Judging a Book by its Cover
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 12:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rolanniWe got a letter from a long-time reader the other day, who, perplexed by the fact that Steve and I aren’t Rich and Famous Writers, as we clearly deserve to be (a thesis, by the way, that I agree with completely), mounted a study to figure out why this was so. The results of study led the reader to the conclusion that we lacked the readership enjoyed by Author X (as a fer-instance) because Author X has better cover art. The reader therefore directed us to instruct our publisher to get us cover art like that gracing the books of Author X, so that we, too, could become New York Times bestsellers.
Now, I have no doubt that our correspondent is well-meaning, and that the expressed concern regarding our continued state of non-famousness, or at least, non-richness, is genuine. However, there are a couple things. . .off-center about both the conclusion and the directive to us.
Let’s do the easy one first: Authors do not dictate to publishers. Authors do not commission cover art. Authors may, in this enlightened day and age, actually get to consult on the cover art for their books. Sometimes. Other times. . .not so much. Some authors, the rare writer-illustrator, get to do their own cover art. These folks are the exceptions.
Now, leaving aside for the moment the whole can of worms that is “better” in terms of art, our correspondent appears to have missed a couple of important nuances.
The first, and most glaring, is that Author X writes Urban Fantasy, and thus her covers are Urban Fantasy covers — specifically of the tits-n-tatts variety (which, as a reader of this particular author’s work, make me nuts, because while, yes, the heroine is indeed kick-ass, she is not tattoo-entwined, as depicted. I can offer textev.). Now, there’s no question that these covers are effective sales tools — for Urban Fantasy books. For space operas, they kinda suck rocks.
This is because genre cover art is shorthand; it is not designed, necessarily, to illustrate a particular scene from the book, nor is its mission (see my parenthetical, above) to accurately portray the characters.
The Mission Number One of cover art is to get the book into the hands of a prospective reader. Note that our concerned reader had this bit dead on.
The way cover art sells books is by accurately “reporting” to prospective readers what’s inside the box.
Thus, this cover. . .
. . .accurately reports that there is action and romance inside. A reader — I should say a reader of genre science fiction — who is looking for action-romance will not be misled in their buying decision should they purchase this omnibus, and they are primed to be pleased with what they will find inside.
This cover. . .
. . .promises magic, adventure, perhaps some romance. I happen to like this cover very much — full disclosure: I’ve been happy with almost all of our cover art, in terms of accuracy of reporting and reader allure — despite the fact that the two front-ground characters look nothing like the people I described in the story; nor is the horse, while bat-winged, particularly my bat-winged horse. The art accurately reports what kind of story is between the covers, and invites the browsing bookstore customer to pick the book up and have a look at the first page or two.
Once the art has done its job — enticed the browser to pick the book up and look at the text — my job as an writer begins. I’ve got a paragraph, maybe a page, to grab the reader’s imagination and convince them to buy this book, out of the hundreds of others right there in the science fiction section, or the thousands inside the boundaries of the bookstore.
The argument could therefore be made that the first pages of our novels are weak, while Author X is strong in the force. It could be that there are more romance readers (a huge market segment) seeking out Urban Fantasy than will take a chance on a scifi novel.
The truth of the matter is, nobody actually knows which books will have “it” and become bestsellers. If we did, we’d all do it, right? I mean, we’d be idiots, not to. The best any of us can do is the best we can at what we do; hope for good art, good marketing support, a steady breeze in the sails, and kindly people at port.
Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.
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Five Points Make a Comment
Date: 2010-07-20 04:25 pm (UTC)2 - Also covered by excellent health insurance, and...
3 - Not needing either the outside job or the publishing business job.
4 - On the other hand, covers DO sell books.
5 - And they do it in different ways. We had a great panel at Denvention where publishers and illustrators talked (and showed pictures) about how different covers apealled to different audiences. The most fascinating bits were the different covers chosen for the US and UK versions of the same books and how they captured the interests of readers of the same genre in different cultures. http://www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com/cgi-bin/mag.cgi?do=columns&vol=carol_pinchefsky&article=002
no subject
Date: 2010-07-20 04:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-20 04:59 pm (UTC)I wasn't thrilled by the covers on the Meisha Merlin hardcover editions I bought, but by then I'd have been buying Liaden novels if the dust covers had been made of recycled brown paper grocery bags.
Re: Five Points Make a Comment
Date: 2010-07-20 05:17 pm (UTC)And, absolutely, covers sell books. Or, the right cover sells the book. Slap a UF cover on an SF book and you're gonna get some mighty puzzled, if not actually angry, readers.
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Date: 2010-07-20 05:20 pm (UTC)I believe I can say with confidence, as Kate's Author, that the child does not possess such an article of clothing.
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Date: 2010-07-20 05:23 pm (UTC)We know this because a staggering number of people talked to us after the MM editions came out and told us that, yeah, they'd "seen them" in the store the first time, but No Force On Earth would move them to pick up a book with a giant turtle on the cover. Go figure. Me, I like giant turtles.
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Date: 2010-07-20 05:28 pm (UTC)I would have, because, like Lee&Miller, the word Bujold on the cover trumps every other consideration. But I certainly am grateful I was offered this instead: http://www.amazon.com/Paladin-Souls-Lois-McMaster-Bujold/dp/0380818612/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279646403&sr=8-1
She refers to the British cover as the "Pillsbury Nazgul," and says sales were very poor and she hasn't had a British sale since. Hope Cryoburn reverses this.
I continue to think the original cover of Conflict of Honors is one of the best covers ever. Action - check -- see the guns and poses. Romance - check - beautiful young persons in leather and romantic flowing sleeves. Exotic locales - check - didja ever see a door like that on your local corner bar? And ... TURTLES!!!
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Date: 2010-07-20 05:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-20 05:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-20 05:41 pm (UTC)For any newcomers to Liad, who have only seen the Meisha Merlin edition, here's what we're discussing
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2039257&id=1385731027#!/photo.php?pid=741013&id=1385731027
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Date: 2010-07-20 05:46 pm (UTC)There's got to be a story in that.
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Date: 2010-07-20 05:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-20 06:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-20 07:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-20 08:21 pm (UTC)opinion as a bookseller. However! I have seen books with spaceships
firing guns do incredibly well - and there ain't no gun-firing
spaceships inside the covers! Weird, that.
As a reader of the Liad universe, I can say that several of the
Meisha Merlin covers struck me as odd. Not bad, but not good either. Then again there have been some covers Baen has put out
that made me say, "Oh there is something definitely off there."
One case I remember clearly was Commander/Lady Cordelia's hand
was NOT a woman's hand. Mind you, I still bought them 'cause I was
a fan.
I know, I know, this is all pie in the sky 'cause you have no
control over the cover art.
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks
PS I thought the big turtle was an intriguing element to a story
I already wanted (I think my words were, "Hey these are the guys
who wrote Conflict of Honor! Repeat offenders, cool!)
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Date: 2010-07-20 08:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-20 08:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-20 08:38 pm (UTC)Of course, I remember the ...Trippy... Ballantine PB covers for the LotR from the Sixties, and wince.
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Date: 2010-07-20 08:47 pm (UTC)I like your covers. They make me want to delve right into the middle of the story, but I restrain myself and start with page one. By midnight I'm usually in the middle and still can't put it down.
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Date: 2010-07-20 09:25 pm (UTC)Wise, wise words. I have seen writers actually get changes in their covers because they were unhappy with them because they didn't think they looked like their characters, and in each case the subsequent covers were inferior. The authors were happy, but in my opinion (and I would have to be right, wouldn't I?) their original covers did a better job of conveying mood, genre and story, and would have enticed readers more effectively.
Meisha Merlin Covers
Date: 2010-07-20 10:54 pm (UTC)I am a very visual person, and will pass a book by (without said recommendation) if the cover is too scary, or stark, etc.
On the other hand, I find myself wanting the cover art to accurately depict the central character(s), so I can get a visual of what the author thought they looked like.
Hmmm!
Maureen
Re: Meisha Merlin Covers
Date: 2010-07-20 11:17 pm (UTC)On the other hand, I find myself wanting the cover art to accurately depict the central character(s), so I can get a visual of what the author thought they looked like.
You almost never want to rely on the cover art for an accurate visual of what the author thinks the characters look like. See, for instance: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1439134073/blookangarue/107-2494529-4543737
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Date: 2010-07-21 12:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 01:44 am (UTC)Perhaps the thing that really put people off was the 'endorsement' by Robert Jordan.
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Date: 2010-07-21 02:45 am (UTC)From some of the covers I've seen, authors should generally not only be consulted about the art, but in many cases have veto rights!
And yes, you should be rich and famous.
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Date: 2010-07-21 03:30 am (UTC)In other news, my copy of Saltation arrived safely in southern Ontario yesterday. Thank you very much.
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Date: 2010-07-21 03:56 am (UTC)I do think covers influence my decision to buy a book. Or at least to take a second look at a book. Certainly, that is not always the case and if I like an author, I will usually buy the book. I originally picked up the omnibus "Partners in Necessity" because I liked the cover, then the blurb. I actually never cracked the book to read anything until I got the book home. Then, of course, I was hooked. Other books that the cover art influenced my purchase include: Cherryh's "Foreigner", Bujold's "Cordelia's Honor", and Weber's "On Basilisk Station". In the UF category "Moon Called" by Patricia Briggs and "Storm Front" by Jim Butcher. Note, these are all series. I LIKE series. However, I think I would have chosen each of these books even if I didn't know they were series.
I will note here that I have NOT been impressed by Baen's cover art choices for your books, although, I am generally not impressed with there choices these days. This doesn't affect my buying these books, but may affect my willingness to pick up new authors.
Finally, I will also say that exposure is the key. I have had huge problems getting any of your books in my local big box bookstores. Since I am surrounded by big boxes and independents are 1) not close by and 2) the closest ones have lousy SF departments, I am forced to purchase your books online or special order them. Not a problem, I know when you release a book and I know I will like it. However, you are not trying to reach me. You are trying to reach new readers. This is not your problem. Baen needs to do a better job with marketing. I live within an easy drive of 3 Borders and 2 Barnes and Nobles and cannot find your books anywhere. Or if I do see them it is weeks after the release date. For example, I have not seen "Dragon Variation" or "Saltation" in any of these stores.
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Date: 2010-07-21 05:41 am (UTC)I get so confused with reissues because I remember the cover art from the original (sometimes not the name) and think it is a new book. That is how I first picked up one of the Ace editions. Visual person you see.
Turtles, etc.
Date: 2010-07-21 05:50 am (UTC)Lynda
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Date: 2010-07-21 05:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 05:59 am (UTC)Old art, new art
Date: 2010-07-21 06:31 am (UTC)The first L&M book I came across was the MM softcover of Partners In Necessity with cover art by Michael Herring. As I recall, Agent of Change caught my attention, and after establishing that Conflict of Honors and Carpe Diem were in fact related stories I bought the book and after that cover art didn't matter. If it had had cover art similar to The Dragon Variation or Mouse & Dragon I probably would not have picked it up in the first place. I like the MM Plan B softcover (also by M. Herring) and both Liaden Universe Companion covers too.
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Date: 2010-07-21 10:17 am (UTC)Re: Old art, new art
Date: 2010-07-21 10:19 am (UTC). . .much better
Define your terms.
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Date: 2010-07-21 10:23 am (UTC)Finally, I will also say that exposure is the key. I have had huge problems getting any of your books in my local big box bookstores.
I agree that people can't buy books that aren't on the shelves. Alas, that's yet another thing that authors have no control over.
Baen being Baen, it may help to write to Management and tell her where you're located and in what stores you can't find our books. Specifics, so they know where to put some extra effort.
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Date: 2010-07-21 11:17 am (UTC)The latter handily avoids all the work you put into making the first sentence and paragraph 'hooks', I'm afraid. I turn to page 117, or if that has less than half a page of text to another near it, and start reading at the top of that page. If I get to the bottom and turn the page to continue reading, I'm likely to buy the book. If I get to the bottom and am not sure, I may try a different page. If I don't get to the bottom then I'll definitely put it back on the shelf.
The reason for page 117 is that it's a moderately random number which is sufficiently far from both the beginning and the end of most books that I can be fairly sure that I'm not being caught by 'hooks' or 'spoilers'. If an author has put in work all the way through the book to make sure that a reader gets hooked wherever they start, it's likely that I'll want to read that author. Conversely, I've read quite a few books where it seems that the author put work into the start and end but the middle is rather mushy.
Your books passed my "page 117" test when I started reading them, of course, since I bought them. Of course, now I buy them without any test, because I now trust that they will be to my liking (and haven't been disappointed), and there are some people I trust to recommend books which I will buy without a test, but if I'm browsing in a bookshop or library and find a book by an author I don't know I still do that test.
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Date: 2010-07-21 12:36 pm (UTC)Oddly enough, one of the things that our concerned reader averred was that "young men" would feel more comfortable buying a book with a tits-n-tatts cover, than buying one of our books under their various buy-me-I'm-scif! covers. Which may be true. The mothers of young men, however, may have a different take.
...and to be fair, it may have been that "young men" was meant to indicate people in their 20s or 30s, these things being relative...
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Date: 2010-07-21 02:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 02:23 pm (UTC)Carpe Diem
Date: 2010-07-21 06:57 pm (UTC)I like the Agent of Change cover too, but I always thought they made Edger small. And the eyes are not big enough.
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Date: 2010-07-21 06:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-21 07:27 pm (UTC)Of course when you compare them to the Library Edition SF hardcovers of the late 60s early 70s, great googly moogly!
"We'll use our etch-a-sketch & spirograph to paint something that looks spacey." ugh.
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Date: 2010-07-21 08:57 pm (UTC)And I'm very pleased that I have a copy of the first edition of Diane Duane's "The Door Into Fire", with the original cover, with a half naked girl crawling up the leg of the mostly naked barbarian man (the protagonist, while male, is gay, and none of the women in the book goes around half-naked). Sometime I'm going to get her to sign it, I know how she just /loves/ that cover [evil grin]...
[1] Or at least magazines. A man reading any book (apart from a car manual) was considered a bit weird, but I was used to that. These days I'd be called a geek or a nerd, back then it was a 'swot'.
[2] You've seen "The Princess Bride"? "Grandpa, can we skip the kissing?"
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Date: 2010-07-21 09:40 pm (UTC)I do not know what msg it is trying to convey to me – but it is pushing some button in me.
I do not think it is a sexist thing because I like reading a book with a strong female lead.
Now the old covers, the princess Leia at the slugs feet kind --- Those I like.
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Date: 2010-07-21 10:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-24 08:49 am (UTC)Unfortunately they all seem to be out of print now. The first two were reprinted together as "The Sword and the Dragon" in 2006, but the second book of that series was waiting for the fourth story which is still not published.