Bitchery reader Tracie is getting her Master’s degree in Publishing, and she’s writing a paper on book covers and sales, and wrote to ask for our help. It’s a different kind of HaBO request – one that asks you to take a quick survey and perhaps write a small bit on how covers affect your book buying habits. To quote Tracie:
My topic is “book covers and sales,” so I have a lot of room to maneuver. In general, I want to find out major trends that attract people to books. And I want to prove that while covers may not ultimately make someone buy a book, they can definitely be the reason someone doesn’t buy a book.
[M]y professor suggested that I go stand in a bookstore one afternoon and interview random customers. As much as the idea of flying-squirrel-tackling people into taking a survey appeals, it’s just not going to happen. This is really an exploratory survey. Because I used a free survey system and could only ask 10 questions, I’d also love to see what people say in the comments. Do they worry about what people will think about them based on the covers of books they are reading? Have they ever bought a book based on the cover alone? And in an internet age, do covers even matter that much anymore? The first in that list of questions really intrigues me. I think of it as the “train factor.” If you’re embarrassed to read it on the subway, are you going to buy it? If that’s the case, then maybe bodice-ripping, werewolf-humping covers are good for quick reads and ebooks, where you don’t have to face your shame out to the world, but are a bad idea for longer books that will take more than a lonely Saturday afternoon to finish.
If you’re interested in helping Tracie out, her survey can be found here, but her thesis is really intriguing me, especially after the discussion about the Seattle weekly cover.
Updated to add:
Tracie has added two more survey links since the first one maxed out.
Tracie’s thesis, that “covers may not ultimately make someone buy a book, [but] they can definitely be the reason someone doesn’t buy a book” gives me a lot to chew on mentally. I’m trying to think of the books that most embarrassed me when I carried them in public, and really, Cassie Edwards’ Savage Moon is the hands-down winner, or hands-up, because I did try to cover it as much as my dainty hands would allow. Because DAMN. That’s embarrassment.
But of the books on my shelf, are there covers I prefer to blanket with something bland before I go out in public? Are there books I’d avoid buying because the cover is just too awful for words? I’m probably not the target audience for this type of questioning because I’d go out of my way to get my hands on a fugass cover so I can scan it in and snark on it. But if I weren’t Smartly Bitching about cover art, would I buy a copy of, say, Big Spankable Asses or The Essence of Magic because the art or the title was something I’d avoid being seen with?
Nah.
I find a good bit of romance cover art profoundly regrettable, and I wish it weren’t so easy to dismiss the genre based on the bodacious mantitty found on the covers, but am I ashamed of what I read? Nah. I know I’m smart, even if everyone on the subway thinks I’m an imbecile and a perv who reads about men in shit-brown granny pants. That’s the nice thing about the subway – I pay over a dollar to frequently find myself up close and personal with people I never have to see again.
Hi,
I will be defiantly taking the survey. Thanks for the info.
One thing that Tracie may want to consider … although I shudder to say it … is creating a my space group and use that.
you may have to filter through some crap and blinking shit on the page but you can get a lot of feedback.
Or start a blog and have the comments need to be approved…that way it can still be blind.
Thanks for lett ing us know about the survey, Sarah! I took it, and it was very interesting. I hope Tracie can share with us some of the findings.
Taking the survey actually made me realize that I prefer covers that don’t depict people, either in paintings or in photographs. Not only does it interfere with my creation of a mental image for the character(s) depicted, but I prefer a cleaner, more modern look to covers.
As I’ve said before, I abhor clinch covers; I don’t buy them new or used, and I don’t check them out of the library. I find them demeaning to the genre, and an easy target for people outside the genre to make fun of romance. Why do we keep setting ourselves up for it?
I’ll go answer the survey, too.
Just want to point out that I don’t shy away from covers because of what people at the check-out or in public might think of my reading material. I’m a writer and I’m rarely in public. I worry more about the covers I leave around the house. There are quite a few books I might have bought if the covers didn’t look like they belonged on porno flicks.
I love me some sexy covers…but subtlety is nice, too.
I took that survey.
I think covers and catchy blurbs are highly important. Packaging is everything and quality starts at the first impression.
A wonderful story can overcome these things but rarely will it sell well without them.
I took the survey as well. While I’ll read anything, I will not buy a book with an explicit cover (unless I down load it) because of the kids. Vampire Queen’s Servant was about as far as I was willing to go.
I took it too.
Unless there is naked people on the cover, I don’t care. It’s what’s inside that counts (*gag* Did I just say that? I really am a Mom.)
the bodacious mantitty found on the covers
I think the old Johanna Lindsey or Catherine Coulter original covers you have shown on the blog here gave those books a specific character.
I see some of those covers and I can immediately remember the storyline and what I thought of the hero/heroine etc etc. It’s like they are embedded in my memory. It makes me sad to see them repackaged without the lurid covers.
The same is true for the original covers of the fantasy books I have read like J.R. Tolkien, Andre Norton or Ursula K. Le Guin.
They may look classier in the new fangled cover but they are not as memorable to me. I think packaging goes hand in hand with the experience of reading the story and is very important.
I took the survey too.
I would tend to agree with Tracie’s thesis. There are books I won’t buy (at the brick and mortar store anyway LOL) b/c of the cover.
While I don’t mind a good looking man on the cover, I won’t take certain covers out in public or to work to read on break (I’m a elementary substitute teacher!!).
Through the survey I found that I’m not really picky about my covers. I can really handle anything except what I call TMI covers. I don’t think we need half naked people or people practically having sex on the covers for people to know what’s inside. I don’t like covers that scream “there be sex in here” LOL
I guess I’m more about the subtle cover.
While I don’t tend to leave them out in the public spaces in the house when we’re expecting company, in general the riskier covers don’t bug me.
It’s the hideous covers that do. If they are dreadful, I don’t buy the book, just not gonna happen, well, with one exception, and I’m mortified to admit it, but hey, you bitches are like family.
<<=== hangs head down in shame
I bought those two self-published Dara Joy books—remember That Familiar Touch, with the weird dayglow pink cover and the strange colored spaghetti hair?
My only excuse was I was desperate to find out what happened to Traed. DH saw the cover & couldn’t stop laughing. I didn’t have the heart to sell it on E-bay (but probably should’ve when the price was over $100), so now it languishes hidden upside down on the very bottom of my bookshelf.
My security word is school78—& boy are we learning a lot today. đ
I tried to take the survey, but got an error that it’s currently closed. đ
And in the ultimate irony, my spam word is closed21
I got the message that the survey was closed too. :/
I don’t necessarily ban the clinch covers from my buying list. But they are the dead last ones I look at in the store. I’m not entirely sure why that is. I think maybe I associate them with the old school Alpha=asshole books, which I don’t really like much. However, if I get ‘em free, or really cheap, or if the reviews are out of sight, I don’t balk at carrying them around on my break either.
The survey says it’s closed- Tracie, you may want to move it to somewhere where it doesn’t have a limit on the number of responses.
Will covers make me not buy a book? In a way. If the book has a cover that I look at and shudder, I’m not likely to pick it up and read the back blurb.
As the people before me have said, it’s currently closed, but I’ll take it if it does come up again. đ
About the subject: I know it’s one of those things you’re not supposed to do, but I really judge a book by its cover.
If it looks all neutral and well, dull, I would wait until I had nothing else to read or reread before actually buying it and reading it. Bright and colourful book covers really appeal to me. The book might turn out to be complete crap, but so be it. Most often it’s been the other way around.
However… being only 20 years old, I’ve often had to hide the more graphic book covers from my parents (“er, no, I think I’ll stay in my room reading instead of reading in the livingroom with everyone else”), and if I’m going to take a book with me outside/in public, it’s one that hasn’t got a half naked couple making out on the covers, not one that has. =P
Less explaining needed from my side then, and therefore more time to actually read and enjoy the book.
I’d like to vote for keeping the cover of “The Essence of Magic” sequestered indefinitely and brought out for the horror factor only under dire circumstances. If I were an evil publisher or editor or anyone else involved in such decisions, this would be my big ass threat for making authors behave as I want them to: Follow my instructions or THIS will be your next cover.
One thing that almost bothers me more than explicit or ridiculous covers is the summary on the back. Over-used exclamation points and italics, hyperbolic and eye-rolling descriptions of characters, their body parts and manliness or beauty, even the word “scorching”: all of these are sometimes more embarrassing than the covers themselves when viewed by a friend or relative standing at my bookshelf. I know the books are smarter than that and that I am as well. I just wish publishers wouldn’t stoop so low.
I second the request that “The Essence of Magic” cover be banished except in case of emergency! I don’t know why I thought I needed to click on the link to see it again – nauseating.
Suddenly19 – I wish I could be 19 again!
If a cover is pretty, shiny, or colorful enough I’ll pick a book up but if the blurb doesn’t interest me it goes back. If I pick it up and it has an Oprah Book Club stamp on it I don’t even read the blurb before it goes back.
I used to hide romance novel covers but as I get older I care less. In high school when other people didn’t read for fun my inclination was even bigger to hide the covers. No sense in being even weirder.
For anyone else that likes to keep their reading selections “private,” I can recommend the following website for beautiful leather covers just right for paperbacks. The 4 1/2 x 7 x 1 inch will handle most paperbacks; the 4 1/2 x 7 x 1 1/2 size is good for fatter books. You can even have it embossed with your initials or name.
http://www.renaissance-art.com
(Sorry – I couldn’t get the hotlink to work)
I agree about the blurbs because, well, the awfulness of romance covers is something I’ll never experience since I’m totally blind. But blurbs that either contain a breathless description of how hot and/or badass the hero and heroine are, or those stupid letters from the characters are huge turn-offs for me.
I wanted to take the survey… waaah!
Anyway, I avoid covers that scream “I’m reading a romance!!!” i.e. naked or semi-naked people in a clinch or even just a big bare chested man. If I really want to read it I’ll buy it on Amazon instead of in the bookstore.
I’m definitely attracted to beautiful covers and have bought books in the past just because I liked the cover.
“If I were an evil publisher or editor or anyone else involved in such decisions, this would be my big ass threat for making authors behave as I want them to: Follow my instructions or THIS will be your next cover.” bwahahahahahahahahhaahahaha the ultimate blackmail weapon!
They actually changed The Essence of Magic recently to an entirely new cover.
I’m on an erotic romance kick, and the best place to find them is online. But some of those e-book covers can be horrid! I try to dissociate from the image and simply read the blurb, but it’s often difficult.
I am relatively new to reading romance and it isn’t my primary genre, so I generally only read books that have been recommended to me or I’ve read good reviews for. I rarely walk into a store and browse the selection. And when I do, I am generally browsing titles and names for a spark of recognition ‘oh, so and so said I should read her’. Therefore, a cover wouldn’t make a difference to me one way or another in terms of buying. I probably wouldn’t bring a racy cover to work, but I would definately still buy it and read it in non-work public places and at home.
I remember my mom (who buys and reads a TON of romance) saying once that she tried to avoid the Fabio/bodice ripper covers as she called them, but I also remember her handing me books saying ‘ignore the cover’. She recently told me she rarely reads historicals anymore (which would tend to be the ones with the clinch covers) because they tend to be so rediculous and historically inaccurate, she could no longer suspend disbelief. I do remember her reading books with clinch covers back in the early nineties, however.
Of the box ‘o books I got that had passed between her and my aunt (who is also a voracious romance/women’s fiction reader), I see not a single clinch cover. I see a lot of Nora Roberts, Jennifer Crusie, some romantic suspense and paranormal. That could also be a reflection on what she thought I would like.
I don’t shy away from any type of cover if the author is on my fave list, but I do have to hide some of them from my kids, who ask too many unanswerable questions.
In the bookstore, I find myself going for the bright, shinny covers, but also for the covers that resemble ones on books I’ve enjoyed. For instance, when I was into contemporary romances and cartoon covers were popular, I would pick up any book with this type of cover. I would read the blurb before I bought it, but the cover would grab my attention.
Ok… does anyone have a link to “The Essence of Magic” book cover. I have to see it now.
Survey still closed, I’ll check back later. Good luck Tracie, I hope your paper becomes required reading for all publishing execs.
For sure my book buying is influenced by the cover, less so for my well known favorite authors. But impulse buying at the bookstore? Big time yes. Ugly or sexually graphic will get passed by. Later discovered some of these were really good, but just couldn’t bring myself to touch them in public. If I keep hearing good reviews & recommendations, I will trye them (sometimes months or years later) but I’m much more likely to purchase them used or use the library…less money for author & publisher.
Bright, pretty covers will def. get me to pick-up and read the blurb, and maybe convince me to try a new author. This is how I recently discovered Rob Thurman and Faith Hunter.
I take my books everywhere, so often cover them for protection, or more often to save myself and/or others embarrassement. A few days ago, took the new Lora Leigh to dentist, and forgot it in the restroom. When I returned for it and hour or so later, the cover was half off. Someone had been peeking!
What a timely topic as I just got the cover “draft” for my next book moments ago. It’s beautiful – at least to me đ
I don’t particularly like faces or people on my covers – books I’m reading or books I’m writing. I’d rather leave all that to the imagination, mine and that of my readers.
I have picked up books with atrocious covers to read the blurb and wouldn’t let a cover keep me from trying a book that sounded okay in spite of the cover, but I might think twice about carrying it around with me.
You really do rig the spam word don’t you? Mine – eyes61
Hey everybody! Sorry about the technical difficulties, but thank you so much for all your help! Below are two links for the same survey-I just copied them into new files, so you can click either one. Let me know if there are any more problems.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cyTnex_2b65u_2fUJHOwXVcM3g_3d_3d
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Rcd6xtuV7ZxxdXNuwFrtGg_3d_3d
The cover of a book wont keep me from buying it if I want it bad enough, but it will keep me from taking it out in public.
As a lit student, there are definately books I would not want my classmates to see me reading on campus. Literature majors, particularly in the creative writing department as I am, are notorious book snobs. Even the new renters in my house caught my Lisa Klepas novel and essentilly went “ZOMG BODDICE RIPPPER!!1!” I don’t want to feel like I have to excuse my reading, however if somebody asks me about what I’m reading I don’t want to have to give a speech about how I shouldn’t have to excuse my reading. Not to mention, books are a frequent flirting intro at school—cute guy sees me with a book and asks me what I’m reading I don’t want him to think my ideal is a mantitty who’ll throw me on the back of a horse, I want to get asked for coffee.
I think buying a nauty cover is a lot like buying tampons—you dont want to purchase when a potential mate is behind the register, but if you need it bad enough, you put on a ‘too cool for you’ expression and set it on the counter.
Lurid covers will make me want to buy the book. If I wanted to buy a non-pornographic book I would, but when it comes to reading trash I want to be assured that there is indeed sex between the covers by seeing sex on the cover.
And one can always use brown paper to camouflage it when reading in public.
Just today I bought a book entirely for its cover, and it was, in fact, the fault of this site. I’ve chortled at the mockery of mullets. I’ve had my mind seared by the mantitty. And when I saw Gentle Rogue on my library’s sale cart, I knew I had to have it. I will admit to wishing I’d had something a little less Fabioriffic to go along with it when the librarian rung me up. Like buying that Norton Anthology of Literature too would have cancelled out my sin.
I’m a fantasy junkie as a rule and have never been embarrassed by that cover art. It does influence me to buy. Those pretty, pretty Jody A. Lee paintings… I can’t resist taking a peek at the back flap and then I’m snared. I want to see people, preferrably the protagonist, and if the cover depicts an actual scene so much the better. On romances I like the clinch covers (when we aren’t talking plastic poser people because those creep me out, y’all). They show the lead characters and remind me of the books my grandma read, and having some cheesy covers sprinkled through my collection makes me feel closer to her.
I took the survey! I personally hate clinch covers and generally avoid buying them. They’re stereotypical and usually the people are very unattractive (to me). I love LKH covers. You can take or leave her writing/story, but I think her covers are beautiful. I also love Jackie Kessler’s cover on her first book. Nora Roberts also has very attractive but tasteful covers. That’s my sticking point. I want the cover to be tasteful. It can be sexy and have a mostly naked person on it (LKH) but make it look like the naked person is a work of art.
Gannet, I’m sorry, I’m not sure I understood you right. Are you saying you think romance is trash? If that is indeed the case why would you read it? Despite popular belief it is not porn. Also, a clinch scene does not indicate (to me) that there will be a sex scene in the book. Nora Roberts has tasteful covers and she still includes sex in it. I guess I don’t understand your reasoning… or the trash comment.
I took the survey. Interesting questions. Good luck, Tracie!
I hate the clinch covers, though I still buy many of the books. My husband has a field day making fun of the worst of them.
My kiddo and I sometimes hang out at our local B&N store where he plays Thomas the Train while I read the book I’m going to buy. The more lurid the cover the less likely I am to buy that book in those visits, even if it’s my favorite author or much anticipated book. The books with the clinch insert tipped under the cover are better, and artistic covers with no people at all are perfect for these visits. As long as they are not pink.
Where clinch (and cliched) covers used to work for me is with completely unknown authors, especially when I’m in the mood for a specific era/location/subgenre. Now I look online before going to a store or library and make a list of things to seek out.
I might be in the minority here, but something that captures my attention is publisher name. I know what I’m getting into with Avon. Berkeley Sensation. Ellora’s Cave. Aphrodisia. When I want something new, I look for the publisher’s logo.
I mostly avoid Harlequin—the writing is too uneven; Signet and Dorchester are both generally reliable. Avon is usually grade A trustworthy. Berkeley Sensation promises to be hot and generally well-written. Ellora’s Cave will be hot, but it might lack in plot or writing. Sometimes I wish I could track an editor’s selections—I have a feeling a few specific ladies choose 85% of the romance novels that I read.
If I want a book, I’ll buy it no matter what the cover looks like. I will probably hide the cover if it’s too embarrassing, though.
Authors I love I will purchase no matter what, so that’s moot. But new authors/casual browsing definitely need to have intriguing covers.
Case in point: I actually grabbed a copy of “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” from the bookshelf at Barnes & Noble before this site did the review for it, entranced, simply because of that awesome, awesome cover.
Also, because the cover made it look like the main character, Jaz, was a woman of color.
I was therefore kind of annoyed when I found out that the main character is, as far as I can tell, not a woman of color. I felt like the cover had lied to me, tricked me into picking up the book.
So, my rules: DO NOT LIE TO ME, BOOK COVER!!
As for colors/people/flashy vs. subdued, different people are attracted to differnt moods. And of course the genre plays a big part. A thriller shouldn’t have a subdued cover, and a gentle romance shouldn’t have a loud cover. Once again, DON’T LIE, BOOK COVERS!
LOL. I’m writing my own dissertation. Better stop while I’m ahead.
“So, my rules: DO NOT LIE TO ME, BOOK COVER!!”
This is a major one for me. I am a huge historical fiction fan but have an aversion to historical romance (although I love contemporary). A number of recent HR covers are meant to look like true historical fiction. I can’t even tell you how pissed off I get by that. It’s gotten to the point that I won’t buy books without checking them out on Amazon. If it’s HR, then usually someone else has been fooled already.
Every book I cited as my memorable or best liked cover was fantasy: Thomas Canty and Michael Whelan actually. My least liked with anything with out of proportion bodies a la Changeling Press. I had forgotten the title of Essence of Magic, but that was the one I was thinking of along with several of the other covers that have been snarked here. I also like covers that feature pre-Raphaelite pictures—I don’t have to think that the cover represents a person in the book, just that the mood be similar.
Took the survey.
It was interesting since I never really thought about the covers. There are times when I am embarrassed buying a book, but my desire to have it trumps the embarrassment factor đ As for cover designs, I’m still up in the air about landscape versus people versus all her other options đ Hope it helps!
Darn it… this reminded me that there is a technical name for the kind of paperback front cover that is folded so that it can be opened out to a larger image inside. I read the name here and now I can’t remember it? Can anyone help me out?
Took the survey.
I am one who judges the book by its cover. I know I shouldnââŹâ˘t but I do.
Yes! Jody A. Lee covers instantly suck me in, probably because of all the Mercedes Lackey books she’s done. Whelan is always a good bet, too. All those McCaffrey covers have to mean something, right?
Because I generally read predominantly fantasy, my “OMG NO WAY” artist is Darryl K. Sweet. If the Wheel of Time books hadn’t been repeatedly recommended to me, I would have never read them because I don’t like his art. All his men are manly men, and all the women are petite, busty, and doe-eyed. As anyone who’s read the WoT series knows, the last thing I’d call Nynaeve is doe-eyed. Sweet does a lot of covers for Piers Anthony’s Xanth series, too, but they seem more appropriate for the Xanth ladies and men than some of the WoT characters.