Thursday, July 15, 2010

What makes you buy a book?


When I buy books, I go for author name over covers.
I couldn't care less what's on the covers, it's what's between them that count.
It got me thinking though.
Here's my recent release, THREE TIMES A BRIDESMAID, with several different covers.
Which one would make you pick up the book?
Which do you like best?
And do you buy a book based on cover? Author name? Reviews?

16 comments:

Gee__Pea said...

I know it's awful of me to say, but I judge books on their covers. UNLESS, I like the author or have read a good review. But usually I grab a book because I love the cover.

Lacey Devlin said...

Well I love the first cover the best just because I think it's more relevant. The cover means nothing to me I read reviews, blurbs and sometimes the first few paragraphs. Most of the time when I pick up an interesting cover, the storyline disappoints.

Unknown said...

Cover two appeals to me, it's romantic, shows their love and it's soft and pretty!

Kerrin said...

yes, i love the second one for the same reasons at Marilyn!
But usually i buy a book because of the author. If i want something new then the blurb at the back will win over the cover.
But i do love looking at them :)

Kat said...

def cover 2 for me, I like the more modern look and it conveys some romance.
But it's authors over covers for me, i'll buy my faves regardless of the cover.
Other than that though I'm a bit of a magpie for pretty things, so an eye catching cover will make me pick up one book over another.
Which of the three do you prefer yourself?

Anonymous said...

I do not like the covers at all.. I usually read the blurb on the back and of course I have my favorite authors. BTW could you come up with more interesting titles for the books. Most of the time they are variations on the same 5 words.

Joanne Coles said...

I like the top one best because it looks more wedding-y. But I always choose books based on author or blurb. I once read a book that featured a boy baby but the cover baby was a girl ... or maybe it was the other way around but the cover was wrong.

Also, I know this is really shallow but I find it hard to read a book if I don't like the hero/heroine's name.

Romance, Rumours and Rogues said...

That's really interesting, geemoney. Eyecatching covers do grab my attention but it's the blurb that really sucks me in :)

Romance, Rumours and Rogues said...

Snap, Lacey!

Romance, Rumours and Rogues said...

It is a beautiful cover, Marilyn. I love it!

Romance, Rumours and Rogues said...

Same here, Kerrin, I love looking at a pretty cover but unless the book is by an author I love, chances are I won't buy it.

Romance, Rumours and Rogues said...

Same here, Joanne, fave authors over covers any day.

The 3rd one is actually my favourite, seems to capture the heart of the book more than the others.
But I'm partial to the 2nd one too :)

Romance, Rumours and Rogues said...

Anonymous, I don't choose the titles, that's done by M&B extensive marketing team who know what 'hooks' readers like.

Brides, tycoons, weddings, babies, etc... are popular themes in M&B, hence they use variations of those in the titles.

Romance, Rumours and Rogues said...

Not shallow, Joanne, everyone has personal taste :)

Must admit, I don't like it when the cover is way off the storyline (esp. obvious things like hair colour, etc...)

Lois said...

All three are just fine, but I have to go with the first because that's the look I'm most used to; I know that's the H. Romance, while the others are the overseas version of something that I have to look further to know.

But as for covers in general, there is only one reason I might check out a book because of a cover -- I read many a contemporary and historical, but with the historicals, if there is an author I don't read, or is new or something, and they have a Jane Austen period looking cover, then I'll look in to it further. I love my Regencies, and that helps catch my attention. Contemporaries, doesn't really work there, but I guess if a space shuttle all of a sudden shows up on one (with an author I don't already read - I say that because Lori Wilde had a Blaze with a shuttle on it, and I read her already LOL), then I'll jump at it, but that doesn't really happen much. LOL

In short though, I never buy a book because of the cover only. :)

Lois

Romance, Rumours and Rogues said...

Me too, Lois!