Here is a photo of my main character in the novel I've sent to NWS for a critique. I googled 'beautiful Sicilian girl' and this image is the one I think most closely matches how I picture her. The hair, eyes and face are all as I see my eighteen year old heroine looking as she travels to Sicily in search of her Italian father. This is for my eyes only; I wouldn't want to influence anyone else with this image as another reader will see a different girl's face in his or her mind's eye. 
Black and white images create different effects. When my ghost story 'The Journey Home' appeared on Alfie Dog Fiction, I'd changed the accompanying photograph from colour to monochrome to create a more spooky feel.
On the other hand, 'Meet Me By The Jacaranda Tree', a short story set on the beautiful island of Madeira, needed vibrant colour.
If you would like to read these and my other short stories please click HERE
I'm always very excited when cover reveals are shared prior to publication. One of the most striking covers that suggests the very essence of the book is the one for 'Ghostbird' by Carol Lovekin. I interviewed Carol as part of her blog tour back in March. See Carol's interview HERE . That cover would certainly have persuaded me to pick up the book and buy it and the story was everything that the cover promised.
Recently, Juliet Greenwood revealed hers for her forthcoming book, 'The White Camellia' due to be published by Honno in September. Having enjoyed Juliet's previous two novels, I'm looking forward to reading this story set in 1909. There's something fascinating about the image. Although the young woman's face is clearly visible, it's the emotions and thoughts behind the image that I want to find out more about by reading the book. I wonder if she's feeling sad and why. Who is she thinking about?
I love the depth and range of the blues in this cover and already I'm wondering about how a butterfly figures in the story. Perhaps it's symbolic in some way.
Whilst browsing Facebook on Thursday, I noticed author Rosie Thomas was offering a signed copy of her novel 'Daughter of the House' to each of the first five people to send their addresses to her. I wasted no time and I was one of them! It arrived in the post the next day. :-) The book was published on May 19th by Harper Collins UK as a paperback. I'm never early for anything so I can't believe that for once I was on the ball! As a big fan of Rosie's writing, I can't wait to start reading it. And it has an amazing cover, don't you think?How important do you think book cover designs are? Have you ever bought a book just because you liked the cover? I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks. :-)
Thank you for reading. You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and on Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.
Great post - I appreciate the mention! I think often it's the cover that encourages a reader to stop and have a look inside the book. And yes, my butterfly is symbolic. And huge thanks to my cover designer - she did me proud!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. Your cover designer certainly did and I'll just have to read 'Chosen Child' to find out about the butterfly. :-) I find the title intriguing, too. Thank you for popping by to comment.
DeleteCovers can be a double edged sword sometimes, especially in the SF genre, so I would absolutely read a blind book date. I almost passed on Generation V by ML Brennan because the cover made it look like a Twilight rip off when it was anything but. The only similarity was vampires but the marketing team at the publisher didn't get the memo.
ReplyDeleteThank you for giving the other side to the argument. The 'wrong' book cover could mean we miss a gem of a book so I suppose we should use other information such as the title and blurb to tell us more. Thank you for commenting.
DeleteThanks for mentioning Linda's guest blog, Jan. I'm thrilled to see her book cover included in your post. Such a striking image, and such a glorious blue. I'm not surprised it caught your eye. I think cover illustrations are hugely important. A good one attracts readers and gets them to pick up the book and take a look at the blurb or the opening page. As for books covered in plain brown paper - that takes me back to my schooldays when we always spent the first day of the new school year covering our books with brown paper to protect them!
ReplyDeleteLinda's cover has made me want to find out more about her book and it's been added to my 'to read' list. Yes I remember those days, too, and the telling off I got if I then defaced the brown paper cover with a boy's name or a band I liked! Thank you for leaving a comment.
DeleteThey are lovely covers, Jan. I agree it can help sell a book.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like them, Sue. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteI think book covers are incredibly - especially the colours. When I self published my story collections I spent a long time thinking of how they could be eye catching on my blog and social media. I also made sure the colours of both collections complimented each other.
ReplyDeleteI think it's worth doing that, Wendy, and I remember both covers being very attractive and effective. As you say, the choice of colours is so important. Thanks for popping by to leave a comment.
DeleteThrilled to be included on your list, Jan! Thank you. And as ever, a great post on an interesting topic. I do judge books by their covers & see no problem with this. Cover & blurb - both crucial & notoriously difficult to get right which is why it can take so long. You have picked some excellent ones! xXx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carol, and it was a pleasure to include your 'Ghostbird' cover. Together with the blurb, covers play such an important part in the whole process, don't they? Thanks for commenting.
DeleteI've definitely bought books on the basis of the cover alone, not knowing a thing about the story inside, and cover design has been particularly good over the past couple of years as print fights back against ebooks. I've also been on blind dates with books and, so far, it's been a success, especially when it's taken me out of my reading comfort zone. So I would do that again because sometimes no matter how lovely a book cover is, it can also lead us into choosing the same kind of book over and over again or put us off a book which we might otherwise love. (I think women's fiction is one genre that suffers from this quite a bit.)
ReplyDeleteYou've made some interesting points, Kath. I can see how the covers can influence you to keep to the same genre. I need to go on some blind dates, I can see. When I belonged to a reading group, I read books then I wouldn't have chosen myself and was out of my comfort zone. Thanks for leaving a comment.
DeleteSuper post, Jan. I know as a reader, it's the cover that appeals to me first. So, as a writer - especially as a very near future self-published writer - a lot of time and vision needs to be spent on a cover's design. It's important to get it as right as possible in order to attract readers and also to build up one's own brand. The good thing about self-publishing is the control to change the cover and branding at any given time. I love your featured covers. Thanks for a wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Nicola. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. What exciting news that you are very near to publishing your book! I'm sure you will choose your cover with care and get it right. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteI'd pick up the brown paper book simply because it would look different and I'd be curious to find out more about it.
ReplyDeleteAn eye-catching cover design is obviously important, but I check the blurb on the back and the first page before I decide to buy.
It's good to hear the other side of the argument, too, Linda, that the brown paper would add to the mystery of what the book is about. Thank you for your comments.
DeleteBooks have images and inforation on the cover for a very good reason - it helps the reader to select something they'll enjoy (or find useful as appropriate). For bookshops to hide them seems daft to me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Patsy. I remember how striking your cover was on 'Firestarter'. The image of silhouetted figures against the fire colours was just right. Thanks for popping by to leave a comment.
DeleteI love a good cover. Often it just lends credibility to a book. A cover that looks amateurish makes me wonder if the writing inside is amateurish, as well.
ReplyDeleteYou've made a good point, Stephanie. I think if you're self-publishing the responsibility for all these important decisions rests on the author's shoulders. Thanks for commenting.
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