As any romance writer–and probably many readers—know for years now there has been much controversy over romance novels, and more often than not their covers.
From terms like “bodice ripper” to “trashy novels” the romance genre has had a lot to over come. Some might say it still hasn’t. Skepticism, derision, and definitely criticism were all you’d receive if you wrote for the genre. Or read the books in public. Despite being the leading (or at least last time I checked!) genre of books sold, not much has helped to change what some people think.
But why is that?
I think it might be the covers. While times have changed and the covers have become a lot less controversial in general (heck, look out what’s on television now…times have certainly changed and not much truly shocks any more), there are still some elements that have stayed the same. And the more revealing images do tend to make some people take a step back and think negatively.
A closer look at a few present and upcoming releases versus even a few years back shows us that most books do indeed still utilize a couple on the front. More often than not said couple is staged in some type of romantic embrace. Now this isn’t true for all books, obviously. But most do. See the examples below for a variety.
Nice covers, huh? Well, they certainly caught my eye. But I wondered how long a person in a store or online would spend looking at a cover before deciding whether or not the book was worth further investigation.
From what I found, studies have been done to see how long consumers spend considering a book! Yes, I did find more than one study. Obviously it’s super important as a marketing tool (the study and the cover), so I was surprised to find that you only have an average of 8 seconds. That means if you don’t catch the reader’s eye in just a few blinks–and intrigue them enough to take a closer look–you’ll have lost the sale.
So what do you think would make a person stop for a romance novel cover? I’d love to know!
But what I’d really like to know is whether or not you’re embarrassed by the covers of the books you’ve had published or even those you read? Where do you see covers going? More eye candy or more clothes on? Or perhaps with the direction of ebooks, something more graphical rather than actual people on the covers? Hmm…
AUTHOR’S SPECIAL NOTE: Ever wonder what the term “bodice-ripper” really referred to
While not too far off from example one above (Victoria Alexander’s cover), A Rake’s Guide to Seduction is a good example of what would be considered a “bodice-ripper”.
{ 11 comments }
It’s the (admittedly lovely) naked male chests that make me blush when I’m reading in public. The clench covers / bodice rippers don’t bother me a bit, but when I imagine what someone must be thinking when I’m reading a book with a sexy naked male chest on it, I always end up imagining they must think I’m desperate for eye-candy to have picked up that book!
And while that might be true, I certainly don’t want everyone thinking that. That’s one reason I love my Nook. The eReader boom has been a blessing!
As a romance writer myself, I know how much most romance writers detest the terms “bodice ripper” and “trash” when those words are applied to what they write. I hope and suspect that readers understand that writers have little control over the final cover design. The publishers obviously feel that certain elements on the cover help sell the book. I think they’ve tried the “sweeter” covers and discovered they don’t sell as well. Still, I understand why romance readers, the majority of whom are educated and highly intelligent, may feel they would be judged by the cover of the book they’re reading. Unfortunately, I don’t know what the answer might be and I suspect no one else does either.
Interesting blog, Heather! Thanks for bringing up the topic.
I have found this topic interesting enough to post instead of lurk. I think the whole publishing industry is in for a rude awakening as the advances in technology make ebooks and audio books the norm instead of paper copies of anything. Space, deterioration, etc. will make it a necessity instead of a novelty. And eye candy will certainly be a thing of the past.
I sure hope they dont take away the eye candy! But for an industry geared more to women, why are there so many babes on the covers? Seriously? I guess for those who swing another way, because I don’t find that appealing at all!
Thank you for chiming in, Carolynn! I found the topic interesting and the research very intriguing. I wondered why other writing genres don’t utilize the sexier covers. Look at James Patterson’s latest. It’s mainly his name. There’s usually some ‘romantic’ elements in all books (at least the mainstreams I’ve read have it), so why is it we do. I’m not complaining, I like the varied looks, but I can so see the other points as well.
Well, Gegi, we are sure glad you commented! Interesting POV!
Maria, I’m with you! At least partly, I hope they don’t take away the eye candy. :-)
Maria, this is just a guess, but I think they put beautiful women on the covers hoping the readers will visualize themselves being in that position, that is, in the arms of a handsome man, or being seduced by a rake, or in the process of undressing a handsome man! I could be wrong, of course, but that’s my best guess.
In the words stolen from someone I can’t recall just now, “I love me some…” and I add, “sexy cover now!” ;-)
I hope they don’t do away with paperbacks. I like having the pages to flip through and there is something about looking at a computer all day that makes me want to curl up in bed and read something printed. oh, well. Time does not stand still for anyone, does it?
I can’t say how much I enjoy reading romance novels, but I am one of those a bit ashamed by some of the more exposing covers. My church group frowns on anything that hints at sins of the flesh. But that might be the appeal to it. The risk of getting caught.
When thinking about covers for my Indie book, I went to Amazon’s romance genre listings and asked myself what appealed to me. I found that I skimmed over the heaving bosoms and bulging biceps, mainly because all the covers looked so similar. However, looking at postage-stamp sized photos online is quite different than browsing in a bookstore. The boobs and pecs covers must contribute to sales or publishers wouldn’t continue to use them.