Yes, You Can Sell A Book By It's Cover

I just saw the cover to "Blackbirds" by Chuck Wendig-- and now I want to read this book. All it takes is that cover and the one-line blurb posted at Angry Robot,  Meet Miriam Black. She knows how you’re going to die. And when. It’s now. Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig. In stores and online in May 2012, -- and I'm sold. Isn't it gorgeous?



But I've always been a sucker for a good cover-- which is probably why I like fantasy so much. There's nothing better than reading a good book and pausing to look at the cover; something I miss when I read a book on my eReader.



I just got "Alloy of Law" by Brandon Sanderson in the mail and the cover is awesome in person, though I would have read the book if it was wrapped in a brown paper bag. But, as with "Blackbirds," I can be persuaded to pick up a book almost entirely on the merits of its cover; the last such book being "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer" (which was unfortunately not as compelling inside as I had hoped).









I find that I'm often drawn to covers that have a gauzy, ethereal style or bright splashes of color-- which presents a problem in that I'm not always in tune with the story that goes with the cover. YA fiction seems to have some of the most striking covers but I'm not always too interested in what follows.  The title of "The Treachery of Beautiful Things" seem really appropriate in this context-- don't you think?

When I was younger I was fascinated by the covers to "The Snow Queen" and "The Summer Queen" by Joan D. Vinge-- I still think they're fantastic.

The downside to my visual preferences is that when I see an unappealing book cover I immediately pass judgement on the book behind the facade. Self publishing has produced some really unfortunate examples.

I kind of feel bad for pointing that out....but what is going on with the strange silhouettes and the floating, disembodied suit of armor? And the middle one? I think I'm actually a little more put off by the title.



But self-publishing doesn't have a bad-cover monopoly. Here are a few that caught my eye that went through the traditional publishing process.

I'm not sure what's going on here. Is she feeding him a freakishly large strawberry?

What happened to Wonder Woman?

I've picked this up a few times but I'm always put off by the cover-- it looks like bad Photoshop. (A shame because I think the book might actually be pretty good-- I think this is one for the eReader).





I admit it, I'm shamelessly superficial. I should know better because I've read many, many books that don't live up to their covers-- and vice versa.  How about you? Do you shop by book cover, or are you more evolved than that?