Wow! It is already the last Tuesday in June! As always I have another fun question courtesy of Cambria Hebert. If you want to participate in TMST be sure to visit Cambria's blog, link up and pick up next week's question.
Today's question:
Do you buy books based on the book cover?
As much as I would like to say no, I buy books strictly based on content; I can't. I admit, like everyone else I am drawn into checking out a book by the catchy covers. It is no secret that as humans we are driven by our senses, our
sight especially. It is all about presentation. Billions of dollars are spent each year by advertisers wooing with enticing images from food to clothes to cars....all these items are packaged with the most flattering and eye catching images, all in order to seduce you the consumer into purchasing these items. Obviously, these tactics work, otherwise why would we be inundated with all these scintillating images?
Books are no different. Think about it when you are browsing the shelves of the library or
your favorite book store, what books call to you and beg you to pick them up? Is it the ones with the plain boring covers or is it the book with a gorgeous, colorful cover? I know that I am not alone in having picked up a book that is mediocre all because of the cover. Even worse is overlooking an outstanding book all because the cover did not grab my attention.
However, as beautiful and lovely as some of these covers are, they often cannot hide or makeup for a poor book underneath. It is often a terrible trap, an alluring cover on a mediocre or bad book. Last year in 2011 we were deluged with books featuring beautiful dresses.
So far 2012 has been more dresses:
Mermaids:
And Masks:
So now that I know many of these covers are just a mask, how do I decide what to spend my hard earned money on? Will I wander aimlessly through the aisles succumbing to the lure of the pretty cover, or will I search for solid content? I am all about content after falling victim to the cover ploy. These days, I make my selection based on reviews on Goodreads and from my trusted blogger friends. One case of a book that I almost overlooked based on appearance was Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. The existing cover is rather dull and unappealing, but I can tell you this is a fantastic read. One I would have missed out on had I not read the reviews.
So bottom line, buyer beware. The next time you plan on purchasing some books, be prepared and do your research before you walk the aisles. Don't let those enticing covers trick you into purchasing a subpar book. Make sure that book with the pretty cover is indeed a book you are going to enjoy.
So tell me...how do you feel about the beautiful covers?
