Don't judge a book by it's cover, eh?

[Angmar Assassin]

Well, I for one DO, unless I'm familiar with the author. I'm drawn to a book by it's cover art first and foremost and I'm not embarrassed or ashamed to admit it. If the cover art sucks or isn't appealing to me, I'll move on to one that is. Nice cover means I'm going to pick it up and read the jacket and browse inside and see if I like it.

Anybody guilty of this? I'm sure I've missed out on some good books, but my method works well enough over the years that I'll continue to stick with it.

 

[Nikitta]

Well, I for one DO, unless I'm familiar with the author. I'm drawn to a book by it's cover art first and foremost and I'm not embarrassed or ashamed to admit it. If the cover art sucks or isn't appealing to me, I'll move on to one that is. Nice cover means I'm going to pick it up and read the jacket and browse inside and see if I like it.

Anybody guilty of this? I'm sure I've missed out on some good books, but my method works well enough over the years that I'll continue to stick with it.

That sounds exactly like me. Though a very interesting title might also work for me, if I just see the spine of the book. A very interesting title, written with shiny letters is likely to draw me like a magnet to look closer at the books, though.

Call me shallow, but I like some amount of shiny.

 

[Mithridelle]

I think that this is applicable to the vast majority of people. If you are not searing for something in particular or even just have your eye out for a general type of book then it will most likely be the cover design that draws you to that book.

Well, that's how I see it. And I agree Niki, the shinier the better.

 

[GOLLUM]

Meh....I tend to look at the contents rather than the cover and normally research books before purchasing, so the whole cover thing doesn't work on me. I do however liker good artwork and some books look better on my bookshelf at home than other e.g. penguin black classics or SF Masterwork series.

 

[j d worthington]

Meh....I tend to look at the contents rather than the cover and normally research books before purchasing, so the whole cover thing doesn't work on me. I do however liker good artwork and some books look better on my bookshelf at home than other e.g. penguin black classics or SF Masterwork series.

Yep. If it's an author I'm unfamiliar with, the title is usually what catches my eye. After a look at the blurb (good or bad, as far too many are damn' near interchangeable these days) I glance through it here and there to see about the writing. Then I decide.

If I relied on the cover, I would hardly ever buy anything, given that 99.99999% of any "type" of story tends to have such a generic cover that they have even used details from the cover art from one for another at times....

 

[Nikitta]

Meh....I tend to look at the contents rather than the cover and normally research books before purchasing, so the whole cover thing doesn't work on me.

Since you can't know what the contents of a book are before picking it up and looking at it, then what makes you pick up a book and look at it, in order to find out what the contents are?

 

[Mithridelle]

The majority of the books that I buy are from authors I like or are reasearched like Gollum said. However when I am simply browsing with no real direction in mind, it is the cover and title that initially draw me to a book. So I agree with both of you.

 

[GOLLUM]

Since you can't know what the contents of a book are before picking it up and looking at it, then what makes you pick up a book and look at it, in order to find out what the contents are?

Well I mean that I research books (incl. content) and authors, garner opinions from other people etc...and sometimes go on recommendations from other authors etc...plus have a very clear idea on the type of literature I'm most keen on before netering a bookshop. Therefore, I'm fairly selective and already know what the latest releases etc...are before going to the bookshop and therefore already have an idea what to expect and of course authors I particularly like I'll generrally pick up on as well. I suppose I'm at least familiar with a high percentage of authors and their styles which helps greatly when scanning the shelves of new bookshops.

 

[GOLLUM]

The majority of the books that I buy are from authors I like or are reasearched like Gollum said. However when I am simply browsing with no real direction in mind, it is the cover and title that initially draw me to a book. So I agree with both of you.

I agree that beautiful or interesting artwork can draw me in to at least looking at a book I've not yet read but then I'm still looking at the blurb, comments from other authors I know and like etc...and more often than not I do not by the book on the spur of the moment but go away, think about it, research etc..Probably seems a fairly meticulous approach and maybe a littler cold-blooded but I've found it to be a very sucessful one over the years in terms of buying very few lemons.

 

[Mithridelle]

Very true. It is only the outside appearance that initially draws me to a book. I rarely purchase a book on the spur of the moment when I am simply browsing - if I am really that intreaged by it then I will most likely go home and reasearch it. However, I enjoy stumbling upon some great works unexpectedly. Ah well, to each his own.

 

[GOLLUM]

...However, I enjoy stumbling upon some great works unexpectedly. Ah well, to each his own.

I agree that last point is a very important one! You're right that sometimes it's very satisfying finding an author very few other people know about or oyu've never heard about. I however also find out about or stumble across new authors in cyberspace incl. recos from other authors I like or other books purcashed by people on amazon when I'm researching a totally different title. Sometimes the best thrill is discovering a book by a fav author on a bookshelf you didn't even know existed.

 

[Mithridelle]

Indeed. It keeps you on the lookout. Whether via the internet or just browsing in a bookstore, it certainly is a pleasure.

 

[GOLLUM]

Yep, must dash, nice chatting with you but sleep beckons...ZZZZZZZZZZZ...

 

[Connavar]

Well I mean that I research books (incl. content) and authors, garner opinions from other people etc...and sometimes go on recommendations from other authors etc...plus have a very clear idea on the type of literature I'm most keen on before netering a bookshop.

Thats exactly like me. I research alot before going to the bookstore.

Only times i go and buy books on impulse or feeling its when i think i have too little of something i like. Like recently i saw my book hauls was too much SFF and too little another favorite genre like crime. Went and bought crime authors at the top of my buy list. Noir writers like Jim Thompson,Woolrich,Charles Willeford,Ken Bruen.

I have learned by buying Glen Cook's The Black Company to never ever buy an author on impulse before you have read people you trusts opinions,what kind of writer,what kind of story it is etc

 

[Hari Seldon]

Thats exactly like me. I research alot before going to the bookstore.

I'm the same way. I also research alot before buying a book. Research and/or recommendation is the usual criteria. The only exception is the certain authors that I buy without question.

 

[Precision Grace]

I think you can generally tell a lot by the book cover although that may not hold true for SF/F genre. I think I would probably be guided by the book cover and title, then the blurb on the back, then if that is all satisfactory, I'd probably spend 5-10 minutes reading bits of it and if I like what I've read well enough then I will buy it. I don't do a lot of research beforehand, unless you count reading reader comments on Amazon.

 

[SNG]

I think the cover is only important in catching your attention and providing a clue as to what genre it might belong to. Unless it's by an author I know, I usually look at the title and read the short description on the back, then the first few paragraphs before deciding whether to buy it.

 

[Connavar]

The cover dont exist for me. Only time i even think about the cover is when i have read a book and find out it has nothing to do with the actual content in the book.

Thats why i never judge a book by its cover. You cant read a cover, its only the inside that count.

Usually i notice the cover after i have bought books. Like SFF masterworks series who have great covers.

The blurb on the back is 100 times more important cause you have to know the synopsis. Usually i pick up the books from the shelfs on the authors name or genre or just randomly when i browse to see whats on the shelfs.

 

[kythe]

I suppose I do judge books by the cover and synopsis . I usually read books from the library or buy them from thrift stores, so I don't feel financially motivated to do a lot of research before reading. If it's good I keep reading, otherwise I put it down and pick up something else.

If I'm buying a particular book or series because I really like it, I get picky about what edition it is and what the cover looks like. One example is that I hate movie covers and ads. Books usually come first and should be seen as the inspiration, not the result, of the movie. I like original art that reflects the actual story or characters, not stuff that's surreal or has nothing to do with the book.

 

[dask]

My collection is filled with books I got based on the cover. Back in the 60s and 70s it was hard not to, so many had great cover art.