Thursday, August 14, 2014

Let's Talk Romance Book Covers


Do you judge a book by it's cover?

Readers have been reading romance for centuries, but it wasn't until the 1940's that eye-catching cover designs were used to attract readers. These single process color covers with simple titles were responsible for helping to create the phenomenon that is the Romance Novel.

Personally, I'm a fan of the medical romances popular in the 1960's. I recently came across the above book and several others while on a trip to London. They were sitting in a box outside a used bookstore for the equivalent of 25cents US. The original price was 35cents. I am attracted more to the covers than the stories. You've gotta love a nurse in uniform with a somewhat threatening background.  

Here's a cover of another book in my collection. Back in the 60's, women were stay at home moms. Faraway themed stories were very popular.
When I published my first book, Brooklyn Ballerina with Avalon Books, it came under the category of a Career Romance. By then the color process had improved offering brighter color and more variants.

Today, indie authors are always in search of a cover artist who will produce a cover that not only attracts readers, but serves as brief story board for their novel. The options these cover artists have to work with is endless. 
When I needed a cover for my 1st self-published novel, I found my cover artist, Ravven. Her colors and details were exactly what I was looking for.  

Recently, MAC cosmetics introduced a new line "A Novel Romance" collection. The deep rich colors of the lipstick, nail polish, and eyeshadow are intense and pleasantly appealing like the colors on the cover of modern romance novels.  

10 comments:

  1. Yep. I do tend to judge a book by its cover. But I think it's because I'm such a visual/spatial person. And I LOVE your book's cover! It clearly identifies the genre and says "read me. You won't be disappointed!" Love this topic, Zelda!

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    1. I'll judge a book with a great cover over a great review.

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  2. Well done, Zelda - a brief and painless history lesson for booklovers.

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    1. It's always been simple a great cover true to the genre will always get a readers attention.

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  3. I think we are all initially attracted to a book for the cover. I've had some I loved and some I hated.

    Thanks for the walk through time

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    1. Me too. A great book cover will get my attention on a book shelf or online.

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  4. An eye-catching cover will get me to stop to look at the blurb. The blurb determines whether I check out the first few pages. Those pages affect whether or not I buy. I doubt I'm alone in that method.

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  5. Thanks for a trip down memory lane! I remember those covers! Classic! And cozy! Great post!

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    1. A great cover is like a scene from a movie you never forget.

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