My special guest today is Red Garnier. Red is a fairly new author but very prolific with releases from Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id and Liquid Silver Books.
In fact I’m reading one of Red’s books at the moment - Stroke of Midnight, the one with the beautiful cover below, which leads me to today’s topic.
Red is discussing covers. Which ones are your favorites? Is there a type of cover you prefer? She’s also giving away a download from her backlist to one lucky commenter. As always, to enter the draw all you need to do is post a comment, and don’t forget to check back in the comment section the following day to see if you’re the winner.
Book covers – make the book or break the book?
Hey everyone, and thank you Shelley for having me today! Today I’m blogging about BOOK COVERS. Yeah! Do they make the book, or do they break it? Well after much deliberating, I’m fairly convinced that ultimately, it doesn’t matter. Ultimately it’s your story that counts. A fantastic story will completely override a horrible cover, and a fantastic cover won’t make up for a lousy book.
However…
As an author, I spend hours creating my characters, visualizing them down to the tiniest detail. You’ve got their quirks pegged, their physical appearance, you know what they like and hate and exactly what they’d say and when. It is naturally—quite naturally!—to adore your characters so much that they’re in an altar of sorts, and mere mortals posing for your cover have trouble living up to them. This is why I totally flip for covers without full frontal faces. I love seeing bodies, hot hot bodies, and no one’s face that makes me gasp and think, “That’s not my hero! Oh my god who is this stranger?” ;)
A few covers I love??
My Spin Devil cover was the first cover I ever had and I love it. It’s sexy, seductive, and clean.
Shawna Moore’s Roughrider just makes me drool, please just look at this amazing cover;
The cover April Martinez did for my Liquid Silver release, Stroke of Midnight, is so beautiful!:
Carol Lynne’s cover for Open To Possibilities, fabulous cover, I really love this one;
Of course there are tons of beautiful covers out there. The covers for the Kensington Brava and Aphrodisia lines have, truly, the sexiest men in the world on them! I could stare for hours at the cover alone before tackling the book, haha! ;) So what’s one of your favorite covers?
I read a lot of books and don’t pay much attention to the covers. It is the author and the story I’m interested in.
by Estella December 18th, 2007 at 5:50 amI’m such a visual creature, Red. I know they say men are visual creatures, but I think we women are as well. Got to say, if I’m at the Borders, Walmart, Target, etc., and I’m looking at a shelf or rack, covers will attract/distract me. For me (if it’s not an author I already love) it’s cover, blurb, and then I think about it. Some genres immediately get me to buy the book. Out of the ones you submitted with the blog, I love the Rough Rider, Open to Possibilities, and the Sheeman the most. I always opt for realistic first, and then I like blue schemes, followed by red ones. I’m not too into the “chick lit” styllized look. Just remember- the cover attracts me- I still have to like the story line to buy and read it. Hope this helps!
by Laura K December 18th, 2007 at 6:37 amHey Estella! Thanks for commenting! Yes I definitely base most of my own buying on the authors I love, and yet as an author, I keep obsessing about getting the “right” cover that fits each of my books. Sigh. I’m just crazy. LOL
by Red December 18th, 2007 at 6:52 amLaura K, I am an extremely visual person too. I discovered Erin McCarthy by a lovely, lovely cover, in fact. Of course now I’d buy her anyway but yes, if I spot a beautiful cover, I will read the blurb, and if I like the sound of it, it’s coming home!!
Thank you for sharing this with us.
by Red December 18th, 2007 at 6:53 amI concur —
If I like an author, I’ll buy her/his book even if it’s wrapped in plain brown paper.
If I’m just browsing a bookrack, a good cover can totally hook me. Probably as much (or more?) than the blurb.
Not a fan of chick-lit covers, though they were fun they were new. And my fave Red cover is Sheeman, followed by Villain.
by Wylie December 18th, 2007 at 7:24 amMy fave EC cover is Alien Overnight.
YES YES, Amen! And Wylie, Alien’s Overnight cover is so hot!!! And my Villain cover is AMAZING! And yes, the cover for Sheeman is so lush and delicious, I happen to love it.
And YOUR cover for Destiny by Design totally, completely rocks!
Yey for cool covers and books!
by Red December 18th, 2007 at 7:29 amI have to say that I’d rather not have faces on my book covers - I like to visualize those myself. Great abs I can live with though
I love love love the covers my own books have been given, particularly my recent release and my next book due out in March. No people, but lots of color!
by Jenyfer Matthews December 18th, 2007 at 7:47 amOh I have to agree. I love abs and torsos and sinewy arms, oooh!
And Jenyfer I just went and saw your covers, very colorful and rich!! Love ‘em!
by Red December 18th, 2007 at 8:57 amI guess I am not really attracted any specific type of cover but if its not one of my autobuy authors then most of the time the cover is usually what makes me pick up a book and read the back cover. I have been fooled by a cover both good and bad. There is a particular series of fantasy books that I totally love but the first book in the series the cover looks like a little kids book. Bought that one for the author alone. But I do know a friend who loves this authors books passed it up several times before I told her it was fantastic.
by Pamk December 18th, 2007 at 9:48 amHi, Shelley and Red!
Red, thanks for your compliments of Roughrider’s cover :) You all should have heard my scream when I opened the email from Syneca (the talented artist who designed the cover). Anyone in the near vicinity probably wondered what was happening inside our house :) One of these days, or at a future RT, I hope I have a chance to meet the model who posed as Roughrider. This one will likely remain my all-time favorite cover.
I’m a very visual person and admit appealing covers attract me to ebooks and to print books at my favorite brick and mortar stores. I notice the cover, read the blurb, then skim the first chapter (of those on shelves). I’ve found many new authors this way and might have otherwise have missed their terrific work.
Shelley, I always enjoy reading your blog and your books. Red, likewise, I enjoy your sexy stories. You two gifted authors have certainly been blessed by the cover gods! Here’s wishing everyone happiness and good health for the holiday season and beyond!
Season’s greetings and steamy readings,
Shawna Moore
by Shawna Moore December 18th, 2007 at 10:48 amI’ll admit it - a pretty cover can seduce me
I like all your examples above. I remember the first time I saw Shawna’s cover. Wow! I still like to look at that one.
I was going to mention Jenyfer Matthew’s, One Crazy Summer cover. I love the colors the artist has used.
Another cover/covers I like are the ones on Sylvia Day’s Brava historicals. The dark-haired model - yep, just call me shallow.
Like Laura, I like a blue color scheme and I dislike covers that are really dark and use lots of black. I hate covers that make me squint. I always write that on my cover sheets when I’m filling them out!
I don’t mind covers with faces since I tend to read the author’s character description and change it to suit myself if I don’t like their version.
by Shelley Munro December 18th, 2007 at 12:19 pmShawna,
Thank you very much! You write some pretty good books yourself.
by Shelley Munro December 18th, 2007 at 12:31 pmI love hot covers, the hotter the better, but I can also appreciate covers that are more subtle. These covers don’t have people on them. It usually consists of a scenic view with flowers.
by Jane December 18th, 2007 at 1:42 pmPamk, yes I’ve been fooled by covers too. Not a nice feeling. LOL!
Shawna, oh we ADORE your cover and we adore your books!!! Thanks for visiting us.
Jane, I love subtle covers too. The best covers appropriately represent the book for sure. :)
Shelley, hey! Thanks for having me for a visit… ;)
by Red December 18th, 2007 at 2:56 pmSyneca really does a great job with her covers. I like photo’s of torso shots the best too, plus they seem to be the easiest to match up to the actual character descriptions. Can’t believe how far covers have come since those early Harlequin/Silhouette’s books I first started reading.
by Lee M December 18th, 2007 at 4:03 pmI am a visual person as well and love a great cover with vivid colors. The only thing that I find annoying with a cover is when the person on the cover does not match the author’s description at all. If she has red hair and the cover model has black hair I find that irritating. Makes me feel like the cover artist just went and did her own thing without considering the reader and the publishing company just let it go. Does not leave me a good impression of the publishing company.
by Cherie J December 18th, 2007 at 4:09 pmI love covers, but I can’t say that a “bad” cover has prevented me from buying a book. I do prefer not to see the faces of the characters on the front though. I like to have my own visuals.
by Christine d'Abo December 18th, 2007 at 4:41 pmRED DAHLING!!! Sorry I haven’t been around. Hello to Shelley too!
I’m surprised you didn’t mention your latest “coverboy” as your least favorite. ;)
Still you’ve had some GREAT covers there babe.
Covers don’t stop me … good covers interest me but I will read the blurbs too. I like to visualize my own characters.
Big hugs to both of ya!!!
by Amy Ruttan December 18th, 2007 at 5:44 pmI tend to agree with you, Red, about covers not mattering when a make my choice about the purchase of a book.
However, I do find myself wondering a whole heck of a lot after I’ve finished a book, what ever induced the publisher to go with that particular cover when it had nothing to do with the author’s obvious intent or conception of what the story and/or hero and heroine look like. Too often, I find myself chuckling over what a disastrous foepah the publishing companies could make of an author’s vehicle if consumers were more visually driven when making their choices. LOL
I do have to say that I like the covers of your books, Red, but I’ve not read all of them so I can’t say that they’re an accurate idea of what you had in mind. LOL
by Ayreann December 18th, 2007 at 9:57 pmRed, I love the covers of your book. Alot of covers catches my eye, but I would have to read the blurb to see if I’m interested in the storyline.
by Amelia December 18th, 2007 at 10:38 pmUsually I don’t like faces on covers, but Zannie Adams’ Complicated is a terrific exception to that rule. That’s my idea of a perfect cover — beefcake AND personality.
As for Alien Overnight’s cover…I was actually a little disappointed when I first saw it, LOL! It was nothing like I’d requested — THANK GOD! (smacking forehead) There’s a reason I’m a writer and Les Byerley is a cover artist. I’d had something a little more chick-litty in mind…
by Robin L. Rotham December 18th, 2007 at 11:01 pmWhat does everyone think of the step-back covers where there’s something like scenery on the cover with a couple in a clinch on the next page?
by Shelley Munro December 18th, 2007 at 11:06 pmI’m kind of undecided about step-back-covers. Often times I tend to like these types of covers even better than regular covers because there seems to be a more realistic connection between covers and author idea. The downside is that step-back-covers usually become easily damaged and often times are damaged before the purchaser even gets their hands on the copy due to turned back corners, etc.
by Ayreann December 19th, 2007 at 5:02 amWow - late to the party again! I’ve got to get some more coffee…
Anyway, I do believe covers are ultra important when you have a physical book on a store shelf. Not so much in the e-pub world. E-pub readers are buying on storyline and author. My cousin Julianne MacLean has noticed that certain of her covers have had direct impact on her book sales. She’s noticed that covers with a lot of red in them sell better, for example.
by julia December 19th, 2007 at 6:14 amHey Lee, you are so right, Syneca is a master!!
Cherie, Oh I really hate that too. A hero with black hair outside and inside he’s…blond? Turn off! ;)
Hey Christine and Amy and Robin, sistahs!! Ah, Robin, what do you mean you did not like AO’s cover?! IT’S AMAZING! Yes, you go type, cover artists do covers. LOL.
Hi Ayreann, you are so right! Having a cover carefully produced to match your book tells you a lot about your publisher, a great publisher takes care of their readers, their authors and their books.
Hi Amelia, thank you, I love the covers I’ve gotten too, most are definitely representative of the books, except my newsest stock cover perhaps . . . but well, thats the problem with stock covers I guess.
Shelley thank you for having ME!!! Now about the prize?
by Red December 19th, 2007 at 6:47 amJulia there you are!! Lovely thank you for visiting Red here!!
by Red December 19th, 2007 at 6:49 amI missed that you were going to be here!!!! *waves*
by Jennifer McKenzie December 19th, 2007 at 7:09 amI love April Martinez. She’s AWESOME.
I think my favorite cover has to be “Dark Garden” by Eden Bradley. Somehow, that cover lets everyone know what it is without pleather and crops. I love it.
i read both spin devil books and truly loved them!!
by Tina brunelle December 19th, 2007 at 7:54 amOh Jennifer, that’s a definite. I LOVE Eden’s cover!!! And yes, April is amazing!
Hey Tina, waving! Thank you for the compliment, I’m so happy you enjoyed! And thanks for visiting.
by Red December 19th, 2007 at 10:42 amCongratulations to Jane.
Jane, you’ve won a download from Red’s backlist. Email me at shelley munro @ gmail.com (no spaces) and let me know which title you’d like plus the format.
Congrats again!
by Shelley Munro December 19th, 2007 at 10:54 amI admit that I’m a sucker for a great cover. LOL Like you, I really like covers with body parts and partial faces. Somehow they’re more mysterious and evocative.
by N.J. Walters December 19th, 2007 at 11:51 amShelly, I prefer a plain cover, maybe rich colors and a tapestry design or something like that, or a stepback cover rather than a clinch. I read at work, I read waiting at the Dr’s office, I read wherever I happen to be when I’m having to wait, and I prefer passersby not to know what I’m reading - none of their business. Plus if I happen to leave a book laying around, I’d prefer not to have to explain to my grandkids or friends’ kids what that person on the cover is doing with no clothes on… Just my opinion…
by Georgia Woods December 19th, 2007 at 3:54 pmAyreann - good point about covers being damaged in shops. Stepback covers would be more vulnerable. I’ve noticed that some books with darker covers don’t seem to be up to the wear and tear and they scratch or peel a little in shops.
Julia - interesting about the red covers. I’m going to have to pay more attention the next time I’m in a bookstore to see which colors people are picking off the shelves.
Jennifer - I like Eden’s Dark Garden cover, too. The contents are pretty good. I read my first Eden book recently and loved it!
NJ - I see there are a lot of body parts and partial face fans. It’s definitely something to take note of!
Georgia - that’s a good point. If I’m reading a paperback and taking it out with me, I do take care with the cover. That’s one of the pluses of ebooks. The covers don’t matter when I read them on my palm reader.
by Shelley Munro December 19th, 2007 at 5:01 pm