As a fiction writer and an avid reader myself, I can't help wondering what sort of cover attracts readers. If I'm not familiar with a writer, I can still be drawn to buy a book at a bookstore or borrow one from the library based on the lure of the cover design. An eye-catching cover is the first draw. Of course, I want to read what's on the book jacket as well and glance at a few pages before I decide. But initially, the cover art must attract me.
I very much like the cover art for my novel THE INFERNO COLLECTION. You get a sense of the eerie which is appropriate for this particular novel. As for my latest novel, THE DROWNING POOL, I found the cover art eye-catching. However, my one daughter-in-law who is quite artistic was critical of it. Since the reviews of the novel have been very good, I'm hoping for many readers regardless.
What do you think constitutes good cover art? For example, if the novel is a romance, are you drawn by a man and woman embracing (the so-called clinch)? Or do you prefer something less explicit? If it's a mystery, should there be something menacing? What is the best cover art for a literary novel? Opinions welcome!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Jacqueline,
ReplyDeleteI pick up books if the cover or title strike my fancy. I wish you had included your covers in your post so we could see what you're talking about.
I think covers should be eye-catching, draw the readers eyes across important information (like the title) and reflect the mood of the book.