Book cover controversies have been burning up the Internet lately. A quick recap:
On her blog, Justine Larbalestier wrote what I thought was a remarkably even-handed assessment of what happened with the US cover of her novel. In Justine’s words, the protagonist is “black with nappy hair which she wears natural and short.” Which is why she and many subsequent readers were surprised to see this cover:
(The image has since been taken down)
Larbalestier relates the anecdotal experiences of other authors who have since been in touch with her, and touches on the fact that the cover choice could relate to the pernicious stereotype that “black” books don’t sell. I don’t necessarily agree with all of her conclusions, but it’s an interesting post.
Meanwhile, over in the UK, the Internet has been calling shenanigans on the cover of Simon Kernick’s novel DEADLINE. After glancing at the cover you may be surprised to know it’s not actually by Dan Brown.
And finally, the artist of that bull statue on Wall Street is suing Random House for using the image on the cover of the book A COLOSSAL FAILURE OF COMMON SENSE, which is about the Lehman Bros. debacle.
What does all this cover business mean to the authors? A whole lot. What can they do about it? Not a whole lot.
In the US especially, author approval over the cover is kind of like a 100 year old bottle of Bordeaux wine that is only bestowed upon the truly rarefied authors among us who measure their book sales in the gajillions. Everyone else has to live with the cover the publisher comes up with. No approval. Publishers decide on what goes on the cover, sometimes with input from the major chains. And sometimes but not always with the author’s input.
When it comes to covers they don’t like, authors do have one solid tool at their disposal: the Agent Freakout, a time-honored tradition whereby an agent raises hell about the proposed cover, often (but not always) effecting the necessary change. (The Agent Freakout is reason #1,782,572,081 why you should have an agent, btw).
Otherwise? An author has to trust that the publisher will see the light or just breathe and remember that a bad cover is very unlikely to destroy your career.
But honestly, while these cover horror stories are memorable they’re also somewhat rare. For the most part the art department comes up with an extremely good cover, and some authors luck out with a truly spectacular one.
So yes: you don’t have control over your cover. But don’t worry. It all turns out fine.
Usually.
The Dan Brown stunt is ridiculous. If I were Brown and/or his publisher. I'd sue for using my name without licensing (unless they did license his name for cover use–there's a nice revenue stream if you can get it).
But it comes off as a cheap, desperate ploy. I'd be super-pissed if they put some other author's name in bigger font than my own on my book.
What too many book designers seem to forget is that a book cover has to be readable when reduced to Amazon thumbnail size.
Your book is going to sell via the "other people who bought this book bought there" array but not if the cover is impossible to understand. I see a lot of covers that don't work on Amazon.
Also, your cover better have print that can be read when spine out. Very, very few books are shelved face out in the chains. I see book design where the designer uses fonts that aren't readable or colors that are hard to see on the spine.
These are major issues that sometimes get sacrificed to fancy (unreadable) fonts and someone's delusions of being an artist.
I see some really distracting book design hitting the shelves of late too. You do not need to put a gray graphic at the bottom of every page. You don't need to put the chapter heading on the outer margin. People do, but really, you don't.
Jennifer's cover is fantastic!
Nathan, I have a hard time picturing you doing the Agent Freakout though. My guess is you don't often need it.
kristi-
Every agent has to have their threshold. I try for win-win situations and don't get mad easily, but you have to be tough when it's necessary.
Indredible how the cover is a hot issue these last few days.
I'm really hoping, although I know it's not very likely, that I can at least make suggestions on the cover of my book-still-to-be. Let's se…
I had seen all the posts except Justine Larbalestier's, and while I thought the cover was pretty when I saw it in this post. It's a beautiful image that seems evocative of the content. However, I'm finding myself pretty annoyed that it's been white-washed. (And I am a white woman.) Then again, I get annoyed if the cover image looks at all different than the description of the character in the book (even for minor things, like changes in hair color)…but this just seems so underhanded and racist.
The cover of Simon Kernick's book…that's just plain ridiculous. I get why the publisher would want to market the Dan Brown quote, but come on.
Jennifer Hubbard's cover is beautiful and I'm looking forward to her book, and hoping in the future that the stinks raised by these few bad examples will prompt publishers to consider their covers a little more closely, either to resemble the book's protagonists or to keep the blurb from overshadowing the actual creator of the work!
If I owned a bookstore, I would not stock Deadline or any other book that has a deceptive cover. Customers would be upset when they discovered the truth and would return the books with much complaining.
As a bookseller I have observed that while publishers pay great attention to the cover, they often pay inadequate attention to the spine. Very few books are fortunate to be sold facing out, so the spine is usually all customers see at first. I’ve had customers who asked for my help finding a book that was on the shelf they were searching, but because of low contrast or a strange font, the book was literally being overlooked.
If I ever get a book published, I won’t agonize over the cover (really, I won’t) but I do want the spine to be visible and easy to read. Because it will make a difference in sales.
Look at a row of book spines at the bookstore. You’ll notice that some catch your eye quicker.
When every word read from every query in his slush pile starts coming true, no matter how bizarre, literary agent Nat Ransford options are slim. Either he thwarts the the space alien invasion all while evading the vampires standing between him and the lost city of gold and solves the mystery of the murdered concubine, or he takes down his shingle and finds another line of work. That, or just maybe he'll close the door on unsolicited submissions.
The Agent Freakout
93K words of sheer lunacy
I hope whomever is reponsible for the Dan Brown mock cover is as unemployed by the industry as I am right now. That's pathetic and revolting.
Covers are VERY important, in my opinion. If it's sophisticated, powerful and clever, I'm going to expect the same from what's inside and will normally lend some of the cover's cachet to the writing. If it's noisy, corny and displays a lack of taste, I'm making a face and moving on.
I hope if I ever get the opportunity to be published that I'm at least asked my opinion. In the end, the author is going to have to put a lot of work behind their book and I should think everyone would want them enthusiastic about the entire process.
The Secret Year sounds great – I want to read it, now and the cover is wonderful.
You repped that, did you?
*peers at Nathan with an acquisitive eye*
Ooooh! Jennifer's story DOES sound great! (And the cover is fantastic!)
Seriously, it sounds exactly like the kind of book I'd love to read!
I agree that both Dan Brown and the real author should be pissed about that UK book cover. Especially since I would never buy a book with a cover like that: it screams "bad Dan Brown knockoff that can't be advertised on its own merits" rather than "awesome, just like some other bestsellers you might have read."
As I've posted elsewhere, I just hope my novel isn't eventually covered in pink, or high heels, or martini glasses. I didn't write THAT kind of chick lit. Such a cover, I think, would end up disappointing buyers who wanted traditional chick lit, and would be offputting for my real target audience.
Wow. That just seems wrong using Dan Brown's name like that. But the god-honest truth is I'd probably pick up the book to read the back cover blurb. I might even purchase it if it seemed to live up to the promise at quick glance.
As for Jennifer's book, the cover looks amazing. Definitely top notch and I'm not just sayin' that. Cause I wouldn't comment on it otherwise. 🙂
It's interesting too how covers are different for different markets. My UK cover has vintage 50s illustration, circa London Underground posters with hand drawn fonts, while the US cover has a beautiful, slightly whimsical painting. Yet, I really like both of them.
The titles are different in the UK and US too, and the contrasting covers work well with each title.
I have to say that I felt very included in the process. Both editors have been sending me roughs along the way. It's been fascinating seeing how they have changed along the way.
"(The Agent Freakout is reason #1,782,572,081 why you should have an agent, btw)."
ROFL … With wit like this, why aren't you writing?
If it's any consolation to your clients with bad covers, the cover art usually doesn't sell me on a book. It's the blurb about the story on the back cover that helps me decide whether to purchase a book or not.
I’m divided on this front. As an author I would want the cover to reflect the story within. As a publisher I would want the cover to make the customer pick up the book. A dollar coin clued on the cover of a furniture restoration handbook? No worries – just chuck a tag line under there “… save a buck with furniture restoration”.
Whatever justifies it.
Justine Larbalestier’s book? You know what, I love the cover … the concept is obviously way off the mark when the book’s content is taken into account but I’m sure the publisher knows the ‘blackness’ of the story’s character will turn readers away at cover level thus denting sales.
Justine has blogged about this herself. Yes, it is tragic that there is ‘colour-blindness’ at work here, but it’s that's simply a reflection of greater society.
My hope is that kids are lured to Justine’s novel through any means so that they can be exposed to the heart of the story.
The Black Barrier is nothing new. I’ve sold thousands of copies of a magazine title I used to own. The first issue had an insert image of an Indigenous Australian artist on the cover. Certain people didn’t like it. The next editions were pro-photo landscapes… with no additional imagery. We smartened up real quick when it was our dollar at stake.
We were based in an area the size of Louisiana, with a total population of 18,000 … most of whom were marginalised black people living in dysfunctional communities largely ignored by mainstream Australia.
Now, if I had a buck for every time a moron, some even close friends, requested I not put ‘blackfellas’ in the mag I’d be wealthy than a Curtis Brown literary agent!
At year's end I’m keen to self-publish (the horror!) a book, so I hired an ex-HarperCollins design guru for the cover art. I sent through my images and gave him my brief.
I really wanted an Indigenous man blended into the main image.
https://diemenscollective.com/diemens_cover1.jpg
But the reality is that I would turn off a huge proportion of readers in this country.
My story is about so much more than a black man in traditional dress. First and foremost it is supposed to be entertaining … possibly a little controversial. Hopefully a little informative.
I really don’t need people to turn away at cover level.
So the man has gone.
https://coverconundrum.blogspot.com
Sadly, when it comes to books, black is rarely in season.
Apologies for my previous lengthy post, Nathan.
It's true, authors don't get much say over their covers. There's a reason for that: we're not necessarily experts on visual images or marketing (there are exceptions, of course–but I'm certainly not one of them). For that reason, we hold our breath when we first open the file. I really feel for Justine Larbalestier and her readers. I know writers who have come to love their covers after first being lukewarm or even disappointed, but it's so much nicer to love it at first sight.
As I did.
I also want to give due credit to the designer of THE SECRET YEAR's cover, a genius named Sam Kim.
Thanks to everyone who said they're looking forward to reading the book, and to JaxPop for the kind words.
Jennifer Hubbard
I'm reading Alice Adams's "Superior Women" from 1984, the original hardcover (Mom Stags, I promise I'll return it to the Cape house soon.) I looked for it on Amazon and newer release looks very sexy and up to date. The book takes place starting in the 1940s. It's a bit misleading.
The Dan Brown ploy is crafty – I run a blog and I've learned that headlines attract search engines based on key words. I guess this is an extension.
And for the book with the caucasion cover photo – I'm pretty much just stunned by that one. And not in a good way.
The Dan Brown cover definitely wouldn't make me buy the book. I might pick it up, realise what was going on, then wonder what was so wrong with the book that they needed to use deceit to sell it. Then I'd put it back. I think Dan Brown and Simon Kernick both have the right to be annoyed.
Does anyone have a list of agents who are willing to do the agent freak out? I have a real phobia of bad covers.
Perhaps the controversy over the Liar cover will help publishers get it together in regard to showing people of color on book covers. Sadly, publishers are still finding their way in marketing non-WASPy stories. Yet, a beautiful cover will find a reader. A beautiful story will hold a reader. Think Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon. I am a bibliophile to the core. I own hundreds of books by authors of many ethnic backgrounds. Does the cover matter to black readers? At the risk of speaking for other black Americans, and yet not having the right to do so, I say, yes. As a writer, I know that black book buyers are some of the fiercest, most dedicated book buyers you will ever meet. What an insult to deny black beauty simply because it is not, necessarily, conventional to the cover designer. Worse yet, the elevation/substitution of fair skin and straight hair for the character. This tells the target market, you're not good enough to be on the cover, but buy this book. Uhm. No thanks. And the Dan Brown bait and switch . . . has it gotten so bad that publishers have become tricksters selling snake oil and water and calling it moonshine?
Good to know that there is an agent freak-out exception. One of my covers was going to have live models on it. I about died since it was historical fiction and not YA or romance. They did compromise, which was nice, and only put the hands (which you can see on my avatar).
P.S. To Chris Bates,
America has a race problem, no doubts there. However, in Australia, indigenous children were taken from their parents, stripped of their culture, and forced to adopt "white" culture. Didn't your government just apologize for this a couple of years ago? As writers, global understanding is helpful, especially as publishers sell more to a global market. With that said, one cannot put the Australian view of black onto Americans. Perspectives on black Americans vary according to region, cultural familiarity, and other factors. In America, you could successfully sell a book with an aboriginal man on it, if you knew how and where to market it. With the Henry Louis Gates incident so recently in the news, I'm not trying to be an apologist for white America, but there are many white Americas and many black Americas and it's the diversity of those American viewpoints that makes this country a great place to sell a product.
Christina Dodd shared her own cover nightmare on Twitter yesterday. Here's the link:
https://www.christinadodd.com/castles.html
And yes, you're not seeing things, the heroine really does have 3 hands!
What impressed me, was how she er… handled it. She didn't freak out, she used it to garner publicity and sell the books. You gotta read it to believe it. Quite brilliant.
Nathan,
I wish I could be as optimistic as you are about covers. Did you ever see the first cover on The Lightening Thief? It was horrible. Luckily the next cover was much better.
However, I have learned something important here. Authors should ask to see their prospective agent's freak-out routine before they sign.
I'm trying to imagine an Agent freakout, but thus far the best I can do is someone in a beserker costume foaming at the mouth, with a battle axe in one hand and a bad book cover in the other.
I love that spider-in-jar cover. I would pick that up in a bookstore, definitely.
And, I really want to read Jennifer Hubbard's book!
@Mechelle Avey:
Mechelle, there was indeed a government 'Apology' for the Stolen Generations. Unfortunately not a whole lot of Australian's know much about the past or current Indigenous Australian issues.
The comparative North American perspective would possibly mirror the experience of the First Nation peoples. Still does, in fact. That said, such a comment generalises indiscriminately, suggesting every individual has the same experience. A lot of people tend to think black people like all other black people because they are black! How quaint… and bloody ignorant!!
Anyway, you suggest that such imagery (indigenous man) on a cover could find a market in the States. I hope so. But I gotta tell ya, I reckon I'd be pushing sh*t uphill to find that market. Though it could be a damn sight easy then finding it in Australia.
1) Well … at least Random House used the front side of the bull on the allegedly stolen cover …
2) I'm stoked about The Secret Year. I saw it on someone's blog a day or so ago, and it looks yum. The cover is perfect.
OMG. Wuthering Heights… compared to Twilight?? Is this even legal?
@ Chris Bates,
Like the twitter symbology. I must admit that I don't know that much about the mindset of the average Australian. I have watched a couple of documentaries, including Rabbit Proof Fence, but it certainly doesn't give me enough information to make any judgments. The stolen generations situation that you reference is quite similar to what white settlers did to Native Americans during the 1800's. Yet, many, many white Americans now happily claim Native American blood. In romance novels, the nobel warrior is a well-worn theme. Also consider, in the 60's preachers preached against black music, calling it jungle music. Now, hip hop outsells all other music genres in America, not because of black buyers, but because of white buyers. That is America. Contradictory, irrational, and in many ways, brilliant. May I suggest a great book that explains these contradictions far better than I? You can download it from Audible.com. It's called, The Culture Code by cultural anthropologist, Clotaire Rapaille. The book explores how to identify and use cultural symbols more effectively. I just finished it. I will be re-listening to make sure I get every nugget of wisdom.
Best of luck on your book.
@mechelle: Thanks. I'll go and have a look for Rapaille's book.
Coincidental that you should mention the cover of Jennifer's book in today's blog post. I noticed the cover yesterday for the first time (I've been away) and thought how clever and eye-catching it was.
I like to do my own covers, but as it takes ages – along with the writing of the novel – having someone else come up with something is very exciting. The first novel I had epublished by Twilight Times Books was illustrated by a professional illustrator, and seeing this gorgeous cover for the first time was one of the most exciting moments of my life.
Chris Bates,
I loved both covers. Actually, I loved all three, including the original with the man on the cover. All three are beautiful, with the sort of depth you can fall into. The fire cover is brilliant, with that eye-popping colour. Vibrant, and really catching. But I love that blue cover with the shrouded trees, that sense of a haunted forest shifting into the shadows of night. Great. So, my vote would be number one… though I'd be pretty happy with number two, as well.
My best,
Bryan
@Bryan: Thanks for the input. I've run the covers by about 100 people and the process has been very informative.
In one way it makes sense that the marketing people control the cover decision, since their mandate is more sales. They will try to match the cover for the intended audience appeal.
But from the author's point of view, the cover should convey the soul of the book, including using models or visual art that are true to the story within. As it stands, artistic integrity seems to take a back seat to mass appeal.
Thanks for identifying another condition of being published that writers must address. No wonder we get the crazies.
This reminds me of a Sex and the City episode, where Carrie goes through a number of "cover design issues." She gets to refuse some of the options, but that's about it!
Mr. Bransford (Nathan. Great name that is my youngest son's name.) Quick question and sorry it is so late in the day.
If an author had a great design for the cover of their novel, will publishers look at it? Will they give it any consideration?
Thanks- BTW- what is your feeling about being called Nate?
sorry if anyone pointed this out in the first 90 comments, but i had to chime in after my trip to borders today.
two of the hardcovers on the new release show-off shelf had the exact same cover – a woman with hair pulled back, shoulders bare, face fully in shadow with back lighting. it must be a stock image pulled by two different cover artists… because the title and author were definitely different.
nice cover actually, just unfortunate about the timing. to be on that special shelf just 2 covers away from your twin suddenly makes your book look… a little less special.
i actually just found an article about the very covers i saw today:
https://voices.washingtonpost.com/shortstack/2009/03/mysterious_cover_art.html
LOL. It totally agree Kat. But for me, I want Jodi Piccoult's name on my cover. Maybe they'll just put her picture, not her name. She can't argue with that, right?
But seriously; I do agree with Bane. I do sometimes "judge a book by it's cover". I've read some that the cover and the blurb on the back didn't match, but it's always the synopsis on the back cover that sells me on a book. And that is determined by it's section placement in the book shelf. If I see a seductress on the cover of a novel in the crime or paranormal section, I just assume the book has some sex scenes in it, not that it's particularly an erotic or romance novel. But if I looked at a book with the picture of an alluring white girl on the cover, I'd be pretty upset to find it all about an ugly black girl. Not that I wouldn't read that kind of book – but I would really feel the cover false advertising. The "Dan Brown" cover is easily recognizable as an advertising gimmick……..dhole
Oooh; love my word verif: hylenta. As in: hylenta book to Simon Kernick and he turned it into a Dan Brown knockoff!
@ Chris Bates
One final note. I like both covers. However, the red wins my vote. I am not an aborigine, but as a person interested in culture, I'll be sure to look for your book. On Amazon?
The Secret Year sounds great, and that's a very compelling cover.
[Word verification is "infemio." Sounds like a spell from Harry Potter.]
@Mechelle: Thanks, red is popular.
As for the book: exclusive this Xmas to a dumpster nearest you! 🙂
Sorry for hijacking, Nathan. I'll disappear.
I heard about the controversy over the cover for Justine Larbalestier’s book LIAR and read her blog earlier this week. The book sounds fascinating, but I won’t buy it unless the U.S. cover is changed. There are a lot of fascinating books in print and I need to pick and choose which ones I buy anyway. I tend to like books about social injustice, including: THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck, A FINE BALANCE by Rohinton Mistry, THE POISONWOOD BIBLE by Barbara Kingsolver, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd. Books are supposed to be a catalyst for thought and change, not just a product like soap or bubble gum, for goodness sake. Even if the book cover was just a thoughtless oversight, why would I buy a book in which so little thought was put into something as important as a book cover? And if a great deal of thought was put into the book cover but only in terms of how to make the most money, I’ll spend my money elsewhere. That’s how customers can make a difference.
Article about the U.S. book cover for LIAR posted by Cory Doctorow over at Boing Boing: here.
So, uh, in the marketing of nearly every other mass-market product on the planet, there would be testing. Sheesh. Spend $5k on a quick (but properly vetted) focus group.
And there should be a trade association/major pub. group to fund the research to see whether 1. the cover image is important to the sales (yes, duh, but quantify it), 2. which covers work for what product types (genres), and why.
Everyone who sells toothpaste, or cars or window cleaner knows more about the strategy of their packaging design than the publishing industry. These examples, while funny are just stunningly unprofessional.
Nathan, what are the leverage points in an Agent Freak Out? Can you pull the book? Or is it just a lot of emotion being thrown around?
Jenna
Having an agent is indispensible ! Mine put a clause in my contract that I had some say in my cover and I've just been lucky to have an awesome editor and art director at Simon and Schuster to actually take my input – how amazing is that… but I've been very respectful of their position and in turn they took my suggestions into consideration.