You Do Judge a Book By Its Cover

Since we were children, we have been told not to "judge a book by its cover." Of course, when you're six years old that means not to assume that the girl in the corner who looked and dressed different from everyone else is icky.  Or perhaps it means not assuming the boy sitting next to you has cooties, simply because he's a boy.  On the aspect of not judging a person based on their appearance, it's a solid idiom. People are much deeper than what you see on the outside, and if you make a snap decision about a person based on what you see at first glance, you often miss a tremendous amount. 

But in books, I find it hard not to judge by the cover.  I'm immediately drawn to certain types of covers. Yesterday, I went to my local Borders store to spend a few quiet hours writing.  I wandered through the store toward the cafe in the back and as usual, stopped to look at the bookshelves of interest to me.  I noticed a book I had just finished, MARKED BY PASSION by Kate Perry.  I noticed the cover of a book out in hardback that I'm anxiously waiting for the paperback (The new Susan Elizabeth Phillips book.) 

Beyond the familiar names, I peruse the covers to see if anything grabs me.  For me, personally, I'm drawn to covers that are photographic, not drawn.  For instance, a cover that literally threw itself into my hands was Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah.  I'm an avid reader of hers to start, so I automatically migrate to her section of the shelves.  However, from the moment I saw that cover, I knew I had to read the book. 

Now the interesting thing about this cover is that the girl on the front is not the girl in the book.  The girl in the book has dark hair. But of course, I didn't learn that until I read it.  And I didn't care once I did learn it.  (I loved the book.) 

However, it's nice to like a book cover when you already have a relationship with the author's work, but it's not always required for me.  With Kristin Hannah, I knew the chances of liking that story were very strong. 

So what about authors we don't know? When walking the bookshelves or searching online stores, what attracts you? 

Do I put the same emphasis on a cover while shopping online as I do when I'm in a bookstore?  If I'm specifically looking for a new author, what draws me to choose a book?

In the bookstore, the covers get my first pass.  I'll read the back cover and if I'm still interested, I'll read the first few pages.  That will usually make or break my decision.  But unless the cover jumps out at me, if its an author I've never read, I'm not likely to pick it up. So when it comes to new people, I am guilty of judging a book by its cover.

And online? I went to Amazon.com, to the book section, then my favorite genre: historical.  Now, I started at the list from the top, ignoring authors I had read. I continued through the list until a cover popped out at me.  This happened to be #4 on the list: Deanna Raybourn, Silent in the Sanctuary

This cover appeals to me.  I like the simplicity of it.  The man's hand on a woman's back makes me wonder of the relationship between them.  It's sexy without being overt. 

Beyond Raybourn's books, it took me until #54 to find another book by an author I had not read in which the cover jumped out at me. This one was A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers.  

Many of the other authors I would glance at because I know their names or have read their work.  But for me, at least, it proves that an appealing cover is vitally important in my decision to learn more about a book from an author I don't know. 

So what about you?  If you go to your favorite online store, to your favorite genre section and start scrolling through the list of books — look for a cover that appeals to you by an author you don't know.  What's the first on your list?  What appeals to YOU? 

And in the vein of covers, SOMETHING ABOUT HER is up for a New Covey Cover Award this month.  If you feel so inclined to vote for my cover, you can check out the entries here: New Covey Cover Awards. My cover is #24 on the list.

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