I've gone along with this saying for most of my life without giving it any thought. Sure, it makes sense. Who cares what the outside looks like? My favorite book would be just as fabulous if it was hardbound in a plain black binding.Don't judge a book by it's cover.
A couple days ago I had a discussion with a friend about book covers. She said, "I want to be proud of the cover on my book -- happy to show it to people, you know, instead of "Hey, here's my book. Ignore the cover...I promise the content is much better!"
I totally and one hundred percent agree. When I'm an author someday (At least I can hope that I'll be, right?) a professional looking cover is extremely important. People these days are visual. Pinterest is all about images. Basically the only way to catch people's attention is to have an eye catching book cover.
Or maybe you're browsing shelves in the library. The first things that catch me about the book is the title, and then the cover. (Of course I read the blurb, too, but you always have to see the cover first.) Those are the reasons you pick up the book and check them out.
I'm reading Messenger right now by Lois Lowry. When I first checked it out of the library, I was a bit confused. What is actually on the cover? Sure, there are hands, but what is behind them? Is it supposed to be a person? Is that a head? Or a forest?
The cover certainly raises questions, but not necessarily in the best way.
Between the Messenger and the conversation with my friend, it all got me thinking and led me back to the question I asked in the first place.
Do you judge books by their
covers?
covers?
I have come to a conclusion.
I, quietly but shamelessly, judge books by their covers.
BUT...
That does not mean I'll put the book aside and forever refuse to read it. (Unless it's an inappropriate cover. But anyways.) Covers do not shy me away from books; they just don't please the visual and creative part of my mind. I'll still read the book. I'll still recommend it. But a cover is a hard thing to avoid. I will automatically assume an opinion of the story.
I do, unfortunately, judge books by their covers.
- Katie Grace
Do YOU judge books by their covers? Or are you able to ignore the picture on the front? Do you have a favorite cover?
Yeah, I do, actually. If it's a nice cover and suits my style, I'll pick it up. But the blurb is truly where I judge.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally with you. Because even if the cover IS nice, but the blurb just falls short and makes it sound totally uninteresting and cliched... Nope. I won't pick it up.
DeleteI tend to judge books by their covers. I use the cover as a justification to not read a book all the time, but it's very rare that I pick up a book because I like the cover, either. I guess books just can't win with me. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't remember a time that I have picked up a book solely because of it's cover. (Like Rcubed said above, it depends on the blurb, too.) It'd be fun to randomly do that someday. :p
DeleteI usually judge books by their covers too. If a cover isn't professional looking, the content might not be professional.
ReplyDeleteVery much so. Especially with self-published books. Since they don't have a publisher to stand behind them, they need a professional looking cover so that people can automatically get a nice opinion about their books. *cough*Jaye L. Knight*cough*
DeleteIt's pretty much inevitable that people at least judge a little bit based on a book's cover. It's all basic marketing. Depending on the way a book is shelved, the first thing someone will see is either the title or the cover. Both had better be good and unique if you want that person to pick the book up from the shelf. Simple as that. The story could be phenomenal, but people will never get to it unless they're hooked by the book's exterior.
ReplyDeleteExactly. It makes me kind of sad, but it also does make complete sense.
DeleteYes, I generally judge books by their covers. Not on purpose of course, but I do.
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm not the only one. :)
DeleteI judge books by their covers if I have never heard of it before. If someone suggests it to me, I'm more likely to ignore the cover. Either way, as soon as I see a book, I make a split second decision about the book based on the cover.
ReplyDeleteVery true. If a friend hands me a book and gushes about how it was the best book ever, I will probably read it no matter what the cover is. Books I haven't heard about are very different.
DeleteYes, unless I'm a fan of the author, I judge books by their covers. It sounds so awful, but if I'm going to spend money on something, I'd rather get money's worth. You know? If the cover isn't professional, then the writing in it probably isn't professional either. Or, maybe the author/publishing house didn't care enough. So, maybe the author/publishing house didn't care enough about the quality of the writing.
ReplyDeleteOf course, there are exceptions, but those books were usually recommendations from friends.
I totally get you. I really hope that I get published by a publishing house who really knows what they're doing with the covers, because I would want an EPIC one. xD
DeleteI agree. A book cover often has much to say about the book itself. The book cover is low quality there's a high chance the writing will be as well. When I see a book with a neat cover, I'm more likely to read it than one with an okay cover. The cover of a book is a big selling point.
ReplyDeletestoritorigrace.blogspot.com
Agreed. I sometimes kick myself, because there are certain stories where the writing is wonderful and the cover is horrible. It's the designers fault, not the writer's! Oh well.
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