Comments on: A Market Survey: My Final Plea for Non-Conformity #bookcovers #historicalromance

By: Valerie Bane

Valerie Bane — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 21:44:28 +0000

Do you think this will change the more readers get their books on Kindle or i-pad?

cocktailswithdionysus.blogspot.com

By: Andy H

Andy H — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 22:54:48 +0000

You wrote a discussion before about people reading more Young Adult novels (which have tons of romance usually). I’ve noticed that the covers of Young Adult novels are *usually* different than adult books in an eye catching way. They do sometimes have people on them, but if you look, they are much less embarrassing to hold. You were talking about abstractions, well, a lot of young adult novels definitely have that too rather than focusing on people. When there are people on the covers, there is something interesting and less “bodice ripper” about them. Maybe this could be a factor as to why people are reading so much Young Adult Romance? Just a thought.

By: Remittance Girl

Remittance Girl — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 01:21:24 +0000

I love witty and sardonic. I shall look out for her. And what a shame that her covers don’t have the same qualities!

By: Keziah Hill

Keziah Hill — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 21:46:41 +0000

Ye, authors rarely have a say on their covers. Of these styles some love them, some hate them. They are however markers to readers. When someone picks up a book with an extravagant dress and long flowing locks, they know they are getting a particular type of book, something they are familiar with and want to read. In some romance writing circles these are cult classics and subject to a lot of hilarity ala the Smart Bitches. But I think the tide is turning with publishers realising that consumers don’t necessarily like these covers and are embarrassed to be seen reading them in public. Of course some readers love them and revel in them. I’m always bemused by the covers of one of my favorite historical romance writers Loretta Chase who usually writes witty rather sardonic books. I’ve never seen a cover of hers match the content.

By: K. A. Burton

K. A. Burton — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 17:03:45 +0000

Some of those “Pec’s Ahoy” covers I have always thought of as “Munch, munch” covers. As in here is my “insert body part” so go ahead big strong alpha male and eat it. (snickers) Then there is the “Pull Away” or “Oh, no you didn’t” covers. Gotta love those because she is always looking back longingly as some overly steriodized male is yanking her limb out of socket. Or, My all time favorite is the “The back bend from hell” cover where the women is bent backward at an impossible angle while the male looms over her, and she either dangles helplessly or hangs on for dear life. Sometimes I wonder when they do Romance covers if they think we are really that dimwitted.

K. A. Burton

By: Kathleen Bradean

Kathleen Bradean — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 13:44:54 +0000

More than anything, I think these covers show exactly how the publisher views these books – as product. So the reader is being told “this story will give you exactly what a romance novel is supposed to. But so will this one… and this one… and this one.”

In the traditional publishing world, authors have zero control over their covers. Groaning about covers is almost a right of passage. But I see the mistakes of the past being carried forward into the future with indies and epublishers of romance and erotic romance, most noteably the “look out behind you” meme, but with really bad poser art that screams “unprofessional.”

Writers can bitch and moan as much as they want that cover art shouldn’t matter, but it does, so get over it and do it right if you have some say in the cover. If you don’t have any say in the cover and the publisher is treating your book like product, maybe you aren’t with the right publisher. Or maybe you have a zipper fetish.

By: Eve McFadden

Eve McFadden — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:24:59 +0000

I’ve been told that covers such as you list are what sells. I have to wonder if they sell because of the cover or despite them, in the sense that it’s what’s available. If a cover is supposed to grab your attention, how can it do that if it looks like every other cover?

I actually don’t like pictures of people (although I do like people!) on my e-books. I don’t mind silhouettes or a figure in the distance, but when I had my ebooks up, none had anything like what’s above. And I liked it that way. So, thankfully, did my former publisher.

I think you hit the memes on the head, though. Nice selection.

By: Remittance Girl

Remittance Girl — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:05:47 +0000

giggle

By: Eden Connor

Eden Connor — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:59:45 +0000

Ack! Forgot to note how awesome your meme names are. Well done.

By: Remittance Girl

Remittance Girl — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:44:30 +0000

Hey, I really don’t want to pick on anyone. And I’ve tried not to show too many by any single author. Very often, it’s not even their choices. And there is a lot of market pressure for them to conform, when it is their choice.