05-02-2013, 08:24 AM | #32 |
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For me covers make a difference. Even with ebooks. If I'm not feeling the cover, I won't look unless the book is recommended by someone.
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05-02-2013, 09:06 AM | #33 |
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The original cover art for The Great Gatsby was done before the book was finished, and Fitzgerald claims to have written it into the book. In at least that case, the cover does matter.
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05-02-2013, 10:08 AM | #34 |
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I didn't care about cover-art before ebooks, and I don't care about it now. I usually only get a one-time, very-brief, thumbnail-sized glance at it for any given book. Truth be told: I'd rather the practice of adorning books with artwork be dropped altogether (unless it's an art book).
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05-02-2013, 11:05 AM | #35 |
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For me, the cover makes all the difference in the world. There are too many ebooks out there and I need a filter to reduce the amount of books that I will look through. So, without a cover that catches my attention, I will not even consider the book. I know that I might be missing out on some gems, but I'm sure that I will find another.
The cover does not have to be gaudy, just something that I find attractive. |
05-02-2013, 11:39 AM | #36 | |
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Quote:
I'm puzzled by people saying they're not influenced by the cover. It's the old "picture is worth a thousand words" thing. I see the cover in less time than it takes to read a title and blurb; I also remember an image better than a title, so I know what I might have already considered and rejected. There are a lot of generic titles and reused titles, but cover image is usually more memorable. Just for the record, I hate the blue Gatsby cover. If I didn't already know the work, I would never pick up a book with that cover. |
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05-02-2013, 12:05 PM | #37 |
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I have a few books with those 3D Prism thingies that allowed either a 3d-ish or alternate view
If I never saw another one, my feeling would not be hurt. I also LIKE a Nice cover that reflects the Story within. (I have seen covers with one of the MAIN characters holding a big blaster at the ready, which was totally out of character.) |
05-02-2013, 12:27 PM | #38 | |
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Quote:
Is this really puzzling? |
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05-02-2013, 12:50 PM | #39 | |
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I wasn't speaking of displaying the cover on an e-reader, or of buying books by an author already known to you; I was talking about browsing for a book. A cover image conveys a lot of information that tells me instantly if I want to take a closer look. |
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05-02-2013, 12:55 PM | #40 |
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Not to me. The covers are usually barely relevant to the story, and most times, the author has zero say in the choice of cover art anyway. And quite frankly, the "author's say" is the only thing that interests me in a book. Not some picture that an artist (or more and more lately, a Photoshop savant) whipped up after reading a quick synopsis of the book.
I don't care how well singers can dance either. Books catch my attention through recommendations and news/blog articles and reviews. Then I go buy them (or download a sample). I rarely "browse" books. I see little reward in it. Last edited by DiapDealer; 05-02-2013 at 12:59 PM. |
05-02-2013, 01:00 PM | #41 |
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A good cover doesn't usually sway me to purchase it, but it could draw me in to looking at the summary and synopsis. A bad cover definitely can sway me not to look further, unless it is so bad I have to read the synopsis as a joke.
Covers do matter. On a crowded page of text, the cover is what people will see and click on. |
05-02-2013, 01:31 PM | #42 |
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When I was younger I am sure covers influenced me. Now I often know what I want before purchasing or borrowing from the library.
I actually prefer to see books displayed spine out and look at the back cover before the front. Odd I know. On overdrive I almost resent the thumbnails. Helen |
05-02-2013, 02:07 PM | #43 | |
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Quote:
I tend to like the the scenic covers that look like some place I want to escape to. They are widely popular now for small town romances. Most self published romances use Kimberly Killion to design their covers. She does amazing work! Just look at her Portfolio. She's also an author. |
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05-02-2013, 02:09 PM | #44 |
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Here's another spin on the cover discussion. I read a lot of fantasy and over the last few years, this genre has seen a lot of growth in books about the undead/vampires, a la Twilight etc. And many of these books have covers that are geared decidedly towards a female audience. I'm male but I don't usually have a problem reading books with female protoganists or even books written towards a female audience. But back in the day of reading paper books, I wouldn't be caught dead holding a book with a cover that looked like a romance novel. Now with ebooks, it's not as important and I've read a few books I might not have if I had to be judged by my book covers :-).
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05-02-2013, 02:53 PM | #45 |
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I would never buy a book whose cover features a mostly naked guy with great muscles. Experience has taught me that these just aren't my kind of books. And books that feature a courtroom or a gavel or Lady Justice on the cover aren't either. Covers make a difference but for me it's mostly in the negatives.
If a book has an acceptable cover than I read the blurb, maybe some reviews, a synopsis of the story. |
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