a description to go by?
Having attempted to read Kushiel's Dart a few years ago I have to say I'd much rather just look at those lovely covers.
Kit★ wrote: "I completely agree. I read a book once where the heroine was described as having short curly blond hair, and the illustration on the cover was a girl with really long red hair. I was like, whoa, di..."Maybe they just had that picture laying around and wouldn't have to pay royalties...
Tracey wrote: "I'm game -but I don't have a copy of the book anymore. Anyone willing to transcribe the description?"Really??! You'll try and draw them?? Cause if you do I will go home, get my copy, and type up both descriptions. I think a truely artistic version (which would fit the idea that the man who created them was Master of his art) would make the people who cheaped out cry in shame.
I kinda like multiple covers. If I am particularly crazy about a group of books, I do like to collect many versions. I even have some in languages I cannot read. I know it is insane but I've reconciled myself to it. This is only for a few authors however. Additionally, as a school librarian, I particularly like it when new titles are given to old books because then the kids will pick the books up. Watercolored covers of the 80s just do not attract kids. A new flashy cover and the book can be hot.
I can't stand looking at most of the new covers for kids' books of my youth. They're usually so ugly and boring. Kids aren't as dumb or as tasteless as you think.I mean, does anyone really think this
is better than this?
Alcuin's marque:“Of course the designs are highly abstracted, but a trained eye can pick out the underlying forms, and I soon saw many in Alcuin’s. Elegant scrolling at the base suggested a mountain stream, and the slim, supple trunk of a white birch rose upward, a fine pattern of birch –leaves twining about it and crowning it in a delicate spray at the finial. The lines were strong but the colors subtle, soft greys and charcoals that would echo Alcuin’s unusual coloring, with the merest hint of a pale green along the edges of the leaves.”
Phedre’s marquee:
“It was bold, far bolder that Alcuin’s marque. With some effort, I recognized the underlying design, which was based on a very old patter, the briar rose. Somehow Master Tielhard had kept the dramatic vigor of the archaic lines, yet infused them with a subtlety that spoke at once of the vine, the bond and the lash. The thorny lines were stark black, accented in only a few choice hollows with a teardrop of scarlet – a petal, a drop of blood, the mote in my eye.”
Scott, Judy Blume is exactly who I was thinking of when I mentioned the cover changes. Apparently, 10-year-olds think the new cover is better than the old one. :) Judy Blume was totally stagnant on my shelf until I ordered the new covers. Same with Ramona. Even before the movie. And The Hardy Boys...etc etc etc.
Fantasy Aficionados
Books mentioned in this topic
The Sword-Edged Blonde (other topics)Magic Bites (other topics)
The Lions of Al-Rassan (other topics)
Iron Kissed (other topics)
Dead Witch Walking (other topics)
More...
One thing that bugs me are overused cover art trends (for example, those urban fantasy "ass-in-leather..."
I agree. I often skip over books because the cover, title, etc is just too familiar. Been there, done that. I like it when there get creative and make it their own.