tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13002022.post113677051926120685..comments2023-10-05T06:28:29.938-07:00Comments on Bookseller Chick: Book Sense 101: Covering the Basics of Covers*Bookseller Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16740546395821645741noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13002022.post-1136831400502172112006-01-09T10:30:00.000-08:002006-01-09T10:30:00.000-08:00Jason, thanks. It helped me really pinpoint the r...Jason, thanks. It helped me really pinpoint the reasons why I buy books, and if it helps someone else it's worth it. I too really like Bostwick's cover, but it blends in too well. Just goes to show that a good cover can still be a detriment.<BR/><BR/>Kate, I know it's horrible but it is pretty much industry practice. A buyer for a bookselling company has to look at so many books that they don't have time to read through them. By laying them on the floor and shuffling them about they are not only figuring out what they think will sell, but what combination will sell. They send this info on to their book company and that company comes up with planograms based on how much the publisher has shelled out for marketing along with their own thoughts and ideas. <BR/><BR/>As for the trend you're talking about I think it was a cop-out on the side of the publisher. It's easier to churn out covers with that style that supposedly will appeal to more people (because of no clinch cover), but in reality makes all the covers seem very homogeneous, and does not allow for much differentiation at all. Easy to make though, and gives the art department a break.<BR/><BR/>Amanda, Mistress of Spices has had three covers, I believe, and is on its fourteenth or fifteenth printing. Tipically the publisher seems to change the cover when they think they've exhausted one reading area (in this case Women's Lit) and want to broaden their appeal to another (the Chick-Lit crowd). I think this cover for is attempting to both appeal to the women's Lit-ers and the Chick-Lit-ers. <BR/><BR/>As for why do publishers put out bad covers, I'm going to cover that soon. It has a lot to do with how they feel about the book, the book's placement on their list, and how overworked the art department is.Bookseller Chickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16740546395821645741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13002022.post-1136824469595502512006-01-09T08:34:00.000-08:002006-01-09T08:34:00.000-08:00I bought The Illuminator & Mistress of Spices base...I bought The Illuminator & Mistress of Spices based on the covers (yes I agree I'm shallow). I have an older copy of Mistress of Spices though, the cover is a photo of different spices spilled across a table. Loved Mistress of Spices although I haven't read The Illuminator yet. <BR/><BR/>I don't know that I'd buy MoS with the new cover. The older one was very attractive. My question is, if the pubs have realized cover art is so very important to sales, then why are there still so many horrid covers out there?Bob & Muffintophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12517851052183148808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13002022.post-1136820327049252222006-01-09T07:25:00.000-08:002006-01-09T07:25:00.000-08:00I went to an RWA talk by Warner's promo woman and ...I went to an RWA talk by Warner's promo woman and just about gave up writing then. <BR/><BR/>She talked about how the grocery stores etc etc buy the books. Do buyers flip through the books? Or even bother to read the back? Nah. They throw the books down on the floor and shuffle them around to see how the covers look from a distance. <BR/><BR/>Sob. <BR/><BR/>An interesting fact about my 2nd mass market paperback's cover: Read the back, look at the cover picture NOT A HINT that it's a historical. The only way to tell is the tiny word on the spine. That's the trend, apparently--or was last year. Obviously not this year!Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02495558736099438348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13002022.post-1136816012442173542006-01-09T06:13:00.000-08:002006-01-09T06:13:00.000-08:00Great post, BSC!! I don't know why, but I didn't ...Great post, BSC!! I don't know why, but I didn't really appreciate that a book doesn't just need a great cover, it needs a great cover in interraction with all the other covers visible in store. That was a great example of a fine cover which gets lost in the crowd.<BR/><BR/>Thank you for putting in the time and effort to write it. I'm looking forward to the next installment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13002022.post-1136775849973211192006-01-08T19:04:00.000-08:002006-01-08T19:04:00.000-08:00Re: the Otori. Oh, you must. They are wonderful....Re: the Otori. Oh, you must. They are wonderful. We almost have the Boss convinced to read them and she doesn't even like to read fiction. <BR/><BR/>And you've nailed exactly why covers are so important. We've created a culture that makes snap decisions and is always rushing around--even in bookstores--this means they have to make their decisions fast.Bookseller Chickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16740546395821645741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13002022.post-1136774720451095812006-01-08T18:45:00.000-08:002006-01-08T18:45:00.000-08:00Great post! Yes, when browsing, either in the sto...Great post! Yes, when browsing, either in the store or on Amazon, it's the covers that make me pick it up or click on the link to learn more. Covers are very important. With so many choices, how else are we to choose? Reading every single back cover or excerpt would take up way too much time.<BR/><BR/>I have the first two books in the Otori series, but haven't read them. I might have to someday.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02716785419172270884noreply@blogger.com