Do you think that you can judge a (Cozy Mystery) book by its cover?
A while back I got a letter from a Cozy Mystery Site reader who complained about one of her very favorite authors changing her book covers. She asked my why the author’s covers had changed. Of course, I didn’t know the answer to that question. That question, however, started me thinking about the whole array of mystery book covers. I began to wonder if they affect us when we contemplate adding a new author to our queue of mystery authors. There are so many types of book covers, and some speak to us more than others. The good news is that every reader is “seeing” a different thing when they look at a book’s cover… which is why there are so many different illustrators and photographers designing the different book covers.
Well, I have to admit that I do think that the covers of books have a lot to do with whether or not we decide to “take up” with a new author. I know that when I am looking at the books of an author with whom I’m not familiar, I tend to be swayed by the covers of their books. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I make my decision solely on the book’s cover. Obviously, the first thing I do is to see the book’s cover but then I read the synopsis of the given book AND I read what other people have to say about the book.
I have several examples of mystery books in mind. If you have the time, please click on the following authors and take a look at some of the very different types of book covers…
Robert Barnard Nancy Atherton Mignon F. Ballard
Donna Andrews Nancy Fairbanks Harley Jane Kozak
Carola Dunn Jacqueline Winspear
Kate Kingsbury Joyce & Jim Lavene
Jo Bannister Kathryn R. Wall Margaret Maron
Do you think that any of the above authors’ book covers would help you decide on whether or not you want to read the particular authors books? Do any of the above authors’ book covers catch your attention… making you want to know more about the books? If yes is the answer to either of those questions, then mission accomplished! The book covers have at least served the purpose of getting your attention.
Here are the other two parts of this theme:
Here are some Fun Washington Facts: