Let’s Talk About…Book Covers
I seem to come at the topic of book covers from a different perspective than many of my friends, and apparently people who purchase most of the romance books. I don’t know models’ names. I don’t follow them on social media (maybe one or two), maybe there are three or four I know by name. Believe me, I love photos of hot guys, but 95% of the time, I couldn’t care less who is on your cover (unless it’s awful).
I like to picture my own characters, so when there are people on the cover, I usually prefer not to see faces, but I have learned to not really identify most cover models with the book character inside anymore. Still, if your character is blonde, put a blonde on the cover! Try to use a cover model that looks like your character.
Right now, the torso is where it’s at I guess. There are just so many naked chests out there! I love me some naked chest, (and the sexy “V”) but they are all blending together. And sadly, lately I have noticed that people with unique covers that I loved, or a cover that stood out as different, are changing the covers out to be naked torsos.
Looking at my favorite books of the year so far (<–scroll to bottom of page), very few have torsos. Look at the USA Today bestselling books weekly, again, few have torsos, though it has increased over the years. So why did this trend get so big and all-encompassing? Do you have to have a chest to say there is hot sex in a book? I like the chest for some books, especially a male POV cocky character, but sometimes it’s actually out of place. I was so glad when Kylie Scott changed the cover of Trust from torso to teen, it was a YA book.
Look at Kristen Ashley. She has been one of my favorite authors since I started this blog. Or Colleen Hoover. Or Twilight or Fifty Shades…do they have naked chests? NOPE.
I spend hours every day scanning Amazon for books for my sale and new release lists. I am the first to admit that I judge books by their cover. I choose which books to click on based on cover and title alone, then read the blurb and decide if it fits my blog. But I remember the unique covers way faster than the torsos. Lately, the torsos are almost saying to me that your book is like all the others. You might as well call it “A bad-boy, rock-star, MC, mafia, football, friends-to-lovers book”.
Most cover designers are doing a great job with distinguishing the covers from one another, especially lately. A few months ago there was a certain look that so many books had, they all felt related or copied but now I am happily seeing a little more variety.
I want to clarify, a naked chest won’t turn me off of a book, some of my favorites have them, and I admit, I have bought a few because I want that chest on my kindle, but I take a book more seriously that doesn’t have that unless I know the author’s writing. Some stories it works for, especially the stripper or porn star ones, and the male POV books, but for many it just doesn’t really fit. It’s not only chests though. It seems some authors choose to look more like everyone else, and supposedly it works. Naked chests sell. Looking like another popular book sells too. But is that the way you want to sell?
The last four top favorites I read have no chests. And they have all done VERY well. I picked up Girl Crush solely for it’s cover (and I’m so glad I did!).
Cover Re-designs:
I am torn on this. I am a very visual person. You can tell me a title and author and I will have no clue what book you are talking about (even if I have read it), but show me the cover, and I will totally know the book. So in most cases, I really don’t like a cover re-design; the story is associated with the cover for me. Plus, as a blogger, I hate that my old reviews which are still found often on google and goodreads will have the wrong cover art.
Lately there has been a bit of a trend of changing covers right after publishing because I guess the book didn’t perform as expected, which, for someone in advertising, this makes me cringe, such a waste of money promoting a cover that is gone!
Some books desperately need updating, but those are almost all do-it-yourself covers or covers with a stock photo used everywhere. I also understand that changing covers on an older series may bring new life back to the series. But PLEASE, say it is a re-release, it sucks to read a book and realize you already read it.
A favorite series of mine with brighter colors and a suited man on the covers changed recently, I couldn’t ID it in a lineup now and it used to be unique. But supposedly the change helped her sales. So I am rambling here, but I’d like to hear thoughts from cover designers, authors and readers!
Tell me:
Do you gravitate more towards the naked chests, couples or objects?
Do you like faces?
Do you know models and follow them?
How do you feel about cover redesigns?
What are some of your favorite covers?
Do you judge books by the cover?
Have you read books where the cover and story totally don’t match?
Tell me how you feel about covers today!
Do you have a good suggestion for future let’s talk about it posts?
Note: The original post about this was lost in cyberspace, if you commented, please try again!
Joanne says
I am over the whole half naked man and also the torso covers. I don’t like when they put the whole face on the cover because I like to visualize my own person. Also, I don’t like the half naked covers anymore, because when my granddaughter picks up a book I don’t want to have to explain it. I am more of a fan of The Artsy and unique covers then of the ones that I’ve seen time and time again
Ana's Attic says
YES!!!
Tara says
I am a visual person first if I’m honest.. second I look at the blurb and third I go based on what people are talking about.
I love a good cover as much as the next person but for a while there were a few covers that looked really similar so I began to dig in and research my books more. I started to go on blurbs more than the covers when I blogged because I got to hear from more unknown authors and sometimes they didn’t get great covers for their books yet… now that I’m out of the blogging biz and I’m just a reader again I look more at what people are talking about and the cover and the blurb all together.
Ana's Attic says
That’s good! I still have a hard time overlooking a bad cover.
Joanne says
It’s really hard to overlook a bad cover. I mean look at Fisher Amelie’s book Vain… that first cover was terrible. I would have missed out on a great book had I judged it from that cover. That being said, I’m also a very visual person and it’s not like me to pick up a book with a terrible cover.
Jessica Florence says
I love different covers! I really didn’t want people at all for my heroes and those covers are to die for!
I’m not a model person, never have been. Tried once and the guy was a dick so it only made me not like them even more
Ana's Attic says
I LOVE your covers for that series!
Keriann says
I feel like I’ve grown over the last few years, and I don’t really judge books by their covers anymore. I appreciate a nice “V” and am also attracted to a more artistic approach as well. I don’t spend a lot of time looking at the covers, so that isn’t what makes or breaks a book for me. Changing book covers confuses me as well. If your cover was good to begin with, save your time and money.
Ana's Attic says
Who doesn’t love a V?
Joanne says
I also love a good “V”… and I can’t even stand the trend of changing covers every time I turn around
Heidi says
I look at cover first, then blurb. But lately I have seen a LOT of books with the same model and I must admit I started skipping books when I see this model. Don’t know the name of the model
Ana's Attic says
Some are very overused, I agree.
Raegan says
I totally judge a book by it’s cover….always have and always will. It’s what will initially draw me to the book, then the blurb.
I do like the cover to be a reflection of the story itself…like I said, it’s what draws me to the book. So the covers that are a hot, ripped half naked guy…. *yawn*
I am NOT a fan of cover redesigns, just the same as I am not a fan of book rewrites. Authors, be proud of your work as it is originally published. Your prior work to your most recent release tells an ongoing story of your growth and development as an author and we as readers love this.
Ana's Attic says
Good point!
Loraine Oliver says
I like to look at the covers, but I am tired of the half naked man on cover trend. I like something better than that and it is because my grandkids see my facebook page and ask me why I want to read “Granny porn” so yeah I will not get any paperbacks like this anymore, plus have 6 month old great granddaughter now so I will stick to getting it on kindle unless it is a better type cover!
Ana's Attic says
I agree! I do buy less paperbacks of the male torso covers. By books are on display!
Kristina says
The cover doesn’t usually have any barring on if I pick the book. That being said, some of my favorite covers have been made for Golden Czermak’s journeyman series. These books had so much detail in them! And he designed the covers and cast specific models for the characters. Almost like casting a movie. So for this books, and his style it worked. But I don’t know that it would be as effective for another author.
Ana's Attic says
He has the access to do that. That’s pretty cool, he probably wrote the stories based on the models.
Debbie Brogan says
Mmmmmm a naked torso is fine but yes I do agree they all blend together lately! I love a hot girl on the cover also! Lol I hate when a book gets a new cover! I’m not to sure why it bugs me really bad (other than the obvious) but I really don’t like it!! Lol there is a whole list of things I guess and some of the original covers are so much better!
Ana's Attic says
YES! So glad I’m not alone!
Jennifer Kreitz says
I really don’t have a preference on the naked chests on the cover or not. For me, I am in the rarity as I can’t tell one cover from the next for the most part. As a result, i sadly don’t really notice the chests on a cover. As for the faces, I am in agreement with you. I picture the characters my own way. ideally your description matches almost perfectly to the cover.
Yes I know a few models and follow them. There are a few that I know well, and love seeing and talking to, but they are the same models that I have following for quite some time. In fact, one has become a great friend and when we see each other, we hug and he will call my name across a hotel lobby.
Cover redesigns, again as I am not to aware of covers, I don’t know they are redesigned. Those that I know have been redone, I then have to have the original cover and the new cover as well. A few of my favorite covers are those that have an image on the cover that means something to the story.
Ana's Attic says
You do have a tendency to “pick up” models! lol!