/lit/ - Literature

Might as well repost an old thread I made ranting about modern book covers

"Don't judge a book by its cover" is bullshit

Though this obviously applies to classics too, it's even more important for a new author with a brand new book. The cover is as important as the title. If your cover has any or all of the following:
>A portrait of a person in cosplay
>A title made in some overly elaborated type, perhaps in an attempt to resemble calligraphy, but making it almost unreadable
>An uncreative title like: "The magician's wife", or "The (place) of (adjective)"
>A phrase that tries to sum up the conflict of the book in some corny way
>A background which resembles a cubist painting for some reason
>Or a background that tries to add many ornaments in a baroque style, or in which the title "exists" within the background
Or even better
>Any type of sticker referencing a film/tv adaptation of it, or its popularity on social media

Then I'm simply not reading it, as I know from pattern recognition that modern books with these aspects are unremarkable schlock at best and brain-numbing YA at worst.
If it is a classic novel which has some of the aforementioned points, then I'm not buying it either, but will look for an edition that isn't hideous. Get yourself a self-respecting cover and title that show actual thought put into it if you want me to read your book.

Picrel shows examples of covers of which I wouldn't even bother to read the back cover

Though this obviously applies to classics too, it's even more important for a new author with a brand new book. The cover is as important as the title. If your cover has any or all of the following:
>A portrait of a person in cosplay
>A title made in some overly elaborated type, perhaps in an attempt to resemble calligraphy, but making it almost unreadable
>An uncreative title like: "The magician's wife", or "The (place) of (adjective)"
>A phrase that tries to sum up the conflict of the book in some corny way
>A background which resembles a cubist painting for some reason
>Or a background that tries to add many ornaments in a baroque style, or in which the title "exists" within the background
Or even better
>Any type of sticker referencing a film/tv adaptation of it, or its popularity on social media

Then I'm simply not reading it, as I know from pattern recognition that modern books with these aspects are unremarkable schlock at best and brain-numbing YA at worst.
If it is a classic novel which has some of the aforementioned points, then I'm not buying it either, but will look for an edition that isn't hideous. Get yourself a self-respecting cover and title that show actual thought put into it if you want me to read your book.

Picrel shows examples of covers of which I wouldn't even bother to read the back cover