Romance Cover Art – Embarrassing or Hot, Hot, Hot?
I’ve been reading romance novels since I was a child…well, maybe a little older than a child. Still, each story I read was magical, sensual, amazing. I never really thought about book covers much until I was older. For me, the blurb on the back was the clincher as to whether I’d buy the book or not. Years later, I found myself riding the public bus to and from work. The trip took about a half hour, and to make use of the time I read.
And that, my friends, is when I noticed what the book covers I carried around looked like. I sat every day on a bus crowded with business men and women in their suits and trench coats (yes, this was in the 90’s) while I clenched a romance in my sweaty hands. On the cover, and sometimes the spine, would inevitably be a scantily dressed woman and a bare-chested man in a lustful embrace.
It didn’t take long before I scoured the bookstore aisles for novels with serene castles or flowering meadows on the front, preferably with names to match – The Raider or Angel vs. Warrior’s Woman or Wicked Promise.
Thankfully, I don’t ride the bus to work anymore, and the need to be modest has disappeared. (Now I’m the one bare-chested on the bus…kidding.) The point is I’m back to not caring what the cover of the book I’m reading looks like.
I’ve heard it said that most authors don’t get much say in their cover art, but as I wrote my ATV entry Once Upon a Masquerade, I had visions of a cover tastefully done, maybe a woman in a rich-colored dress, photographed from the neck down.
Of course since then I’ve been told that the best-selling covers are those with good-looking men on them. Specifically muscle-bound chests. Case in point…
Ehem…There might be some truth to those rumors. I just might have to change my tune. That got me thinking. How many people out there buy books based on the covers?
What do you say? Do you prefer to see hot men on your favorite romances or is a demure cover more to your tastes?
Before I stop jabbering here, I’d like to thank Edie for inviting me to Magical Musings today. She’s a talent writer and a true lady. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her over the course of the American Title contest.
Take Care.
Tami
www.tamarahughes.com
Speaking of the American Title contest, voting is going on right now. Make sure you get your vote in.
To view book excerpts, go to www.romantictimes.com.
To vote, send an email to votes@romantictimes.com with the title of the book you’d like to vote for in the subject line. My title is ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE.
There are only two finalists left, and you can help decide which one will get their book published! Don’t delay, voting closes on March 29th.
Tami, thank you for blogging with us today. You’re not jabbering at all! I took the bus at one time, many years ago, and I always had a book in my purse. I can remember being embarrassed by the cover, too. Now I read in dentist’s and doctor’s offices when I need to go, and I take a book with a cover that won’t embarrass me.
I LOVE Lois Greiman’s cover. If I saw that in a line-up with the other books, that’s the one I’d pick up and look at the back. In fact, I’m going to her website to check it out. The only time I’ll pick up a book like the last one is if I know the author or someone recommended it.
The first one — the clutch — I’m not crazy about, either. He does look good, and if she were standing up to him, equal to equal, then I might like it.
Thanks for inviting me to Magical Musings today, Edie! It’s funny, but since I wrote up this blog I saw some covers that were really risque. Pretty incredible how times have changed. With erotica romance such a big market now, the covers have gotten very saucy. May need to hide those under a pillow when the mother-in-law comes to visit. Tee Hee.
I’m never without a book in my purse. Never. Even on vacation to Disney World lol That being said, I’m reading a contemporary/chick-lit by Marianne Stillings that has a half naked man in an apron on the front. I recent trip to the dentist made me painfully aware of the book cover when the family across from my was from a strict religious background. lol
Do I buy a book based on cover? Not really. But I do find myself hiding a book by propping it up on my bag if it’s too steamy. Or if I’m around my niece. That’s why I like the cartoon covers. They can be sexy and silly all at once.
Really, it doesn’t matter as long as the book is well written.
Good luck in the finals.
I love a great cover. The male nude attracted me but that wouldn’t be the reason I’d buy it. I hate steamy embrace covers as most of them seem the same other than hair color (which sometimes has no relationship to the H/H) or the clothing on its way south. And sometimes that’s not right.
I love an intriguing title, but that doesn’t clinch the sale either. Oops, clinch…
The blurb will do it and a quick glance at the first few pages. Or a great review by someone I respect like Edie (I’m reading Lost Recipe for Happiness right now) or The Secret ( which was reviewed here last week). Both covers are distinctly different as is the content. Those are the #1 reasons I end up buying a book.
And Tamara I voted for you last week. Hope all goes well for you there.
Mary Jo
The first romance I bought was for the cover, but that was because it tickled me that the shirtless hunk with the sword resembled one of the characters in my wip, and I figured everyone should read a romance eventually.
Unless I’m in the mood for something utterly indulgent, I’d rather have writing and character, so I wouldn’t gravitate to covers with the visual equivalent of chocolate during sex. My favourite of the samples you posted is Lois Greiman. The colour and content just appeal to me more, and I’m looking for more in a story than an escape (the top cover) or objectified eye-candy (the bottom).
That being said, I wouldn’t necessarily seek out a modest or demure cover. I wouldn’t want to wind up with an uninteresting read because it seemed more appropriate for public. If people don’t like the cover of a book, I’ll just sit next to them and read them passages
Great post! I’ve also been told that the sexy covers of the men sell well (I’m guessing the publishing folks first got that idea back in the Fabio days). And I certainly like the men, don’t get me wrong, but, when I’m in a store, the covers that attract my attention the most are those like Kim Harrison’s. Darker. With clever titles.
But, still, a cover alone never sells me. A cover will get me to pick a book up and flip it over so that I can read the blurb. The blurb is generally what sells me.
Good luck in the American Title Convest!
Sandra: Thank you for the good luck wishes! I’m hoping. I agree with you – as long as the book is well-written, the cover doesn’t really matter. For me, cartoon covers have never appealed. Weird, but true. (Probably because my kids have given me a whole new perspective on cartoons. I used to like them; now I’ve seen way too many.)
Mary Jo: Yeah, the steamy embrace thing is pretty cliche now. I’m not crazy about them. And it’s so true; they all look the same. Lois Greiman is one of my chaptermates, and she spoke at the last meeting about the book I posted. Anyway, she’s holding a worst cover contest on the blog ridingwiththetopdown.blogspot.com. I’m not sure when it will be there – she’s still collecting emails. But she mentioned that one of the authors who submitted their cover had a good story. She had two covers with the exact same couple on the cover, but the guy had a different head. Too funny! (Oooo yeah, and thanks for voting for me!)
Hayley: I love Lois’s cover. For some reason, I’m drawn to those jackets with pretty colors and the neck down picture of a man or woman dressed up. She has a couple recent books like this – one in purple. Very pretty. And you are so right – the story is the most important thing.
Cynthia: Interesting that the titles help draw you in. And that is one of the toughest things to come up with – at least it is for me. But I agree, some titles are more appealing. Thanks for the good luck wishes!
How funny that you’re blogging about this as I was thinking on this subject the other day. I, too, use to be embarrassed by the covers. My cousin told me, “well, they must sell the books or they wouldn’t use them.” true.
But now that I’m older and have my own book coming out, I care much less. In fact, i’m proud of my hero and heroine groping each other on the cover! As romance readers/writers, we’re so beat down by the public, that I think there’s a point in which we say to hell with you all. I’m starting to finally reach that point!
You know, Lori could be right. The cover for my first novella as a half naked man in the kitchen
It’ll be released May 18th so we’ll see if it sells well lol
I like that attitude Lori! Bring it on. And Sandra, what could be more appealing than a half-naked man in the kitchen? Is he cooking too?
Tamara–don’t know how much cooking’s actually getting done, if you know what I mean
Tamara, great blog, and congrats on finaling in the ATV. Fingers crossed for you. When I started reading romances, JoAnna Lindsey, Kathleen Woodiwiss, and Fern Michaels were my introduction. The covers were pretty and typical of the sweeping historicals at that time.
Today, probably because of the type of books I read, I prefer a sense of place on the cover. Give me a porch swing, pair of flipflops, or beach scene and I’m drawn to that book. Like some of the comments, a cover will prompt me to take a closer look. I love the soft colors too. I noticed a few of my favs, may have an occasional character on the cover but a face isn’t shown. Susan Wiggs has a great cover out now, and it has a gal braced on a wooden railing with only her back showing, arms outstretched. The ocean is in front of her, and it’s breathtaking. Karen White has some beautiful covers too.
I never buy a book based on a cover, though.
Thanks LaDonna! One more week of voting and then it’s over.
I can see what you’re saying. Sometimes a cover that shows a location instead of people is so much better, especially since the people never seem to match the descriptions of the characters. Of course even if they did, the people I envision in my head as I read the story don’t match anyway.
Tami, LaDonna likes women’s fiction, especially Southern WF, so the covers she likes suit the genre.
I agree with the everyone who says they won’t buy a book based on the cover alone. I always read the blurb, too, and maybe a page or two. But a good cover will entice me to pick up a book in order to look at the back cover.
Wonderful! One of my critique partners writes Southern Women’s Fiction.
One thing I tend to steer clear of are man-titty covers. Sure, I like a hot body like any other chick, but I don’t need it splashed across the cover of my book to convince me that that hero is sexy. I’d prefer to read about it.
My favorite covers are those that set the tone or the mood of the story. Other than that, I’ll pick up a book based on the title, too. Regardless of the picture or the title, the blurb is the only thing that will make me plop my money down on the counter.
Man-titty covers? Too funny. So is it really true that hot naked-chested men on covers sell the best? I wonder.
Thanks for guest blogging at MM, Tami, and good luck with the contest. I voted for you a couple of days back
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I prefer covers that are simple and elegant. I don’t really like the bare-chested man or the clinch covers, because I think they are over-done. But I won’t base my decision to buy the book on the cover.
Sorry I’m so late chiming in, Tami.
The cover is usually what catches the eye first, of course … but I tend to look for favorite authors first and depending how many I find, will then concentrate on new authors. Yes, the cover is instrumental in what causes me to pick up a book. I’m not a fan of clinches and don’t really care about half nude heros on the cover. Tasteful is always best but its the blurb that will sell me rather than the cover.
Thanx for joining us here at MM. Great blog.