You probably heard of houses having curb appeal. People won't bother going inside if the outside is unappealing. Same with books, a book could possibly be the best book ever written, but the writer went cheap and used her five-year-old son's artwork turning away potential readers.
This can be confusing for authors since the Twilight series went big using stock images that other authors bought too. Sometimes the cover doesn't matter too much if word of mouth does the advance promotion. Here's some of my favorite covers.
This is a YA book and you know this immediately because there is a young girl on the front. Not some model who has too much makeup on and showing too much cleavage to be considered naive or vulnerable.
The greenery, cottage, and fire hint at the mysterious and time travel echoing the tagline.
( Don't you hate picking up a book and thinking it is going to be about pirates because of the pirate on the front and it isn't. I remember these bait and switch covers from VHS tape covers too.)
The greenery, cottage, and fire hint at the mysterious and time travel echoing the tagline.
( Don't you hate picking up a book and thinking it is going to be about pirates because of the pirate on the front and it isn't. I remember these bait and switch covers from VHS tape covers too.)
The title tells us two things immediately that it is a dark paranormal. It is fitting to have a full moon and a mysterious crouching figure. It is hard to know if the figure is human. It invokes a sense of curiosity that could have a potential reader flipping the cover over or clicking to discover more.
This is a clean cover that would be easy to see as a thumbnail. The background and the cover lets you know that it is a historical. The tagline tells you that it is a romance. Never underestimate the power of a tagline.
The surprise factor is obvious in this outline of a head that is flying to pieces. If you're forgetting then part of your memory is leaving. The image helps reinforce the title. The fact that it is an usual image keeps it in your mind. Since initially seeing this cover, I've seen several similar images, which makes the image not as unique as it was once.
This is the cute cover either using an adorable animal or baby. People are naturally drawn to dogs, kittens, and babies and will usually at least look at the cover and possibly investigate the book. I'm always a fan of dogs on covers. I've been fooled only to discover there is no mention of a dog in the story.
The tasteful romance cover encourages the average romance lover to pick it up. I have friends who write X-rated romances, but are well aware that few customers and stores will publicly handle their covers. This is a type of cover that tells you the story is about real issues that occur in a romance, instead of mind boggling sexual antics.
Type font and backdrop tell you a great deal about this novel. The backdrop hints at gothic, historical, and possibly southern roots. The font tells you it is a paranormal, which means one of the lovers caught in the ardent embrace might not be fully human. In a deceptively simple cover, a lot of information is conveyed.
There you have it the covers I find noteworthy. Tell me what your favorites are and the reasons behind it.
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