Have You Ever... - Page 3

Teddie · 11-04-2011, 02:48 PM

Just as well "beauty" is in the eye of the beholder what one person likes another may call "crappy"

Teddy

M T McGuire · 11-04-2011, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

This. The cover is what first gets my attention, but the description/summary/blurb is far more important.

I should probably clarify though, that what I consider a "bad" cover, is not necessarily an ugly or tasteless one, but one that looks cheap and rushes. As if it was hacked together in MS Paint in less than a minute, by someone who has no idea of basic design principles or color combinations. The cover is the first impression. If an author or publisher can't be bothered to put the slightest bit of thought or effort into making a good first impression, what else have they skimped on? Proof reading? Spell checking? Any other thing that I actually care about?

I am a lot less picky about free eBooks. If I don't like a free book, I just delete it and move on.

For me, this is it, in a nutshell.

Also, I think some covers, like the painted Harry Potter ones, can give you a snapshot of what the story is about in a way that the blurb may not. Whereas the Philip Pullman covers did nothing for me but I bought the books because I'd heard they were good from friends I trusted.

So I suppose it does make a difference but only if it shows up dodgy production values.

Cheers

MTM

Nyssa · 11-04-2011, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

This. The cover is what first gets my attention, but the description/summary/blurb is far more important.

I should probably clarify though, that what I consider a "bad" cover, is not necessarily an ugly or tasteless one, but one that looks cheap and rushes. As if it was hacked together in MS Paint in less than a minute, by someone who has no idea of basic design principles or color combinations. The cover is the first impression. If an author or publisher can't be bothered to put the slightest bit of thought or effort into making a good first impression, what else have they skimped on? Proof reading? Spell checking? Any other thing that I actually care about?

I am a lot less picky about free eBooks. If I don't like a free book, I just delete it and move on.

I agree with everything you've said here!

xg4bx · 11-04-2011, 11:58 PM

yes, especially if it has a sexy elf girl on the cover.

Ken Maltby · 11-05-2011, 03:12 AM

Perhaps the cover = the first "thousand words" of the book? If those provide an
accurate synopsis of the book, all is good. So when browsing, I do take the cover
into consideration. Of course there have been times when the story that I imagined
went with the cover art was better than what the author provided.

Luck;
Ken

temetka · 11-05-2011, 04:12 AM

No. However I have allowed a book cover to grab my attention enough so that I read the info and reviews, then decide on the purchase or not.

kennyc · 11-05-2011, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

yes, especially if it has a sexy elf girl on the cover.

howyoudoin · 11-05-2011, 06:21 AM

I think any person who's made the decision to purchase and use an e-reader has already displayed a willingness to not judge a book by its cover., considering that ebooks have no physical cover, and even the cover art is usually looked at only once - when the reader opens it for the first time.

kennyc · 11-05-2011, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

I think any person who's made the decision to purchase and use an e-reader has already displayed a willingness to not judge a book by its cover., considering that ebooks have no physical cover, and even the cover art is usually looked at only once - when the reader opens it for the first time.

Not even that on many, it opens to the first chapter.

howyoudoin · 11-05-2011, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Not even that on many, it opens to the first chapter.

Haha, yeah. I guess this means mobi users are simply not as superficial as epub users

Loosheesh · 11-05-2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by temetka

No. However I have allowed a book cover to grab my attention enough so that I read the info and reviews, then decide on the purchase or not.

^This. On the other hand, I've passed on even reading the description of a book because I thought the cover was yucky-looking/disgusting etc

jersysman · 11-05-2011, 10:41 AM

If a cover is meant to get the attention of a potential buyer, then a crappy cover will not get my attention, and thus, I will not buy the book. There are so many books out there trying to grab my attention that a use it as a filter unless I know of the book, have read something else by that author, or have heard of a review by someone I trust. The saying - Don't judge a book by its cover - is true; however, if the cover is bad, I'll never get to the point of actually judging the book.

RDaneel54 · 11-05-2011, 10:56 AM

Covers can have an influence on my, but I base my purchases on the description, possibly a sample, knowledge of other work by the author and reviews.

I would look at judging a book by it's cover as akin to judging what a forum member writes based on their avatar. Which would probably mean that most of what I write would be quickly discounted.

Andrew H. · 11-05-2011, 12:01 PM

As others have said, covers (in the pbook days, anyway) often grabbed my attention and caused me to be further interested in the book, which may have led to a sale. Presumably, bad covers caused those books to lose sales as I never investigated further.

One specific example of a bad cover interfering with sales involved the Colleen McCullough "Masters of Rome" series. Although these books are fairly substantial historical novels based on McCullough's reading of primary sources in Latin (with a lot of interesting and accurate political and historical detail, described in elaborate footnotes), the fact that the mass market paperbacks (in the early 90's, anyway) had cheesy covers that looked like they belonged on romance novels kept me from buying them for over a year. I had trouble reconciling what the book seemed to be about based on a quick glance at the contents as opposed to what the cover seemed to be suggesting that the book was about...so I didn't take the risk.

Here is an example of the MMPB cover style:

At some point her publishers must have realized what was going on, because later editions had a much more explicitly Classical look:

or

Note that this was probably 1992, where my usual method of looking for new books was to wander around the bookstore looking for books that caught my interest and then trying to determine whether I might like it by reading the cover blurb and some of the inside. How primitive we were then!

(As an aside, I always liked sf covers that depicted some scene from inside the book, since it was always cool when I reached that part of the book and realized *that's* what's on the cover.)

M T McGuire · 11-11-2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

Note that this was probably 1992, where my usual method of looking for new books was to wander around the bookstore looking for books that caught my interest and then trying to determine whether I might like it by reading the cover blurb and some of the inside. How primitive we were then!

(As an aside, I always liked sf covers that depicted some scene from inside the book, since it was always cool when I reached that part of the book and realized *that's* what's on the cover.)

This is still my preferred method and yes, I love that Ah, here's the cover moment too.

Cheers

MTM

11-04-2011, 02:48 PM	#31
Teddie Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: West Sussex UK Device: Kindle	Just as well "beauty" is in the eye of the beholder what one person likes another may call "crappy" Teddy

11-04-2011, 11:58 PM	#34
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	yes, especially if it has a sexy elf girl on the cover.

11-05-2011, 03:12 AM	#35
Ken Maltby Wizard Posts: 4,466 Karma: 6900052 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Heart of Texas Device: Boox Note2, AuraHD, PDA,	Perhaps the cover = the first "thousand words" of the book? If those provide an accurate synopsis of the book, all is good. So when browsing, I do take the cover into consideration. Of course there have been times when the story that I imagined went with the cover art was better than what the author provided. Luck; Ken

11-05-2011, 04:12 AM	#36
temetka Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 3436 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: California Device: Kindle Paperwhite 1st Gen.	No. However I have allowed a book cover to grab my attention enough so that I read the info and reviews, then decide on the purchase or not.

11-05-2011, 06:21 AM	#38
howyoudoin how YOU doin? Posts: 1,100 Karma: 7371047 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: India Device: Kindle Keyboard, iPad Pro 10.5”, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Libra 2	I think any person who's made the decision to purchase and use an e-reader has already displayed a willingness to not judge a book by its cover., considering that ebooks have no physical cover, and even the cover art is usually looked at only once - when the reader opens it for the first time.

11-05-2011, 10:41 AM	#42
jersysman Wizard Posts: 1,747 Karma: 3761220 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Device: T1 Red, Kindle Fire, Kindle PW, PW2, Nook HD+, Kobo Mini, Aura HD	If a cover is meant to get the attention of a potential buyer, then a crappy cover will not get my attention, and thus, I will not buy the book. There are so many books out there trying to grab my attention that a use it as a filter unless I know of the book, have read something else by that author, or have heard of a review by someone I trust. The saying - Don't judge a book by its cover - is true; however, if the cover is bad, I'll never get to the point of actually judging the book.

11-05-2011, 10:56 AM	#43
RDaneel54 Aging Positronic Brain Posts: 633 Karma: 2155452 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Aurora (when off-Earth) Device: Amazon Oasis; iPhone, iPad Mini	Covers can have an influence on my, but I base my purchases on the description, possibly a sample, knowledge of other work by the author and reviews. I would look at judging a book by it's cover as akin to judging what a forum member writes based on their avatar. Which would probably mean that most of what I write would be quickly discounted.

11-05-2011, 12:01 PM	#44
Andrew H. Grand Master of Flowers Posts: 2,201 Karma: 8389072 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Naptown Device: Kindle PW, Kindle 3 (aka Keyboard), iPhone, iPad 3 (not for reading)	As others have said, covers (in the pbook days, anyway) often grabbed my attention and caused me to be further interested in the book, which may have led to a sale. Presumably, bad covers caused those books to lose sales as I never investigated further. One specific example of a bad cover interfering with sales involved the Colleen McCullough "Masters of Rome" series. Although these books are fairly substantial historical novels based on McCullough's reading of primary sources in Latin (with a lot of interesting and accurate political and historical detail, described in elaborate footnotes), the fact that the mass market paperbacks (in the early 90's, anyway) had cheesy covers that looked like they belonged on romance novels kept me from buying them for over a year. I had trouble reconciling what the book seemed to be about based on a quick glance at the contents as opposed to what the cover seemed to be suggesting that the book was about...so I didn't take the risk. Here is an example of the MMPB cover style: At some point her publishers must have realized what was going on, because later editions had a much more explicitly Classical look: or Note that this was probably 1992, where my usual method of looking for new books was to wander around the bookstore looking for books that caught my interest and then trying to determine whether I might like it by reading the cover blurb and some of the inside. How primitive we were then! (As an aside, I always liked sf covers that depicted some scene from inside the book, since it was always cool when I reached that part of the book and realized that's what's on the cover.)