This is the second piece in a short series of articles featuring one author’s reaction to some of the covers that have appeared on her books. You might like to look at the first paragraph or so of “Look at What They’ve Wrapped Around My Baby!” This gives my comments on the qualifications of authors in general as critics of cover art.
This particular piece is going to focus on a cover that I think may have seriously hurt my career: that of my third novel, The Pipes of Orpheus, which was released as a mass market paperback from Avon in October of 1995.
This cover, by Kevin Johnson, is dominated by a gorgeous wash of blue sky and white clouds. The central figure is a magnificently rendered pearl-white pegasus. Three children, wearing clothing in shades of brown, are seated on its back. Their postures are erect and confident. The tallest holds a pan pipe raised high in one hand.
It’s a great painting. It is even a semi-accurate description of a scene in the novel. So why do I have such problems with this as a cover for this book?
My first problem is the tone. This cover is the third of what an unusually outspoken reviewer called Avon’s “fluffy bunny” covers for my books. I have always felt that these covers created the wrong impression about my writing, an impression I have continued, to one degree or another, to fight against throughout my career.
In the novel, the scene illustrated on this cover is far from bright and confident. It is actually one of the darkest in a very dark book. The three characters aren’t confident. They’re terrified, horrified, and very aware of doom approaching for someone they have all come—in very different ways—to love.
My second problem with this cover is the implied audience for the book. It looks like a kid’s book—and not a Harry Potter-type YA that might appeal to adults as well, but a solidly “kiddie” book.
This is due, in large part, to the one glaring representational error in the art. By the time this scene occurs, the children are not children any longer. The boy with the panpipes, for example, is actually a muscular young man of twenty-two.
However, I don’t know how many times I had to (reluctantly) stop an adult from buying The Pipes of Orpheus for some eager, bright-eyed, eight-year-old. Usually, I’d ask the adult to at least read the opening—which features the detailed evisceration of a small child—before they made their purchase. Needless to say, I lost the sale, without ever reaching those who would have loved this tale of Greek myth and more modern vampire lore.
You may think I’m overreacting when I say that I feel my first three covers from Avon had a seriously negative impact on my career. After all, readers are sophisticated enough not to judge a book by its cover, right?
To this I can only offer the following anecdote. I first met my now-husband, Jim Moore, when I joined a gaming group of which he was a long-standing member. Jim is an avid, long-time reader of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Jim tells how, after meeting me, he went to a book store with the intent of buying one of my books. He picked up The Pipes of Orpheus, then set it down without even reading the jacket copy—copy which was much truer to the tone and audience of the novel than the cover.
His comment at the time, as reported to me much later, was: “Oh. I didn’t know Jane wrote kids’ books.”
I rest my case.
Oh, god. You’re right: that cover is ten kinds of awful for the type of book it contains. (I haven’t read your book, but I’m taking your word here.) I would never, ever pick up a book with that cover.
Agreed, I’d never buy that book based on the cover, it looks like a kid’s book. It reminds me of the Chronicles of Narnia and not in a good way.
Wow, that’s a terrible cover match for your story. I’m trying to wean myself off of judging books by their covers, but when I’ve only got twenty minutes to wander a book store, I’m not patient with a book cover’s poor communication skills.
Book covers ought to quickly communicate the type of book being offered.
For example, my eyes slide over what I would call paranormal romance covers. Dark and broody Photoshop-altered women with exotic cutlery. Books I’ll only check if I’m desperate to get something urban fantasy to read. Heavy-breathing romance is just not my cup of tea. Who knows how many books I’m missing that I’d enjoy just because it’s wrapped up in a misleading cover, or intentionally wrapped up in a cover that’s trying to slip in with a hot market.
I think I need a bit of educating here. Jane: could you tell us why you and others can’t “thump the table” and insist that the publishing companies give you, at minimum, an input into the cover design? Also, what inspires publishers to change cover designs from one edition to the next, and the next? Although I understand that one can’t have control of everything in life, I would have thought that something that impacts on an author’s reputation (if that’s the right term) would be top of the list, when it comes to “contract signing time”. I’m open to correction, though!
It appears Avon never did learn. I had similar problems with the cover Avon produced for The Hammer of Darkness [in 1985], except the treatment was a “Conan” style cover of an actual scene, effectively misrepresenting the entire book.
Agreed, it does look like a kids book. That been said, you have stirred my curiosity about the book. :)
Wow. Who ever thought kids books would be so dark? :) This sort of thing is why I read a few paragraphs rather than look at the cover art.
I stopped reading back copy one year when I discovered that the copy on the book didn’t even apply to the book but it’s sequel.
Now I let the book’s opening speak for itself, unless the author is already known to me (such as you), in which case, I simply pick up the copy on release date to add to the collection.
I disagree that it looks like a kid’s book. Kid’s books look better then this. It looks more like a Piers Anthony book which is worse.
It’s because of covers like this that I go out of my way to learn about stories I might enjoy from other sources. I can’t put any stock in covers anymore.
Thanks for another informative–and sobering–post.
The cover looks like Bedknobs and Broomsticks with a pegasus instead of a bed. I might pick it up — I do read YA, when it’s good — but I would probably end up reading it when I was in entirely the wrong mood for it.
To L.E. Modesitt. Jr. @@@@@ 5 — I suspect the covers on the Recluce books worked both for and against you, particularly in the mid-to-late 90s. Whenever I was reading one in public (my college roommate and I were both big fans; I’ve fallen behind due to time constraints, but plan to catch up as soon as I finish the Vorkosigan books), people kept asking me about the Wheel of Time, which hadn’t yet lost the momentum it did later. the similarity may have brought in some WoT fans who picked it up by mistake, but may have also turned off people who didn’t like that series.
Piers Anthony? More Edgar Rice Burroughs, i’d have said…
I would agree with publishers that the author (wordsmith) probably isn’t the best person to suggest cover art – as a blanket statement – and an artist(imagesmith) who knows the book will do better. Especially in discussion with the artist.
Otoh i agree with YOU that covers like this mis-attract, and i wouldn’t think you’re exaggerating at all about the effect on your career. I’ve thought it for a long time, re a lot of writers. And alida’s right, it has a lot to do with time – buyers, however rigorous about not judging on appearances, have to take shortcuts to making a selection.
As someone who is on the painting-the-cover side (albeit more in the children’s genre), it is also really frustrating as an artist when the art direction for a cover differs strongly in mood from the book content. Not too long ago, I submitted a sketch for the specified moody, slightly scary scene from the book that the publisher wanted depicted on the cover. The figures in it looked somewhat apprehensive (appropriately), it was physically dark and I thought it very effectively expressed the scene, and the tone of much of this particular book.
However, I was told to ‘lighten the whole thing up’, for ‘cover appeal’. It was now to be a sun-lit forest scene instead of a dim and somewhat sinister wood, and all the characters needed to be smiling and looking cute and happy instead of apprehensive. Same basic picture, completely different in feel. And not only much less accurate, but much less interesting, IMHO.
Obviously there are some strong opinions from the powers-that-be who make these decisions that certain types of covers sell more books. I wonder if there is any way to gauge, in hard numbers, what impact inaccurate/misleading covers have on sales overall? I know they can me angry and frustrated (both in book buying and book-cover creation). There are books I *do* buy because of the cover art (or artist), and I know that I am much happier when they are congruent…
Any art cover powers-that-be want to weigh in?
I’ve appreciated the comments here, both purely funny and more serious.
I would like to join “tlchang” in requesting some feedback on the editorial/publishing side.
And thinking about what has been said, I have a few more aspects of the cover art issue I hope to pursue, perhaps next week.
Thank you so much for posting your insights and knowledge about the book industry! Your book cover posts have been my favorite so far and I really do hope you write more. I would love to hear your thoughts on the Firekeeper series covers as well as Child of a Rainless Year and Thirteen Orphans :)
I, too, would like to learn more about the issue of “cover appeal” and why it sometimes involves overriding/overshadowing the book’s content.
This reminds me of the issue in the romance genre wherein images of half naked men are used to sell books, and more often than not those covers result in more sales, whether or not the image has anything to do with the story.
I have to admit that I’m one person who is influenced by cover art when I’m in a bookstore. (That’s why online groups and reviews are invaluable to me.) I would have completely passed this book if I saw it on a book store shelf. I wouldn’t even have looked inside. It screams kiddie fantasy to me.
Wouldn’t the most simple remedy be for the artists to read a draft or proof before they do the art? Then, even if it’s cheesy, it’s more likely to be an accurate representation of what’s in the book.
I hate to admit it, but much as I pretend otherwise, I do judge books by their covers. Oh, if I know the author’s work, it’s one thing, or if I’ve had a recommendation from a friend, but if I’m trying to figure out where to spend my hard earned dough, what with the rising cost of, well, everything — the first thing I see is the cover. And, I may well make a snap decision based on that to move on.
It’s like a resume, perhaps. I remember explaining, when I was teaching in CUNY’s community colleges, that it really was true that a single typo would mean that the person hiring would toss the resume. Yes, he or she might miss some fine people that way, but there are going to be too many resumes to go through, so what a person hiring looks for first is ways to narrow the heap down. Later, when I was the manager of Hagstrom Map’s research department, this was how I ruled out resumes, especially when I got a flood of them. All other reasons to reject resumes with typos aside, my time was limited, so I took advantage of anything that helped me narrow down the pool of applicants. (I am, incidentally, currently available on the job market. But, I digress.)
I avoid books with cover art that strikes me as ugly, unless it’s an obviously deliberate ugliness. This includes cover art where the proportions look wrong to me. I need to have some reason to look at books with boring art. I won’t hold boring art against a book, usually. But, unless I know something about the book or the author, or unless the title catches my eye, or unless there is something overcoming boring cover art, there are enough other books to consider that I won’t look further at this one. Boring, of course, is in the mind of the beholder.
Tor is usually quite good about cover art, but I remember being very surprised at the cover of a Jack Vance omnibus containing the first three Demon Princes novels. It had a planet. Or a spaceship. Or maybe both. I picked up the book anyway, because I knew just enough about Vance to know that I would enjoy it. And I did, but I would be hard pressed to think of a less evocative cover for the book.
I love the original cover for Steven Brust’s Agyar, or at least, the first one I ever saw. The cover is a representation of a painting that a character in the book creates, and this painting is crucial to the development of the story. At the same time, the cover gives nothing away.
I hate the current cover, the one on the Orb edition, but I understand exactly why the change was made. It will sell the book better, and it will sell it to the people who will like it. It would not have cost the sale to me if this had been the original cover art, as I pick up whatever Brust writes.
@16. Sandikal asks: Wouldn’t the most simple remedy be for the artists to read a draft or proof before they do the art? Then, even if it’s cheesy, it’s more likely to be an accurate representation of what’s in the book.
As I mentioned in my comment, I (always! and most of the illustrators I know) DO read the manuscript and especially the described scene before coming up with the art. Occasionally things are missed if it’s a very complex book with lots of scattered detail, but in my experience, when the cover art differs greatly from the actual book content, especially in overall tone or feel, it is because it has been art directed to do so.
Though I haven’t read this particular book by Jane Lindskold, I DID pick up her other series (The Firekeeper Series) based of the covers, in which Julie Bell did a fantastic job. For publishers not to let the author have a bit more say than they are given, (from what I’ve been told), it’s truly a shame as I agree it will hurt those “first impression” readers. And though there may be a few people who have enough time and discipline to overlook a book’s cover and actually read a chapter or two in a book store, I don’t think that’s the majority of fantasy readers.
I have had to ‘direct’ art production (kiosks for museum display and interactive games) and I usually have two goals in mind when doing so: 1. give a fair representation of the subject matter (with due credence given to the overall design/placement of the product) and 2. ad appeal.
As a buyer of books, covers can attract me and prompt investigation, but do not turn me off. In other words, cover art is a one-way street.
I have seen a large tendancy lately for most cover art – regardless of subject – to have a ‘fantasy’ feel to them, and given the preceding article, it makes me wonder how much influence the topic of a book has versus the influence that marketing has over the design of the covers.
I’ve also had to direct/select art for semi-prozines and have gotten my best results when providing the artist with an overview of the subject matter and instructions to ‘do what they do best’. I’ve never had to do more than approve the idea sketches.
I think there is a basic conflict here: writers want the cover art to appeal to “their audience”, while publishers want the art to appeal to “the audience”.
ping back:
The Art of Cover Appeal
http://www.thegalaxyexpress.net/2008/12/art-of-cover-appeal.html
[…]I’ve been following the thread When Right Is Completely Wrong over at Tor.com by author Jane Lindskold[…]
I also had the pleasure of interviewing illustrator Tara Larsen Chang about more cover appeal issues as well as her work. Enjoy!
I found this through Tara Chang. As a reader, I do look at the cover art. It’s what draws me to investigate unknown authors. I’m not looking for happy, cheery, but for art. If the book is dark, I expect the artwork to be dark. I want it to match the book. I’m often upset when it doesn’t match, I feel like I’ve been mislead. Shame on publishers for doing this. I not only buy according to the art but the feel of the paper of the cover, the size, and weight of how it feels in my hand. This is something I’m spending part of my budget on. It needs to be worth it to buy it rather than go to the library. I want this book to continue to call to me while it’s on the bookshelf, not only through the author’s words, but the artist’s vision. It is too strong to say the the publisher is demeaning the whole experience (and really I wanted to say something stronger) but they are belittling the intelligence of the buyer. Personally, I believe the art needs to match the book.
In your experiences, have you found that the more “power” your books have in the market the more creative input you have for your covers, or is that a myth?
In all honesty I have my favourite cover artists and often will pick a book based on who has done the cover art, especially if it is an author I have not heard of before. But this method is also hit or miss.
I agree that the cover art must match what is in the book, especially because the depiction on the cover is what you enter the book with. It sets up expectations and when those are not met – even if the book is better than the cover implies – it’s a kind of letdown.
I’m sure having more power in the market place might help.
However, I think that would need to be a LOT of power.
And I’m not really sure power makes an author any better a judge of cover art.
I remember one author, who will remain nameless, who loved, loved, loved the art for his new book. His friends all squeed, too…
I thought it sucked and the book would tank because of it.
It nearly did. The book was rescued by the mass market cover, which was much more traditional. And did well. Very well.
On the other hand, David Weber, who has a background in publicity, was encouraged by Jim Baen (long before Weber was a bestseller) to provide his reactions to the art.
Weber also wrote a lot of his own jacket copy.
He was good at it. And the books found their audience.
Oh… And remember that “your favorite artist” may be very, very expensive as well… Cost is an issue.
I think an author really should think twice before insisting on picking covers — but I do think publishers should consider at least consulting with the author, so that major errors can be avoided.
Cooperation. Not power struggle.