The cover is probably one of the most discussed and debated aspects of a romance novel. Some readers want the artwork to accurately depict the hero and heroine (little to ask—but it seems rarely accomplished) and, of course, whether or not you want to be seen out in public with it. With the latter, I’ve been reading romances for too many years to care about that anymore.
To me, the cover has one function: to make me stop; pick up the book and read the back blurb. So in a completely unscientific survey, I went to a couple of bookstores, a supermarket and a used bookstore to see which books caught my eye.
First is author name. Heck, if the phone book said “by Laura Kinsaleâ€, I’d buy it. All of us have our auto buys and recommendations. But let’s go the step beyond this. We just want a good read and we’re browsing.
Surprisingly as I conducted my survey, I realized how important color is. So color becomes the first test. Foil, particularly in a jewel tone, will always catch my eye—Mary Balogh’s Slightly series is a good example.
I rarely read contemporaries unless it’s written by a specific author. Yellow, not cream or gold, but a clear yellow, seems to be a hallmark of the contemporary. So at my initial glance, yellow is automatically ruled out.
At the Used Book Store, I kept coming back to Stef Ann Holm’s Pink Moon. The cover was of a harbor and a lone boat at twilight. The colors were soft violet blues and pinks with magenta lettering. It was different from most of the other books and stood out.
The next thing is the actual artwork. I don’t care if the characters on the cover resemble those in the book. Once the book is purchased, to me, the cover is irrelevant. I don’t like it if the artwork closely resembles another cover. It is too easy to mentally dismiss the book as one you are already familiar with.
While I’m not a fan of the clinch, I don’t care for the mundane innocuous covers either. Give me the original half clad Fabio of Kinsale’s Flowers from the Storm or The Shadow and the Star over the boring landscape covers of the re-releases.
Speaking of Fabio, while he has become a cliché now, the original cover of Kinsale’s Prince of Midnight, which in 1990 was the first romance cover to feature just the hero, was breathtaking. And still a good drawing of the hero will get my attention (no, he doesn’t have to be half dressed—see Loretta Chase’s Mr. Impossible).
I want the artwork to tell me about the book. Is it a contemporary? Cartoon figures indicate a humorous contemporary or chick lit type. Flowers can go either way.
Occasionally, the artwork can give the wrong impression. At first glance, The Lady Lies by Samantha Saxon looked like a contemporary. If I hadn’t been doing my research, I probably wouldn’t have bothered to read the back blurb. No, it wasn’t a contemporary but one with Regency spies (one of my weaknesses). It’s now in my TBR pile.
On Katie MacAlister’s Trouble with Harry, there was a Top Hat and cane-it looks like a contemporary about a magician to me. But it is a historical.
So in general that’s what catches my eye in the first few seconds. Think about it, what is most important on your list when you’re browsing the shelves?
No related posts.
When I browse bookshelves, anybook with its cover “out” will catch a glance. Then, if the artwork ‘grabs’ me, I’ll pick up the book and read the back blurb. The front tables, where all the new hot books are face up almost cause a visual overload — as if too many elements make them all a blur. In that case, unless it’s a book I’m specifically looking for, the cover elements really have to work overtime to make the book stand out. Often, the author’s name, prominently displayed, makes a bigger impact than the illustrative art.
Cartoon covers stand out the most for me, which is only one reason why I’m glad that my books have cartoon illustrations. (You’re on target. I write romantic comedy.) I love my covers and get tons of compliments from readers who do, as well. (Despite All Keyed Up being nominated for worst cover at AAR.) The artist captured the hero’s “What the heck do you think you’re doing?” attitude and the heroine’s, “Out of my way, I have a dream to fulfill” stride. She initially thinks the hero is a scruffy Florida Keys maintenance guy. That’s why he looks like that on the cover. The upcoming book has land crabs on the front cover and a stuffed tarpon fish on the back.
I believe these elements will make people stop and think, “What the. . .?” If a reader looks for more than two seconds instead of scanning over the book, that’s a plus. If, as you said, the pause leads to a pick-up and read of the back blurb, then the cover has done its job.
Color is important here as well. I’m more likely to be grabbed a nice wash of blues to violets or some shade of green than anything else, since those are my favorite colors. Anything of a darker shade, or a good mix of dark & light will also catch my attention. Oh, and being able to clearly read the author’s name and the title is a HUGE plus. If I can’t read the words from where I’m standing, then I tend to ignore the book totally.
Next is the designation on the spine, if it’s not faced out. I like historicals and paranormals first and foremost, but don’t really like straight contemporaries as much. Despite the color, if it’s a straight contemporary, I won’t pick it up.
If it’s faced out (unusual at my normal bookstore), I want people on the cover, regardless of what they’re doing. I actually like clinches since they usually indicate steamier stories. But I’m reading for the H/H and their relationship, so having someone on the cover just unconsciously confirms that for me.
The author’s name has to be on my “to buy list” or the book came highly recommended or the title has to be really intriguing for me to pick up something with a landscape, floral spray or other non-person cover. While I do like books with those covers, I’m turned off by them because it’s unconsciously telling me that the relationship isn’t important. That’s a big hurdle for me to get over when I’m buying books, even though I know it’s probably silly, that’s the way it connects in my brain.
My least favorite covers are the cartoon ones. I find I actively avoid looking at cartoon covers and, yes, on occasion, discovering a book that’s been recommended as a good read has a cartoon cover will keep me from buying the book. I don’t like light romances, you see. I want the deep angst and emotions and turmoil in the relationship and those covers promise me that I’m not going to get what I want, so I avoid them.
Thanks for the question, Sandy. I’m realizing that covers give me unconscious promises for the book that’s inside. Maybe it’s unfair to “judge a book by its cover,” but since it’s the first impression we have to the book–how can we help it?
Yep, I agree. If it’s an unappealing cover and I’ve never read the author, I don’t even pick it up.
My local bookstore usually sandwiches the books altogether except for the “hot” ones they place with cover facing out. If I meander back to the romance section, they’re sandwiched so tight they squeak when I attempt to remove one.
So I’m looking at the spine mostly. If I pick it up and there’s a cartoon figure on the front, that blurb better rock. If not, it goes back. Quickly.
I like simple. I like classy. Half-naked hero? Either way. I’ve said it before. I’m a blurb slut. That is the author’s chance to snatch me by the ocular orbs and say “READ ME!”
That’s an awful lot to ask of two paragraphs, but there you go.
Grins*
Author’s name for writers I know.
A cover quote from an author I love for authors I don’t know.
Great blurb.
When I first started buying romance, I shopped at Waldenbooks and the bookseller knew me by name. She always had new writers for me to try. Covers didn’t even matter. I hated when that store closed. The mega bookstores definitely don’t know my name (even though I probably take care of an employee salary with how much I spend on books). I shop more and more on Amazon. At least then I get the “customers who bought **** also bought ****”.
I actually gravitate towards the cartoon covers more now. I just absolutely love most of them. The clinch covers are the ones I’m least likely to pick up, after the awful flower ones. A good title is a must too, that’ll make me pick it up.
Most cover models look so ugly, I hate when they’re on covers. Can’t we get some better looking guys??
I also like the headless model shot, which ties in to my dislike of the models. It lets me focus more on the attire and not wondering if the person looks like the character or not. I have plenty of clinch covers on my shelves, but only because that seems to be the only cover they like to put on historicals.
If I have decided to purchase a book based upon a favorable review or recommendation, then the cover is not a player in my decision whether to purchase the book. If, however, I am in the book store and browsing, the cover art is what catches my eye, along with the title. Mainstream historical novels often have covers that use art and photography that is in the public domain, but rarely does an historical romance go that route — Mary Balough had one fairly recently, and many books published in England have similar covers. American publishers of historical romance novels seem to want to saddle us with clinch covers at the one extreme, or nosegays & a string of pearls at the other extreme. I really believe that more mainstream-appearing covers would go a long way with many readers who feel uncomfortable with clinch covers.
A few weeks ago on my blog I published an article about the ugliest cover I can remember on a romance — the cover on the original massmarket American paperback of Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander.” There was a wild eyed Clare Randall and an equally wild eyed horse — except the horse was much prettier than the heroine! As soon as the book was reprinted with a different cover I ditched the original.
I have favorite authors who are autobuys, next I look at title then the cover picture. If it has a sexy guy or the word cowboy on there it’ll probably find it’s way to me. I also absolutely adore Christmas stories and yes I will buy and read them in summer given half a chance. For me though the biggest thing is the blurb on the back. If the blurb doesn’t match up to the cover art then it’s a no-no.
Covers really don’t matter to me, it’s the blurb that matters, if I know nothing about a book it’s the blurb helps me make the decision.
Having said that, the only book I’ve ever bought without reading the blurb is “Prince Of Midnight” by Laura Kinsale. At the time the cover was amazing. I’m lucky it was a great book–LOL. But, that was when it was new, now that I’m older I probably wouldn’t buy it without checking out the blurb, and probably would cringe at the cover.
I love cover art and am always browsing the online books stores to see what the new covers of my favorite romance line and authors look like. However, I’m more inclined to buy a books because of the author’s name and reputation, that the cover art, thought if I like the cover of author unfamiliar to me, I’d seach the author out to see how readers have been responding to their work and give them a try.
Like, the writers of many of the comments here, I like the cartoon covers, but find they work better on contemporary stories that historical. Whenever, I see a cartoon cover, I automatically think contemporary.
Does anyone else feel that way?
I’m still uncertain about my feelings for the erotica, romantica cover, finding leaving very little to the imagination, but that’s another story…
Wayne
I can’t think of any one type of cover that turns me off right off the bat. I’m pretty open to anything, as long as it catches my eye. Whether it be colors, artist’s depiction, or whatever, if it’s caught my eye, it’s passed the first test (Sari Robins’ One Wicked Night immediately springs to mind as a gorgeous cover). Great titles also get me. But regardless of how breathtaking a cover might be, or how great the title is, if the blurb doesn’t make me want to read more, the book goes right back on the shelf. And I’ve picked up books and haven’t even been able to get past the first lines of the blurb.
Alternatively, I do have my “auto-buys”, so those I hold on to whether the cover gets me or not. And I buy a lot of books on friends’ recommendations or buy authors I’m in RWA Chapters with or on writers’loops with.
For me, it all boils down to the blurb. Hook me with the blurb, and your book is sold.
I heartily agree with Mary Beth, Nell, Lynn, Tara, and Crystal on the importance of the blurb, especially with an unfamiliar author. Andi’s comment on color is spot on –rich, classy hues of purple, blue, burgundy, and gold hint of craftsmanship and attention to detail. If that much effort is invested in the cover, I’m convinced the story will not disappoint. Sorry, Mary Stella, but if I want cartoons, I’ll go to The Laughing Ogre [bookstore] or the Drexel [cinema] for the latest Miyazaki film. Although I do concede that such art may be more appropriate to contemporary romance — especially humorous — a bright, glossy, kicky cover will indicate a fun read. To paraphrase what Wayne said about cartoon covers and historicals, if it doesn’t gel, it ain’t aspic.
My favorite covers usually have some kind of artwork or jewelry or flowers or open fields. Nature. I love nature. I don’t like faces on covers. I guess I like to envision the characters myself. I hate it when the cover people don’t even look like the characters in the book. It smacks of an assembly-line production type of thing that disparages the many hours our authors spend slaving over their words.
As for colors, I guess it all depends. For romantic suspense, I like lots of blacks, deep blues with splashes of red here and there. For sweet romances I like sunny colors. Lots of yellow, baby blues and pinks. For paranormals I can’t pass up a cover with black and deep purple. For romantic comedies, I prefer cartoon covers, hands down.
Tanya
I am drawn to color, too. Purple, green, yellow, even white — almost anything with a strong predominant color. However, I don’t usually like pink, red, black, brown or pastels.
I pay close attention to the title. I don’t look for keywords like “cowboy.” Instead I am looking for romantic words like “dream,” “rose,” “dance,” or whatever. I don’t like to read blurbs closely because they give the plot away, so I’ll just glance at the first sentence to get a feel for the setting. I avoid anything Regency, and I don’t like westerns although a good cover can make me reconsider.
My favorite covers of all are historical portraits or other historic art, but as mentioned above, you don’t see those on romance novels. Failing that, I like to see the couple, preferably in accurate period costume. I love to see costumes, and pretty settings — gardens, castles, whatever. The more detail, the better. I don’t mind clinches, but I detest heroes with hairless chests and I avoid those books.
I find those simple pictures of just a flower, a jewel, a glove etc. rather bland. They don’t draw me. I don’t like photos or cartoons. And my least favorite thing is the headless torso on so many books today. I’ve gotten to the point where I will not buy a book if I can’t see the person’s face. All the headless torsos freak me out.
lol it’s funny how very different every one is. What one person loves, another loathes.
I find that my favorite covers are rather stark and a bit shocking — like the black and red of Katherine Sutcliffe’s Darkling, I Listen. That one really caught my eye. Usually, anything that’s DIFFERENT from it’s surroundings catches my eye. If it is bright or bold colors in a sea of pastel, for example, I feel more compelled to pick it up. This, of course, makes it hard for publishers. To be the ‘contrasting’ book, they need to know what everyone else is producing that month that MIGHT be around this book. A tall order. Still, that is the numnber one thing that draws me. I remember just HAVING to pick up a book that had a pale pencil drawing on a white cover, simply because I hadn’t seen that before.
Apart from that, I want the cover to suggest what the book is. If cover art suggests danger, larger-than-life, risky characters, I’m there. If it suggests ‘light and fluffy’ then I’d need to be going for that book on a recommendation from others and the cover wouldn’t matter. The Darkling cover was perfect for this — it suggested an edgy, dangerous story, and that’s what it was.
I agree with you, Sandy, that cartoon covers suggest light and funny contemporaries. I think they are great for that. I don’t mind a cartoon on a historical if it is a light and funny book and if something in the cartoon clearly suggests the historical setting. But, when cartoons slip onto basically serious books they seem out of place.
I don’t like the sprays of flowers thing, either. They don’t SAY anything. Landscapes are iffy. Most landscape covers are totally bland, but if the landscape pictured captures the exactly right mood, I can like it.
Clinches never bothered me. I’m afraid I don’t get this fear of letting others see it, personally. If ANY stranger ever came up to comment on my reading choices they would get the sharp side of my tongue, but it’s never happened to me. Friends and family members know better than to disrespect Romance, at least in my presence. Some clinch art is beautiful too. But, many many of them just look silly. The ‘catch me as I’m being tossed off this cliff by the wind’ poses are ridiculous to me. But, the concept of the hero and heroine in a close embrace is a good one for a Romance, imo.
Well, I’ve babbled enough.
–June
Covers…actually something I was thinking about recently!
I gravitate toward color, too. I like deep, rich colors: reds, blues, greens. I don’t like bright or really flashy covers — probably because I don’t read too many straight contemporaries and those tend to be straight contemporaries.
Cartoon covers — I like that they exist, but there are very few of them I like. Sometimes I’ll be in the mood to read a funny romance, though, and I like being able to find one just by scanning a shelf.
Clinch covers — the Avon clinches are so routine they bore me, and Avon also has this habit of hiding the blurb IN the book so you have no clue what you’re picking up. (Ouch!) Other, non-Avon books can be more interesting to me, at least enough to draw me to the blurb.
Overall, though, I have to admit I’m a total graphics slut. If you have a sleek, smooth cover, I’ll probably buy the book. (Auto-buys and blurb count for a LOT, but when I’m looking for something new I’ll take the sleek cover over the newest Sandra Hill anyday!) I don’t like flowery covers, or empty covers. I want some image that relates to the story. Pink Moon caught my eye many, many times.
Neat thoughts!
-Ann
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