You can't judge a book by its cover. Or can you?

I'm a marketer's dream. When I shop for a bottle of wine, I have a few old standbys, but more often than not I'm drawn to the label. Slap on a funky graphic, some interesting colour choices, and a catchy name, and I'm at the till faster than a cat out of a bathtub. Now I'm not quite the same with books, but let's imagine I'm looking for something new in a chosen genre by an unknown author. Of course the blurb at the back is probably the biggest draw, but all things being equal, the next thing to separate my money from my wallet, is likely the cover (which includes the title).

And I'm not alone.

According to a recent American survey, 57% of people buy books solely based on their covers, while 80% avoid books for the same reason. When buying books as gifts, the biggest factors that influence what type of books people buy are their presence on a well-known bestseller list (44%), social media buzz (29%), and the cover (29%) — much more so than genre (10%) or even the author (9%).

These statistics highlight a crucial truth for authors and publishers: a poorly designed book cover can significantly hinder sales, regardless of the quality of the content within.

Which brings me back to me.

I once took a webinar on the importance of covers and what readers of specific genres look for. The types of font, text colors, artwork, and titles, are major draws, usually fulfilling certain standards. After the course, I spent some time in Chapters pursing covers of certain genres (romance, Nordic noir, true crime) and sure enough, there they were. It was a little sad to think we've become so formulaic but, ever since Mad Men days, advertisers have tried to pin down our purchases based on people's psychological responses to product design. They have refined the process to such a degree that I believe none of us truly operate free from their evil schemes.

For the publication of my first book, I hired an independent publishing company with an in-house designer. I gave him the themes of my book, such as POW camp, northern landscape, woman in uniform, etc. I sent him copies of covers I liked and we went back and forth for a few rounds, before settling on the final product. I even sent him a rough (and I mean rough) sketch of what I saw in my head.

Now I have my second book out for an initial reading. While I wait, terrified, I've been thinking of covers and titles.

It's a daunting process because it's so important. Especially for an unknown author. As the stats above show, sales can be significantly impacted by what you do (or don't do) on the cover.

When I think of this book, I go round and round on the possibilities. Themes are there, along with setting, timeframe, and characters, but no concrete imagery. Perhaps another trip to a book store is in order. In the end, I'll have to trust the designer to meld the themes together into a final product that attracts readers to pick it off the shelf. If they do, I'm halfway there. Wish me luck!

Let me know what your response is to book covers? Are you a sucker for certain design elements, or are you one of the 47% who are above marketers' machinations?

And in the meantime, happy reading,
Joni