• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

Do you judge a book by its cover?

Does the cover of the book decide whether you buy the book or not?

  • Total voters
    25
Originally posted by Darren Lewis
When looking for a new book, how important is the design of the cover?
Click to expand...
i find the titles more intriguing, as i try to ignore the books they display with cover facing out & look at them spine on in bookshops.
 
I look at the
1. title
2. author
3. cover text and cover design
in that order. I don't necessarily do all three stages though.
 
I can't say that I have ever bought a book just because of the cover, though at times cover design has caused me to pass on certain books. But, cover design does influence my buying decisions. Perhaps foolishly, I assume the cover to be a projection of the tone of a book. (This is particularly true of non-fiction.)
Above all else, I like books to have a particularly "bookish" feel to them. I'm not sure that I can explain that, either. Primarily, I am guided by authors, recommendations, and jacket blurbs.
 
In order:
Genre
Author
Title
Art work

So I guess I eventually get around to looking at the cover. There have been a few times where I put a book down and looked for another edition because I couldn't stand the thought of having that cover on my shelf, but thats a rare day. Books are just like with people in that its whats on the inside that counts.
 
I don't read books soley on the cover art, but I must admit I've been led to great books by the cover.
 
Okay, okay, I'm guilty! I bought Carl Hiaasen & Janet Evanovich novels mainly for the bright covers, but in my favour I wouldn't have purchased any more by either author if they weren't any good.

However, if anyone wants to read a good thriller with a fair dose of humour, you won't go far wrong with either Hiassen or Evanovich.
 
definite need of 'good' cover....: which include origianl title and pictures... personally am very pricky on pictures.
've been blocked fron reading Harry Potter so far because I think the overs are too simplistic and have often ended up in bying books just because covers were looking great.
As far as cover as well: hopefully I was reading SF novels before coming here... cannot say that the 'post-modern over-coloured' covers for SF would attract me here... In B and F it has been the paintings by Siudmak that have stuck me to SF ... tihk I have never seen such a stimulus to learn people reading SF.
http://members.fortunecity.com/camarila/siudmak.html
http://www.republika.pl/migalar06/siudmak/galbv01.html


Morry :)
 
I usually decide what to read before I even see the cover, based on recommendations from friends and the on-line write-up.
 
Cover Design

Several people have asked me to explain the way i make covers because they are very dissatisfied with their publisher's efforts.

It's a matter of having a digital camera (or scanner) and an idea.

I've posted a my method on my website covers1
You can click on Cover Design, or go directly atcovers2

Hope this helps someone! Good luck! This is great for PoD or e-books, and paper publishers can use it if they allow authors to design their own covers.
 
So do I (prefer the second one). :)

Although the choice might depend on the contents of your book. A crime story? Rather gloomy? :cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top