Do you ever judge a book by it's cover?

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Kristin Ransome
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Re: Do you ever judge a book by it's cover?

Post by Kristin Ransome »

I hate to admit it, but I'm often guilty of picking up a book due to its looks (cover art, style and size) lol
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Post by _Delly_01 »

I know people say it's bad to judge a book by its cover, but I think it is important to, sometimes. A cover can tell you how much effort has been put into its publication, its vibes can reveal genre and/or target audience, and a cover is literally the first thing you look at. If you're looking at a book with a bad cover (such as self-published books that are cut/paste images), sometimes you'll realise when reading the book that it isn't about what it promised it would be, the editing is bad, or the book itself is a mess of genre elements that don't work together.

A cover can sometimes reveal a lot about a book, but it should never be solely judged on these things. An author doesn't always have sway over the book cover, and not all publishers work to find out what the author's content is. But I do believe covers matter.
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

This is also a true assertion that a cover can communicate a lot about the book and its quality. Anyone who cannot spend some quality time and effort on the cover may, therefore, lose many potential readers.
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Post by chibiparty »

Yes and no, depending on the title.

The covers can help with "is this going to be an x-rated romance book?" (something I don't like to read) and "is this going to be a thriller?" (not good for my anxiety).

I've bought books because the cover made the book look like it was going to be about the kinds of stories I like to read, and the book ends up being the exact opposite.

I've also seen books that look like they're going to be a romance, but end up being a fantasy that's safe for children, and books with covers intended to draw in a male audience but the books are 90% super-girly romances that have nothing to do with the cover and summary.


So it's really nice when the cover can tell you what the book is going to be about.
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Post by PepperedPenelope »

15foleyr wrote: 08 Dec 2013, 22:15 Unfortunately, I do tend to judge books by their covers. There are some AMAZING covers that perfectly capture the story or at least are aesthetically pleasing and draw your eye. My favorite cover right now (aka what is on the front of my bookshelf so I can bathe in the beauty of it) is Champion by Marie Lu. It's 1st on my TBR so once my schedule dies down a bit I can get to it :) Anywho... WHAT I HATE are those cheesy shots of people that just look... off. I don't know... but if you can't afford to make a great cover with photography (like TMI or TID by Cassie Clare) do something simple. Simplicity can be beautiful... and with a little effort, the simplicity can stand out. I do have to admit, a lot of times authors do not get a say in what their covers look like, so I don't blame them. But, to all the publishers out there: maybe your SHOULD spend time on the cover, because like it or not, even the most avid readers might judge a book by it's cover.
Agreed! I know what you mean, some of the people just look so fake and cheesy it's hard to pick up the book. I tend to judge more by title. If there is a solid title I will pick it up eve if the cover is terrible. However, some titles are just so obscure and leave you wondering why they picked it.
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Post by mmm17 »

I'm not sure I do. An attractive cover draws my attention and makes me want to read a book, but I always go on and read a synopsis to become aware of what it's about. On the other hand, I think I may dismiss a book just because its cover is not interesting. I know I shouldn't, but it happens.
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Post by Demotronic »

I believe it is human's nature to see the outside before venturing into the inside. So yes, most of the times, I do get intrigued by a good design/title of the book.
Logically speaking, we always tell ourselves that the value of a book is mostly intrinsic.
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Post by chelhack »

Yes, I do have a bad habit of tending to pass judgments on books by their covers. Also, while admitting to doing so I have actually read some really great books behind those covers that I initially thought not to be interesting or good based on their cover also vise versa.
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Post by gabbyj99 »

I used to honestly judge by the covers, but as I get older they only somewhat interest me. Some horrible books have amazing covers, while others are the exact opposite
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Post by Aniza Butt »

I often judge a book by its cover and m usually wrong in my judgement. A bad looking cover often has a good book inside.
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Post by MandyP »

I love a really nice cover. A clean, well cared for book with colours and images that are pleasing to the eye will attract me to a book. I will only buy it if the plot interests me, but I admit when it doesn't i'm a little disappointed because that book would look great on my shelf!
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Post by Aditi Sapate »

I avoided accepting that but yes I do judge books by their covers. I like books with bright eye-catching colours. But if the blurb doesn't work in its favour then the cover isn't much use.
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Post by Duryen »

I have to admit that the cover can have an influence on whether I read a book. I have read almost all of Ilona Andrews' books, but I have a very hard time bringing myself to read her series that have stereotypical "trash romance" covers. I've even checked the books out from my online library a couple of times, but other books become available and become more compelling before I ever start them. I love the author in general and need to get over my resistance.
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Post by Aisha_123 »

Yes sadly I do. There is something about book covers that if it's not pleasing to the eye, it automatically makes me not eager to read the book.
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Post by Ariel_Martin »

I always judge a book by its cover and its title. If it doesn't capture my attention than I am unlikely to read it, unless it was recommended to me. Maybe not the best way, but I have found a lot of great books that way.
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