This is a quick post! Today I wanted to chat about a little bookish saying we all know and repeat. A saying that has been around since 1944 (according to Google). A saying we all have said at least once in our lives.
Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
Well, I most definitely judge a book by it’s cover. There’s nothing wrong with judging a book by it’s cover. Now, that’s not to say I never pick up books that I don’t think have a good cover, but if it does, that book is going on my shelves much faster. A lot of the perks of judging books are the same as not judging books. So, lets go into all the good things that come from cover buys/judging by the covers!
*Disclaimer: What is a “pretty” or “ugly” cover to me might be different from what you think. So I’m not here to tell you what is a good cover, just the perks of reading a book based on what you think is a good cover.
DISCOVERING NEW AUTHORS
Just like if you pick up any book regardless of cover, picking up a book solely because you like the look of it…means you might discover a new author you’ll love! For example, I recently added to my tbr and/or purchased Hall of Smoke, Year of the Reaper, Pariah, A Trial of Sorcerers and more. All of which, the author is new to me. All of which, I know nothing about except the cover. Sure, they might not end up being good books, but look at the importance of having an attractive cover!
(Apparently I really like books with bad ass lookin’ chicks on them 😆 )
When I read Top Ten Tuesday posts, or really any blog post with a book list, I search books that I think look cool. Especially if the post doesn’t share the synopsis of said books (like this one) – meaning all I have to even go off of is the cover the blogger shared! I’m always discovering new authors this way which then leads me to the next perk…
♥ Related post: I Judge Books Before Reading Them
THE EXCITEMENT OF GOING IN BLIND
If a book has a pretty cover, I’m more likely to pick it up specifically because of that. If it has an ugly cover, I’ll read the synopsis first. The perk of the former? I go into a book completely blind whereas reading the synopsis could potentially turn me off from reading it. Which can be super fun! There’s been several books I had no idea what they were about when I went in. For example, Among the Beasts & Briars, Sorcery of Thorns, and A Little Something Different. I didn’t really know what any of those books were about, just that I liked the covers, so I read them and mostly enjoyed them (Among the Beasts and Briars was okay).
It’s like when I’m on Spotify, pick a mood playlist, and click shuffle. I most likely won’t know the artists on that playlist, but I’m in for the new discovery! Usually, I’m pleasantly surprised. (Now, if Netflix had a shuffle option, that would be an even more perfect example. Netflix, get on that).
♥ Related Post: Sorcery of Thorns: Easily a New Favorite
A FEW EXTRA PERKS
- You’ll have pretty shelves! Who doesn’t want to stare at good lookin’ books all day?
- This ones for my fellow bookstagrammers – I don’t know about you but I think it’s way more fun to take photos of books that I already like the look of rather than struggle to make a somewhat ugly book look good in a photo!
- Good covers aren’t reserved for the big authors. They’re all over! Meaning you’ll read books from indie authors all the way to the big guns.
Do you judge books by their covers? Have you discovered any favorites this way? Or do you avoid doing this and always read the synopsis to decide if you want to read a book? What other factors do you use to decide which books to read?
6 Comments
I definitely pick up a book sometimes mostly because of the pretty cover and it can be great going into a book blind and not knowing a lot about it. I don’t think readers can easily ignore a cover and it will be part of the decision whether to buy a book or not. I think the hardest is the opposite when a cover isn’t good and you might pass it over because of that even while the book can be just what you’re looking for.
Oh yes, that’s so true! I feel like a lot of indie books fall under that second category (not pretty, but great book). It’s so important to have a good cover!
I could SO get behind a shuffle on Netflix.That’s brilliant! I very rarely cover buy, but mostly because I can’t resist reading the synopsis and checking Goodreads. It’s an addiction. 😉
RIGHT?! I noticed that my dad had a shuffle option on his Netflix but I don’t?! So it must be something they’re testing out. I hope they add it for everyone lol. Also, same, I do check synopsis often. But there are a few gems where I’m like “oh this is pretty” and just buy it (it mostly happens with ebooks since they’re so cheap! lol)
I am all on board with judging a book by its cover (before you’ve read it at least!). Covers are designed to give an idea of the genre and content, and is an indicator that it’s of a similar vein to other books you’ve enjoyed, it’s not necessarily about it being pretty or not, although there are so many beautiful covers out there these days, always a pleasure to see. The cover gets you to pick it up, the blurb then has to sell you on the story.
Yes! And I also feel like the cover gives an indication on the amount of effort put in. Especially for indie books or small publishers.