The Problem with Girly Covers

I recently read this article on The Guardian about how girly book covers are harming YA readers.   I know covers are all about marketing, and a lot of YA novels do appeal more to teenage girls than boys, so targeting them specifically isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  But the girl in the pretty dress cover really repels most boys.

The article has a brilliant quote by brilliant author Libba Bray (loved her Great and Terrible Beauty series).

Not exactly a gender neutral cover,
but I like it.

“But, as American YA author Libba Bray points out, books have no gender – titles for young adults, she argues, should have gender neutral covers. ‘We have to move the needle,’ she says. ‘If you categorize books as for boys or for girls, the message is that boys don’t need to be concerned about the female experience. And vice versa.’”

As a girl, I’ve read countless books about the “boy” experience, and actually found it fairly similar to my own girl experiences.  And I’m not alone.  Girls are far more willing to read “boy” books than boys are willing to read “girl” books (tried to find some statistical data on this, but everyone seems to agree with this idea even if there is no hard data).   This is not surprising since society has always marginalized anything that is traditionally “feminine”  because clearly the human race could’ve survived just fine without anyone raising those babies as long as men kept doing their important manly things, or at least that is how history shows it. 

I do think that boys should be reading books about the female experience, so that they may discover as I did, that we are really not that different.  There are important books like Speak, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Little Women, and Pride and Prejudice that really give insights into female issues past and present.  But I’m not really sure that all YA novels should have gender neutral cover. 

The most important thing a cover should do is signify what kind of story is being told, so that those who want to read the story will be attracted to it.  My sister is a high school librarian and has a unique insight into what books attract YA readers.  Of course I’ve picked her brain on the subject, and she says that girls do check out more books than boys, and they seem to be more drawn to the covers with pretty girls in prom dresses.  So these covers do work (or at least it seems from this very small sampling).  These girls want to read certain types of stories (usually paranormal romance), and these gendered covers are promising those stories.

I think the problem comes when these gendered covers are given to books just because they were written by female authors and had a female protagonist whether or not the cover actually fits the story being told.  Not every story written by a woman promises the story that these “girly” covers promise.

For example : 

Here is an interesting link about this cover.

Even though I haven’t read The Bell Jar, I’m pretty sure Sylvia Plath didn’t write chick lit.

And another:

Way too much pink for my tastes.

This one I have read, and I almost didn’t because it does look like chick lit in fantasy land.  Really it is a great second world fantasy story (with a more urban fantasy feel) that just happens to have a pretty awesome and very capable heroine.   A more gender neutral cover would better represent the story and not turn off potential male readers.

I know these examples aren’t YA because I really couldn’t think of any YA examples although I’m sure there are plenty.  But this problem of gendering covers just because the author is female goes well beyond YA.  There are many more examples out there, but I think this awesome link says it all.

Well those are my thoughts.  What do you think?  Are girly covers hurting YA readers?  Are gendered covers just another way to marginalize female writers and make it okay for men to ignore us?  Or are they just an effective way to find their intended audiences?

~MaryAnn

Some Things to Consider when Designing a Cover

We’ve had a lot of great posts here at The Prosers on cover design and the importance of having a great cover.   Having a great cover is especially important in self-publishing because it is one way to set a book apart from the other self-published books.  Maybe I’m a little harsh, but if the cover looks amateurish, I suspect the story may also be amateurish, but if the author puts the time or money into creating a professional looking cover, I imagine that he/she put as much care into crafting the story, and I’m more willing to give the story a try.

I really think of all the things that can be done to promote a novel, having an amazing cover is the most important.  I know we shouldn’t “judge a book by its cover,” but honestly, I do, and I don’t think I’m alone.  So in those crucial seconds when a reader decides whether or not to try a book, an intriguing cover just might be the difference between a sale or no sale.

I’m not really artistically inclined, and if I ever chose to self-publish, I’d probably hire someone to help me design my cover, so I’m not sure if I’m the best to give advice on designing a cover.  But when I looked through covers to write this post, I started seeing some trends.  Then I read this blog post the Seduction of Romance-Novel Design on designing romance covers, and I realized how much thought goes into designing a cover.   Designing a cover is as much an art as writing the book, and if there are tools and tricks for us writers, there must be tools and tricks for cover designers as well.

Perhaps the most important part of cover design is the signal to the reader what kind of story is being told, that includes indicating the genre and as well as other aspects of the story.    In the blog post on designing romance covers, Claire Brown who designs covers for Hachette Publishing Group made this comment on the constraints of romance novel covers.

“The (cover) design of the romance genre is driven by sales, but the formula works. ‘There are constraints in how much we can deviate without alienating the reader,’ Brown says. ‘Familiarity in typeface and painterly style reassures the reader that this book is what you think it is going to be, and you are going to love it.’”

I think that is a great quote and just emphasizes that there a psychology to developing covers, that we readers are somewhat programmed to look for familiar things on the covers that indicate that this is a book within our genre of interest that will appeal to us.

Now as I said earlier, I noticed a few patterns when I was shifting through covers.  I think these patterns, which are sometimes broken, help indicate what kind of story is being told and genre of the novel.  Too many times I’ve seen nice looking covers of self-published books that look like the wrong genre.  For example:  I once saw a cover of a boy petting a black lab in a pastoral setting.  I imagined the story was going to something along the lines of Where the Red Fern Grows or Old Yeller, but the story was about a post-apocalyptic world.  I did not get any indication of sci-fi or speculative elements from that cover.

So to help self-publishers design covers that match their genre and find their intended audiences, here are some things to consider in designing a book cover.

1.     Type setting.  As mentioned in the earlier quote, familiar typeface is important to indicate genre.  The romance genre tends to have elegant sweeping fonts whereas dystopias have more of a clean computer-generated looking font.  Clearly, the use of different fonts and typeface can help indicate the genre of the story.

Bet you can guess the genre just from the typeface

2. Color schemes.  The use of colors tends to (not always) indicate genre.  I know that there are exceptions, but I saw some colors combinations used more frequently in some genres versus others.  I think that the color scheme can help indicate genre.   

I saw more brown, blue, and green color schemes in second world fantasy novels, and more black, white, and red in paranormal romance.  As a reader of both of these genres these color patterns work.  Second world fantasy novels are usual set in a pre-industrial world, so earth tones really work for giving that feel, while paranoramal romances are all about passion and danger, so a more dramatic and passionate colors fit perfectly for that genre.

Graceling has a green and brown (gold-ish) color scheme whereas Everneath has black, white, and red.

The Demon King has brown, blue, and green while New Moon has black, red , and white.

3.  Graphic.  I like how Trisha summarized Chip Kidd’s TED talk in her post last week. 

“A cover can only do so much.  As Chip Kidd said in a TED Talk, ‘A book cover is a distillation.’  It has to condense the story down and summarize with a single glance.  If it's done well, it will pull the reader into the book.”

The graphic is very essential to that distillation of the story.   Having the right image, one that really represents the story being told is very crucial to the entire cover.  I think it is important to get it right.  Close enough doesn’t cut it.  If you can't find that perfect image from available, already existing art that you can purchase the rights to, you may have to pay an artist to design one for you.  I know that can be expensive, but if you really believe in your story, you might have to invest a little money to give it the best shot at being successful.

I love the cover of the novel Sheena may be publishing soon.  It is amazing.  The girl with the half-human half-dragon face perfectly depicts the story being told, and I think that this awesome cover will definitely make her novel more successful.  I know I’m eager to buy it.

Awesome cover.  It makes me want to read the book.

So for all you writers either toying with the idea of self-publishing or already in the process, my not so expert advice is to look at the covers of all your favorite books in the genre you wish to be publish.  Look at the typeface, the color scheme, and the graphics, and try to emulate that style while staying true to the story you have written.  I think that is the best chance to appeal to the readers who will love your book.

Good luck!!!

~MaryAnn

Book Covers

When I was twelve, my English class read a fantastic book about a boy that lived in a world without color.  I think this was the first time in my life that a book stood out.  It made me want to understand the meaning behind the symbolism.  I wanted to dissect it and figure out all the little pieces in it that made it great.  The trouble was, I moved from one continent to another that year, and my brain had too many new things to process, so it quickly forgot about the book.  It would be nearly fifteen years before I would find the book again.  It wasn't the plot or the characters that helped me hunt it down.  It was the cover.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry.  The man in the picture is a painter named Carl Nelson, and the picture was taken by Ms. Lowry herself during a time when she worked as a photojournalist.  I had to email her to find this information out.

 

This is the image that was burned into my memory for a decade and a half.  I walked into a book store one afternoon, went directly to the children's section, and described it.

 

"I'm looking for a book, but I can't remember the name.  I think it is about a world where there is no color, and the front has a black-and-white picture of an old man with a long beard."

 

I expected the girl to stare at me blankly, or shrug me off.  Either I was exceedingly lucky and happened upon a woman that knows her children's literature, or this book has a really iconic cover.  (I suspect it was a little of both.)  She walked me directly over to the Independent Reader section, pulled out The Giver, and said, "Is this what you're looking for?"

 



Had the story been less powerful, I'm sure I would have simply forgotten the book.  A cover can only do so much.  As Chip Kidd said in a TED Talk, "A book cover is a distillation."  It has to condense the story down and summarize with a single glance.  If it's done well, it will pull the reader into the book.  If the book and the cover come together as one perfect unit, it will imprint itself on the memory of the reader for the rest of their life.

 

That was such a short post that I'm going to leave you with the very informative, and really funny talk that Chip Kidd gave regarding book covers.  I hope you enjoy!

 

 

Awesome Covers (umm...at least I think so)

Sheena blogged yesterday on how to make your book go viral. She focused on self-publishing, but I think this advice is great for all authors. So many traditionally published authors have to work on self-promotion too, so either way you go, you should read Sheena's post.

One thing she talked specifically about was to make a great cover, which inspired me to blog about covers.

Okay, I’m really hoping that this develop into a nice discussion in the comments because I’d love to know what type of covers influence you too. All I can present here are covers that intrigue me, and I’m curious if others feel the same way. So please leave a comment. :)

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

I’ve learned this lesson well because when I started reading the Fantasy genre, none of the covers really appealed to me. There are so many books that I loved that I would have passed on if I had judged them solely on their covers. For example:




These covers are fine, but they don’t really do it for me. I don’t want to make this a male or female thing, but most of these books were borrowed from my brothers’ collections. So I can’t help but wonder if, in general, these covers appeal more to males than females. I believe these books were marketed more to boys than girls back when I was a kid, so I wonder if they worked for the audience the publishers were targeting.

The most important thing for a cover to do is to represent the story being told. A cover should attract a reader who enjoys that specific type of stories. The covers that speak to me generally do represent the kind of books I enjoy. Although there a lot of books I love with covers that don't draw me in.

I’ve noticed that I’m attracted to covers that seem to focus on one character or more iconic covers with an object or symbol. I’m going to show you examples that I love. These are not all books that I have loved, and honestly some I haven’t even read (they are either in my TBR pile or the story itself didn’t appeal to me even if the cover did). These are only books that I gave a second look based only on their covers.

Iconic Covers

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I know Twilight is so over-done, but seriously, this cover is just gorgeous. I love the color scheme with black and white with a splash of red. It just screams paranormal romance, especially passion and temptation, which makes it perfect. I loved all the original covers in the Twilight Saga except Breaking Dawn. They are all just so pretty.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

This cover does look a little similar to Twilight with hands holding an object, but it gives a completely different feel. The color scheme is not as bold, and the intricate, gold design around the title gives it more of a second world fantasy feel. Since the title is thief, it is pretty clear what the story is about. Very well done.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


This cover has a very sleek design which gives it a very totalitarian feel to it. I love the color scheme, black, white, gold and a hint of red. Very eye-catching.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Like The Thief, this one has a second world fantasy feel with a very interesting medallion hanging over a beautiful landscape. I’m not too fond of the writing going up the page, but the rest of it is so beautiful, I’ll let it slide. :)

Covers with a Girl

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Girl wearing a beautiful dress crying in the forest definitely gives the impression of heartache. I love the color scheme and the way the light comes through the trees suggesting either sunrise or sunset. Very Beautiful.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Yes the girl isn’t alone in this one, but the other person isn't really seen. I can't help but wonder if the guy is trying to help her or hurt her. The cover is very disturbing, but beautiful at the same time which is intriguing.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

I’m not sure how well this cover works with the story since everyone has to wear uniforms, and I can’t remember if anyone ever wears a cape, but still this cover is gorgeous. It suggests a second world fantasy and spying which is on par with a story that has a lot of political intrigue.

Firelight by Kristen Callihan

Love how the setting is shown in the scenery and the dress and how the girl looks like she is on fire. I love the vivid color scheme, gives the impression of passion. Just awesome.

Covers with a guy

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick


I think it is clear by now that I love black and white color schemes. I think it fits well with paranormal romance. I love how there is only a touch of red. Besides that, hot angel guy falling, what is there not to love. Yes guys, us girls can be shallow too. ;)

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

This cover is just gorgeous (yes the model is pretty gorgeous too). I love how you can see the runes drawn on the hot guy and how light seems to come out of them. I like how bright the guy looks in comparison to the bleak city below. Very fitting of the novel, IMO.

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

I think this cover is pretty awesome. I like the contrast between the white background with the dark clothes the guy is wearing. Besides, it promises ninja assassins, what could be cooler than that?

White Cat by Holly Black

Yep, another black, white, and red color. I really love that combination. But this cover just screams mobsters, and that is exactly what this story is about. Really awesome cover.

So those are some covers that really appeal to me. I definitely see a trend. So do you agree or disagree. What kind of book covers appeal to you?

~MaryAnn

Covers on the Cheap

http://www.myecovermaker.com/ecover-design

So instead of writing this week, I decided to try out the free cover maker website linked above. I made these covers in a few hours spending...no money.

Which proves that I'm cheap.

And that I have too much time on my hands.

Essentially, it proves I'm a mom.

Sarah's is my favorite... Although it's cropped weird. SoOo cheesy.

Anywhosers...

Here is the recipe for making an awesome cover.

First, write an awesome title.

 (This is harder than it looks. Check http://theprosers.blogspot.com/2011/12/wait-does-this-need-title-too.html for tips.)

 B, search royalty free websites for an awesome picture. There's a good chance you could get a stock photo that would work perfectly for free, or less than 15 dollars.

Next, if you can't find a good photo, you can always check out deviantart.com. If you find an artist you like, there's a good chance they might design a cover for you for the cheap, or even just for the publicity.

Fourthly, once you have a plan, and/or a picture/ and or just some free time, check out http://www.myecovermaker.com/ecover-design. Play around with it. After a few fun fake covers, you will learn what you are doing, I promise. It's super, super, easy/free. You have to become a member to upload pictures,( which costs less than ten dollars) but it is a heck of a lot easier to use than Indesign, or Photoshop, or Gimp. It's very point and click. If you can't figure out how to make it flat, check the upper right hand corner in the finalize stage where it say's 2D. It took me a few days to figure out how to do that.

There you go. Simple. I've just saved you several hundreds of dollars.

You're welcome.

Good luck with it!