We hear it all the time. "Don't judge a book by its cover". Its the age old adage that, for the most part, is one hundred percent true. Except when it isn't. Because let's get real: when it comes to books, I totally judge them by their cover.
The past few months I have [gasp] been reading ebooks instead of purchasing a hardcopy of every title I've read. Which has gotten me thinking: are book covers even still relevant? I think they are. And this is why. When trawling for new galleys to devour, my running internal monologue is usually as follows:
"Ew. No. Mills and Boon much? Ew. Too twilightesque. The 90's called: they want their glowing embossed font back. E-ooh. I like. Let me hover over that beautiful specimen and actually read the blurb".
I am not going to read the blurb of every single online book available. Just the same as I am not going to pull every single book off the shelf and read the back if I am lost in a bookshop. And I'm probably missing out on some pretty amazing reads. Which is why I am writing this post. Think of this as a PSA to all publishers out there.
As a book hoarder, er, collector, I am a hundred times more likely to purchase a hardcopy of a book if I've been initially sucked in by the cover. Heck, I've even bought different editions of books I already own if I like the cover enough. Books are timeless. You buy a book, you make a commitment to each other. It's going to live on a shelf, in your house. Least it can do is not be offensive to look at. With ebooks, just because I don't have a physical copy doesn't mean I am still not judging the cover. I can't help it. It's just how I'm hardwired.
A beautiful or eye-catching cover suggests quality. It suggests that the publisher believed it in enough to wrap it in the divine image you hold in your hand. It suggests that what is in those pages within is going to back up what the cover promises. I know, I know. A suggestion isn't a promise, and there are some rotten books with really nice covers. But at least they're nice to look at?
Have you ever purchased a book solely on the cover? Does the cover play into your decision when picking a book off the shelf? I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.
The past few months I have [gasp] been reading ebooks instead of purchasing a hardcopy of every title I've read. Which has gotten me thinking: are book covers even still relevant? I think they are. And this is why. When trawling for new galleys to devour, my running internal monologue is usually as follows:
"Ew. No. Mills and Boon much? Ew. Too twilightesque. The 90's called: they want their glowing embossed font back. E-ooh. I like. Let me hover over that beautiful specimen and actually read the blurb".
I am not going to read the blurb of every single online book available. Just the same as I am not going to pull every single book off the shelf and read the back if I am lost in a bookshop. And I'm probably missing out on some pretty amazing reads. Which is why I am writing this post. Think of this as a PSA to all publishers out there.
As a book hoarder, er, collector, I am a hundred times more likely to purchase a hardcopy of a book if I've been initially sucked in by the cover. Heck, I've even bought different editions of books I already own if I like the cover enough. Books are timeless. You buy a book, you make a commitment to each other. It's going to live on a shelf, in your house. Least it can do is not be offensive to look at. With ebooks, just because I don't have a physical copy doesn't mean I am still not judging the cover. I can't help it. It's just how I'm hardwired.
A beautiful or eye-catching cover suggests quality. It suggests that the publisher believed it in enough to wrap it in the divine image you hold in your hand. It suggests that what is in those pages within is going to back up what the cover promises. I know, I know. A suggestion isn't a promise, and there are some rotten books with really nice covers. But at least they're nice to look at?
Have you ever purchased a book solely on the cover? Does the cover play into your decision when picking a book off the shelf? I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.
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