Cover Art. What's the point?

[Beetle]

Same here. I am reticent to pick up a book with a so-so cover. Sad, I know, but I am drawn to a good cover. Truly though, cover art is probably the third biggest reason I pick up a book and read the jacket. The first is seeing an author I know or have heard some discussion about, second is an author with several books published, preferably a series (I am a sucker for a series and my hope is that if your good enough for a second or third book, you just might make interesting reading!), and third is the cover art.

[Leiali]

This is all very interesting.
I find a lot of cover art in fantasy extremely busy, although some of it is very good, I get a headache trying to figure out what each bit represents etc.....though it wouldn't be fantasy if it didn't grab my attention with bright colours and castles....
Some artwork is just terrible, I just bought Heroes Die and a big hulking bloke with a sword stood over something or another ...absolutely awful.

I don't generally let the cover influence me as it doesn't always reflect the contents of the book, and my tastes are perhaps a bit different to the accepted norm. I don't mind, some of it is an experience in itself at times.

[Spears&Buckler]

Uh-oh! Shehzad's gonna be pissed!!!

[Leiali]

Um, as I said, the cover is not always a reflection of the quality of the book. So far, I like the book...but the cover is awful. It makes my point beautifully in fact. The cover implies a no brains simple action story. In the first few chapters that is evidently not the case!! honest!

[Hellsfire]

When I'm book browsing and not looking for something I was recommended, I do tend to buy books based on their cover. Personally, I hate most fantasy covers, which is why I haven't read that much fantasy as opposed to all of you even though I write it. They remind me too much of romance novels. Most of them have the hunky guy and hot girl and blah. I prefer the ones without people or people so small it doesn't really matter. When I finally get published, I will fight tooth and nail to not have people on the cover. Besides, it kinda ruins what you think the characters look like.

[Iskaral Pust]

Originally posted by Spears&Buckler
Uh-oh! Shehzad's gonna be pissed!!!

I think it's the other one he likes, Blades of something or other. the cover of Heroes Die is very ugly.

[Fader]

Yeah, I meant the cover of Royal Assassin. Good call, Caldazar.

Now seriously, HOW do you put images into the message area? I know it can't be that hard. But clicking on the add image button brings up a message that I am unfamiliar with. Come on, fellas...


Even if you think the cover of Royal Assassin wasn't too bad, you had to have been appalled by the cover of Assassin's Quest. I would post a pic if I knew how...

[Frostmourne]

Lol! I saw the Wolves of the Calla cover, and I decided that the author was a dork. (I know who he is)

I am actually usually turned off by the cover art. They are usually terrible, and attract unwanted glanses from other people.

[Shehzad]

Originally posted by Iskaral Pust


I think it's the other one he likes, Blades of something or other. the cover of Heroes Die is very ugly.

Are you baiting me?

Heroes Die has a very so-so cover; proof not to judge a book by the cover. BoT has the full package: great book, great cover.

[Iskaral Pust]

Do you know, before I saw the cover of Blades of whatever, I thought your avatar was a curled up dragon. Like one of those multiple preception things.

[Blabla]

It isn't a horned dragon??? What it is then?

[Shehzad]

Read Matthew Woodring Stover. You'll know soon enough.

[kseniya]

Originally posted by Godmage
I've found that a good cover won't necessarily sell me on a book, but a bad cover can turn me off to one. For example, I avoided buying Carol Berg's Transformation books for the longest time because the cover art is just awful IMO. Incidently, I did eventually buy the books based on recommendations here.

LOL, I was just going to mention the Transformation cover . The others are much better though, by Matt Stawicki. If you haven't seen it yet (and care, which you should ), the cover for the next Bridge of D'Arnath book (out in Sept) is on Carol's site. She just got it yesterday, I think.

http://www.sff.net/people/carolberg/...sOfTheKeep.jpg

Getting back to the general discussion, my understanding is that the artists are only required to read a chapter or two, if that. Sometimes all they have to go off is the blurb on the back, though it's rarely that grim. Anyway, to me that speaks of carelessness and of the fact that the cover art in not inherently representative of the content. That said, there are some artists, like Howe and Whelan, whose cover art has always been reflective of the book to a satisfying degree. So. And I'd say those two have pretty good taste in books, as well So, if I see a book with a cover by an artist I "trust", I will probably give if more consideration than others I know nothing else about.

Oh and - I just have to add this - have you seen Guy Gavriel Kay's french Fionavar covers? He has them on his site (www.brightweavings.com). They're amazing. If the US versions looked anything like that, I might have read them sooner.

My other thought on the subject was that if cover art was so very important, who'd buy ARCs

[Shayna]

I like the cover of the omnibus edition of The fionavar Tapestry!! I have it! and great book!

The cover to the Bridges of D'Arnath is sweet! I do not knwo this book, but it has peaked my interest! Thanx

[Zsinj]

Huh! I seem to like all the types of covers you guys hate! I like the bulging, muscular heroic characters on the front with the huge battleaxes/sword fighting off a bunch of dark, demonic monsters. I just love that kind of art! I especially like the covers for David Gemmell's novels done by Luis Royo. Oh well, to each his own.

**SIGH** You guys are ready to scalp me over the hobbit deal, now you're probably wanting to either lynch me or tar and feather me over this.
**DRAWS SWORD** Allright then, come and get it, I can take you all on!!