Monday, December 8, 2014

Never Judge a Book (Or the Author) By It's Cover






When I meet people and they find out I’m an author, the first question out of their mouths is, “Oh. Do you write children’s stories?” When I reply that I don’t, inevitably they say, “Then you must write romance novels.” Uh, no. These questions send me to the mirror to see what it is about my appearance that doesn’t say Mystery Writer/Writer of Evil Deeds. What is it about me? (Please don’t answer that; it’s a rhetorical question.)

I write mysteries that are lighter with a little humor. Some parts of my stories can be pretty intense, too, but I try not to dwell on those parts. In fact, there’s really nothing funny about murder, but I find humor in the characters who are trying to solve the crime and their situations. (I know. I’ve mentioned this in other posts.)

Now, believe it or not, this blog isn’t about me. It’s about book covers.

I overheard someone in a bookstore comment to a friend, after picking up a book and putting it back, “That’s the dumbest book cover I’ve ever seen. I’m not wasting my money on that book.” Huh? A silly cover might indicate that it’s a funny story, or maybe it’s just light-hearted. Maybe whoever designed the cover didn’t “get” the storyline. They might not even know what the story involves. Who knows why the cover ended up looking odd?

Either way, a title will catch my attention before a book cover will. Title, then cover, and on to the blurb on the back of the book to find out what it’s about. I would have missed some terrific stories if I’d depended solely on the cover and put the book back on the shelf.

I’ve heard a few discussions about book covers and I feel compelled to state an opinion. Check out the synopsis on the back cover before deciding the front cover tells the story. One of my favorite authors (who shall remain nameless) has the most ridiculous covers and I almost put her book back on the shelf the first time I saw one. Something made me take another look, and I’m glad I did. I now have all of her books.

Okay, so don’t judge an author by his or her appearance, and don’t judge a book by its cover.

Now I’m going to go a step farther. Don’t judge an author by the publisher. I’ll bet you weren’t expecting that one. I write two series and I’ve had two publishers. I’ve now moved on and publish my own books, along with several other authors. There really are some excellent self-published books just waiting to be read. No, I’m not talking about my own books. You have to come to your own conclusions about the Sandi Webster series and the Bogey Man series. The fact is, I’ve read some wonderful self-published books over the past few years.

By this time you might be wondering what my point is, although I thought I was rather exacting about that. Judge a book by the quality of the writing, not the cover or the publisher, and certainly not the appearance of the author. I mention this because I once read an article in a newspaper about readers basing their choices on the appearance of the author. Can you believe that? I don’t want to argue the point, but what does appearance have to do with ability?

As a reader I know exactly what I want to read, and the book cover, the author’s appearance, or the publisher who’s releasing the book have nothing to do with my choices. Also, as a reader, if I have the opportunity to meet some of my favorite authors, I’m going to enjoy them, warts and all. Okay, so maybe they don’t have warts, but that’s a figure of speech and I’m sticking to it.

What do you base your choice of books on? The curious among us want to know.

Until next time, pick up a book and read the blurb on the back. Take a chance, no matter what the cover looks like. Keep an open mind. Enjoy a good story.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website
CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

If you enjoy audio books, you might try A Well-Kept Family Secret (A Sandi Webster Mystery).

18 comments:

  1. How do I decide whether or not to read a book? Hmm. If the author is new to me, the title, the fact that it's a mystery and the storyline (I always read the blurb) are the most important factors. The cover isn't a big issue for me but I do avoid reading books with covers featuring "real people" who are supposed to represent the characters in the book. I prefer to use my imagination to visualize the characters based on the "written" descriptions the author has provided. Maybe a personal quirk? I don't know.

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    1. Real people won't stop me from reading a book, but I agree that I'd rather use my imagination. If it's a personal quirk, then it's one we share. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  2. I agree--what does turn me off though is poorly formatted books. I've been sent quite a few to review and I have to fight to concentrate on the content while I'm reading and wonder why the publisher (yes some of them don't do it right) and.or the self-published author hasn't taken a look inside books to see how they are formatted.

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    1. I agree with you, Marilyn. Off topic, I ran into a problem with one of my own books. When it was printed, the second half of the book had a white line right down the center of every page, eliminating the printed word(s). I didn't catch it. So it's imperative that the author check the final product, too. Thank you so much for commenting today!

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  3. What do I base my purchase of books on? First, the author if it's someone I'm familiar with, second, the genre (mysteries of all kinds), and third, the back cover blurb. Never ever by the cover although I have done that in the past but many times the cutest covers did not reflect what was inside. Nowadays, I don't care what the cover looks like. Don't get me wrong--I do read new-to-me authors all the time. But I get/buy those books based on genre and summary/blurb. Even sometimes by reviews--even bad reviews that pique my interest.

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    1. Oh, you really had some good points, one of them being that just because the cover is cute or entertaining or whatever, that doesn't mean it's a good book. It can work both ways. I've had bad reviews pique my interest, too. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  4. I recently did a few book sales and signings at local craft shows, and I noticed that all the readers who bought my books only checked out the covers and the titles if they were buying the book for someone else. But if they were buying the books for themselves, they turned them over to read the back. If I was buying a book, I would read the back blurb first, but I will pick up a book if I like the cover and/or the title.

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    1. I find it interesting that they'd use two different methods to choose a book -- one method for their book and another for a gift. I hope you had great sales. Thank you so much for commenting today!

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  5. I read the blurb to see if the story line appeals to me. Then I'll read a bit of the book, if I have access to it. I know firsthand that the cover isn't always in the hands of the author.

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    1. Exactly, Marilyn. Many times the author has no say, or very little, about the cover. The blurb gives us the best idea about the story. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  6. When you're a writer with a publishing company, you may have little say over your covers. That's why it's great to be your own publisher. I find myself in both camps. I self-;pubbed one of my books and had my favorite cover designers to do the cover. I love it, but one reviewer loved the book but called the cover "cheesy". Now when I refer to that book I refer to it as the book with the "cheesy" cover. Ya gotta have a sense of humor in this business.

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    1. I've done both myself and I understand. I much prefer doing all of it myself. You're right about having a sense of humor, too. Absolutely a must have. : ) Thank you so much for commenting!

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  7. I will buy favorite authors automatically, despite horrible covers or silly titles -- and there are some top-selling authors who have been cursed with awful covers. I admit that a bad cover or trite title can turn me away from an unfamiliar author's work, whereas a fabulous cover or title might draw me in. In either case, I always read the back cover (or inside flap) before making a final decision, and sometimes even the first page.

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    1. Thank you for your input, Heather. It's been interesting to hear what everyone bases their choices on. I always read the back cover or flap, too, even if I'm familiar with the author. Thank you so much for commenting today!

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  8. My go-to book on writing is by Ray Bradbury (Zen in the Art of Writing) and it has got a terrible cover! Still, I re-read it frequently and get all the zest and gusto I need to write. I look at covers first, then titles then read what the stories are about and the first pages before I decide if they are something I'd want to go deeper into.

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    1. The way you choose a book is commendable. I'm sure you've found some great reading this way, and the Ray Bradbury book is a great example. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  9. Shallow me I give the cover a good look before going to blurb on back. Cover indicates to me how concerned writer is with giving me a full reading adventure. Slap dash cover = slap dash writer in my eye. All my favorites have great covers that reflect their writing style. All writers in this comment section have book covers reflecting their attention to detail. Another excellent blog.

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    1. Thank you, Jake. However, you've got to remember that authors aren't always responsible for their covers. Many times the publisher creates the cover and the author has no say so in the matter. I've read some excellent books that had slap dash covers. : ) Thank you so much for commenting!

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