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Date Posted: 13:18:41 10/21/12 Sun
Author: Chris K
Subject: New Cover Question


how much does the cover have to reflect the story?

Do you care if the heroine is a blonde and the cover is a brunette?

Do you care if there's only one scene at a beach and the rest of the story is in a city , but the cover is a beutiful beach scene?

If the book is a series - do you care if the covers are similar?

Do you want to immediately recognize it's part of a series by the cover?

I appreciate all the answers!

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Replies:

[> Inside . . . . my answers are over the reply length -- Araninda, 19:52:47 10/21/12 Sun [1]

I do think the cover should reflect the book. As I said below, a lot of Deanna Raybourn's fans were upset when her Lady Julia books were reprinted. The heroine is a feisty nonconventional Victorian lady, but the cover on the reprints made the book look like a Harlequin romance rather than a mystery-adventure.

I don't like abstract covers -- the kind where the art or the title looks cartoonish. A lot of modern stories have this kind of cover.

And yes, if the hero or heroine is described in a certain way in the book, then the cover should try to match that description, or at least make the cover look somewhat similar.

The location should depend I think on what the main focus of the story is and the title. If the story is a murder mystery, for example, I don't have a problem with the cover being the house where the murder took place even if the characters don't come back to that house much.

Anne George's books always had unusual titles "Murder Shoots the Bull" for example, and the cover art was a carnival shooting gallery, which had nothing to do with the book. There wasn't even a carnival in the book. I never liked that, although I did enjoy her books.

If the book is a series, then absolutely I like the covers to be tied in some way. Usually that's done by the same typeface font and its placement on the cover. Or with a tagline "A Murder She Wrote Mystery" for example. Yes, it does help to tie the books together in the series.

I think if an author is writing a series, then he or she does need a "hook" to let the reader know this is a series. Sue Grafton writes mysteries according to the alphabet "W is for Witness". Mary Daheim writes "The Alpine ____" series. Readers do get involved in the characters and wait expectantly for the next book, even to the point of trying to "guess" what the next name will be.


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[> [> Agree with Aranainda and Deemus but truly, the cover art isn't very important to me. I buy a LOT of books for airplane reading these days. No iPad or Nook etc. -- Jan, getting ready to go east again for work., 20:43:40 10/22/12 Mon [1]


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[> Inside, as I'll probably go over, too. -- Deemus, 20:40:29 10/21/12 Sun [1]

I like the cover to at least be able to relate to the story. If it's totally different, I find that distracting.

Yes, if it's clear the heroine looks one way, and the cover is completely different, that too is distracting.

As long as there's at least one beach scene (to follow your example), it's OK.

I don't mind if covers are similar in a series, as long as they're not identical, but I don't mind if they're different, either.


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[> [> thanks -I think most folks seem to have the same pet pieves -- chris k, 21:13:29 10/25/12 Thu [1]


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[> I really expect the cover of the book to represent something about the story inside. If the hero/ine is on the cover, he/she should look somewhat like the description (especially hair color!). If that cannot be accomplished, something symbolic or related non-human imagery should be used. -- The Chief (Otherwise it looks like the publisher doesn't care or is clueless), 15:35:48 10/22/12 Mon [1]


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[> [> you need to talk to publishsers in NY- they are notorious for not givng a dang about matching hair color!! LOL -- chris k, 21:10:12 10/25/12 Thu [1]


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[> I like vague unless its a series where you know the characters and something to link them is nice. Again I with Star Trek, they use the different scenes of the ships or a character. If its new then please dont misrepresent the characters, if they are green with purple hair, then dont put yellow with orange -- DOS, 22:17:43 10/22/12 Mon [1]


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[> okay ladies - thank you ! -- chris k, 21:15:51 10/25/12 Thu [1]


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[> Since I have no control over my covers I just cross my fingers and hope for the best! -- manette, 17:57:05 11/05/12 Mon [1]


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[> [> and your cover is just adorable!! - love the puppy! - : ) -- chris k -, 09:57:04 11/07/12 Wed [1]


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[> I believe the cover should reflect the most important part of the story. The crux of it as it were. -- Theresa, 20:37:42 11/19/12 Mon [1]


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