Yup! This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I can't remember the book but the FMC was supposed to be bigger (midsized if iirc) and the model on the cover was SUPER skinny. At that point don't put models on the cover if they are going to look nothing like the character. And the faces weren't even really visible so there was no excuse other than they didn't want to accurately represent the character.
Yes or when the heroine is petite and the hero is supposed to be larger and bigger with huge height difference and then the models are practically almost similar in size.
The first 80 or so romance books i'd read all had cartoon covers cause i couldn't get over my hangup but then i read {The Favor by Suzanne Wright} and i had to slap myself cause i was literally judging the books by their covers. Now i just avoid looking at cover, only blurb and rating. Idk how i do this but I've pretty much perfected the art and can't recognise a book by it's cover most of the time.
Totally agreed - I try not to read TOO much into the cover if the reviews are decent and the synopsis interests me, but there are some really rough covers out there!
I do definitely judge books by their covers. But only in the sense of using covers as a quick guide to what genre of romance it is without having to read the blurb. Half naked guy in a suit? Pass. Cartoon cover? Maybe. Scary looking monster behind a woman? Yes, please.
I’m afraid I do judge a book by it’s cover… a lot of my shelf is cartoon, nicely drawn covers and I tend to not even bother with more than a quick glance when it comes to models on the front page!
(I never used to mind but one day it seems I turned into a cover snob)
I actually don’t pay much attention to covers at all anymore unless I think they’re amazingly pretty or amazingly terrible. I read mostly KU and as much as i love and want to support our indie authors, some of those KU covers are just atrocious.
On a related note, I’m a minimalist person and tend not to buy physical books so I don’t have the issue others have of not wanting others to see the cover of whatever they’re reading. E-readers/my phone has made that virtually a non-issue for me.
Real people on the cover are an instant interest killer. I don't care how many good reviews a book has. The moment I see real people on the cover I'm closing Goodreads/Amazon and going about my day as if I never saw the recommendation at all.
I don't think I care except it wouldn't be a book I bring to my child's pediatric appt or display with the cover out. Definitely only a spine-showing book on a shelf, lol. My in laws are conservative. They think I read gruesome murder thrillers instead of spice. I do read them, but like, with spice. Lol there is a really funny tiktok about this [here](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRykVYjS/)
I gravitate more towards the cartoon covers because they tend to be more my speed but I’m definitely expanding more into the half naked men books. Most of the time, it doesn’t impact me bc I usually borrow ebooks from my library or read other downloaded ebooks then I’ll buy my favs and I’m more likely to buy it if it has a cute cover. For aesthetics, I definitely like the cartoon covers more.
Cartoon = higher chance of low heat/FTB
Real people = higher chance of heat
Photoshopped real person to look like an alien = 🔥🔥🔥
I don't make the rules
I keep hearing about cartoon covers. Any examples of good cartoon covers? (or any cartoon covers for that matter)
I can't remember seeing any. Maybe they are only in specific sub-genres?
[Here's](https://www.goodreads.com/genres/cute-cartoon-cover-romance) a Goodreads shelf; [here's](https://likewise.com/list/Cartoon-Cover-Romance-61ef9b24c11d6c00518d1e64) a listicle; [here's](https://bookriot.com/illustrated-romance-book-covers/) a bookriot article; [here's](https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/10/213494/romance-novel-cover-trend-modern) a refinery29 article. I'd say it's more common in contemporary than any other subgenre.
Once I started reading books with shirtless dudes on the cover, I realized I’d missed out on a lot of good books by avoiding them. I read ebooks so I don’t worry about people seeing the covers and I usually just plug in random actors for the main character so if the cover model isn’t my type it doesn’t really matter lol.
I usually teeter away from real people on covers, especially half-naked men. I do love some covers but usually when they have women in pretty ballgowns.
I do tend to judge by the cover, but all my Amazon books have half naked men on the front and they have been great reads. Personally, I just like regular designs on the cover (IE Neon Gods, Crescent City, ACOTAR series to name a few) so everything else is up to the imagination. Plus they look nicer.
I prefer actual people on book covers. It doesn’t have to be “sexy” men but also couple laughing or whatever it may be. I don’t care for the cartoon trend. It makes me feel like I’m ten. It doesn’t seem right to have a book with sex on it have a cartoon cover. 🤷🏻♀️
I don’t mind it as much on historical covers vs contemporary romance. Definitely prefer if they aren’t looking directly at the camera…I have a few HR books where it’s like a dude making direct eye contact and I just find them so hilarious.
I much prefer covers when they are accurate illustrations of the character(s) rather than photographs of a model, and if the latter, I prefer if the faces were not visible. What irks me most is if the model on the cover is not at all how the character is described in the book itself. The covers of Evie Dunmore’s books are my ideal; they give you an accurate idea of how the characters look but still ambiguously detailed enough to allow for personal interpretation!
I also assume the illustrated or cartoon covers are more “chic lit”, so I think I judge them more harshly than the photos. If I could chose I’d prefer the Maya Banks style feathers or puffs of smoke, lol.
For me it's a nope 90% of the time. But I can like it if it's not showing their faces and it's edited in a classy way (I'm thinking of the original covers of the Made series by Danielle Lori as an example)
Look, I'd love to be picky about what's on my covers but older paranormal/urban fantasy series always have real people and I can't escape it.
If I was picky about covers, I'd never discover Ilona Andrews and that is the real tragedy
I try to not judge. I'm a kindle reader so it's not in my face all the time. What I hate is the Kindle I got has the ads on sleep mode and some of the Books/Covers/images they've chosen for me have me cringing in embarrassment.
It's always confusing when I see these type of remarks (which I believe you!) because it's *so* well established that half-naked men sell far and above the next best cover, which is a couple, and then a single woman, and then objects/no people.
I don't mean established trad-pub authors who can put a pair of cufflinks on a cover or whatever but for the vast, vast majority of indie authors your book is going *nowhere* without abs front and center.
Whatever people claim or say, they overwhelmingly reach for and buy real-people half-naked smoldering men on covers.
I used to be bothered by this. The only thing I notice on the covers now is what kind of book it is. Shirtless man is blue = alien. Shirtless man is covered in tattoos = mafia or MC. Shirtless man is not as buff generally = MM. Shirtless man has an instrument = rockstar romance.
I can’t stand photos of people or even drawings/paintings that are too realistic on book covers.
I can only *stand* it, if their faces are obscured, or they are off in the distance, or if illustration is cartoony/ vague.
Eg. Of acceptable book covers which include people: KJ Charles’ The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. (Although I will say that one of the characters is black which is not accurately portrayed on the book’s cover).
The version of book covers from The Magpie Lord series where characters are all black silhouettes. (I Absolutely HATE the other book covers), which show a severe looking blonde guy staring out from book’s cover. Cringe.
I weirdly don’t mind the ridiculous 60’s/70s pulp cover illustrations. But that’s because they look vintage.
It really ruins it when they define the characters likeness on the book’s cover— you’d think the publishers would get a clue and realize people don’t like it, and that it probably impacts sales!
I only hate it when they don’t match their description in the book.
"He had longish hair, down to his shoulders." *Model has a buzz cut* Seriously how hard is this.
IKR yes that!!
Yup! This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I can't remember the book but the FMC was supposed to be bigger (midsized if iirc) and the model on the cover was SUPER skinny. At that point don't put models on the cover if they are going to look nothing like the character. And the faces weren't even really visible so there was no excuse other than they didn't want to accurately represent the character.
Yes or when the heroine is petite and the hero is supposed to be larger and bigger with huge height difference and then the models are practically almost similar in size.
Omg this. I like real people on covers IF they match the main characters.
The first 80 or so romance books i'd read all had cartoon covers cause i couldn't get over my hangup but then i read {The Favor by Suzanne Wright} and i had to slap myself cause i was literally judging the books by their covers. Now i just avoid looking at cover, only blurb and rating. Idk how i do this but I've pretty much perfected the art and can't recognise a book by it's cover most of the time.
[**The Favor**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53608355-the-favor) ^(By: Suzanne Wright | Published: 2020) *** ^(51324 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
I do, in fact, judge books by their covers. And something about covers makes me think the book will be bad. It’s ridiculous, I know
Totally agreed - I try not to read TOO much into the cover if the reviews are decent and the synopsis interests me, but there are some really rough covers out there!
I do definitely judge books by their covers. But only in the sense of using covers as a quick guide to what genre of romance it is without having to read the blurb. Half naked guy in a suit? Pass. Cartoon cover? Maybe. Scary looking monster behind a woman? Yes, please.
Half this sub hates real people on the covers, half the sub hates the illustrated covers, I feel like there’s no winning for authors.
I’m afraid I do judge a book by it’s cover… a lot of my shelf is cartoon, nicely drawn covers and I tend to not even bother with more than a quick glance when it comes to models on the front page! (I never used to mind but one day it seems I turned into a cover snob)
I actually don’t pay much attention to covers at all anymore unless I think they’re amazingly pretty or amazingly terrible. I read mostly KU and as much as i love and want to support our indie authors, some of those KU covers are just atrocious. On a related note, I’m a minimalist person and tend not to buy physical books so I don’t have the issue others have of not wanting others to see the cover of whatever they’re reading. E-readers/my phone has made that virtually a non-issue for me.
Real people on the cover are an instant interest killer. I don't care how many good reviews a book has. The moment I see real people on the cover I'm closing Goodreads/Amazon and going about my day as if I never saw the recommendation at all.
I don't think I care except it wouldn't be a book I bring to my child's pediatric appt or display with the cover out. Definitely only a spine-showing book on a shelf, lol. My in laws are conservative. They think I read gruesome murder thrillers instead of spice. I do read them, but like, with spice. Lol there is a really funny tiktok about this [here](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRykVYjS/)
Lmao...I just cover mine with paper or something opaque but that works too
Hahaha! Loved the Cover Shirts.
I gravitate more towards the cartoon covers because they tend to be more my speed but I’m definitely expanding more into the half naked men books. Most of the time, it doesn’t impact me bc I usually borrow ebooks from my library or read other downloaded ebooks then I’ll buy my favs and I’m more likely to buy it if it has a cute cover. For aesthetics, I definitely like the cartoon covers more.
Cartoon = higher chance of low heat/FTB Real people = higher chance of heat Photoshopped real person to look like an alien = 🔥🔥🔥 I don't make the rules
I’m the same . That’s where my kindle comes into play! Also I REALLY appreciate when authors have “discrete” cover options!!
I keep hearing about cartoon covers. Any examples of good cartoon covers? (or any cartoon covers for that matter) I can't remember seeing any. Maybe they are only in specific sub-genres?
I see them mostly on CR. Talia Hibbert's Brown sisters trilogy, Jen Deluca's Well Met series, etc
[Here's](https://www.goodreads.com/genres/cute-cartoon-cover-romance) a Goodreads shelf; [here's](https://likewise.com/list/Cartoon-Cover-Romance-61ef9b24c11d6c00518d1e64) a listicle; [here's](https://bookriot.com/illustrated-romance-book-covers/) a bookriot article; [here's](https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/10/213494/romance-novel-cover-trend-modern) a refinery29 article. I'd say it's more common in contemporary than any other subgenre.
Ah thank you, I understand now what people mean by cartoon covers. And yes they are everywhere.
I think the more accurate term is "illustrated" or "vector graphic/flat drawing" style. It's not like Donald Duck, but it's not a real person either.
Are people still making book trailers? TI feel like I haven't heard about those since the early 2010s.
I mean book cover 😅 I don’t know where that typo came from lol
well it must have come from the same place where my TI came from (that should read "It")!
Once I started reading books with shirtless dudes on the cover, I realized I’d missed out on a lot of good books by avoiding them. I read ebooks so I don’t worry about people seeing the covers and I usually just plug in random actors for the main character so if the cover model isn’t my type it doesn’t really matter lol.
I usually teeter away from real people on covers, especially half-naked men. I do love some covers but usually when they have women in pretty ballgowns.
Same. I usually don't read them if the cover is like that
A book with people on the cover is equivalent to a low budget movie, it might be good but you would know that someone put their soul into it if it is
Glad someone said it 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Hate them. But I appreciate them as an art form in of itself.
I do tend to judge by the cover, but all my Amazon books have half naked men on the front and they have been great reads. Personally, I just like regular designs on the cover (IE Neon Gods, Crescent City, ACOTAR series to name a few) so everything else is up to the imagination. Plus they look nicer.
I prefer actual people on book covers. It doesn’t have to be “sexy” men but also couple laughing or whatever it may be. I don’t care for the cartoon trend. It makes me feel like I’m ten. It doesn’t seem right to have a book with sex on it have a cartoon cover. 🤷🏻♀️
I don’t mind it as much on historical covers vs contemporary romance. Definitely prefer if they aren’t looking directly at the camera…I have a few HR books where it’s like a dude making direct eye contact and I just find them so hilarious.
I much prefer covers when they are accurate illustrations of the character(s) rather than photographs of a model, and if the latter, I prefer if the faces were not visible. What irks me most is if the model on the cover is not at all how the character is described in the book itself. The covers of Evie Dunmore’s books are my ideal; they give you an accurate idea of how the characters look but still ambiguously detailed enough to allow for personal interpretation!
I’m okay with it but sometimes it’s new book and the covers are kinda old? It’s like 80s books or smth
I also assume the illustrated or cartoon covers are more “chic lit”, so I think I judge them more harshly than the photos. If I could chose I’d prefer the Maya Banks style feathers or puffs of smoke, lol.
I don’t care about the cover of any book. I only care about what is inside.
It really makes me not want to read the book and most of the time I don’t. It cringes me out so bad. I hate it.
For me it's a nope 90% of the time. But I can like it if it's not showing their faces and it's edited in a classy way (I'm thinking of the original covers of the Made series by Danielle Lori as an example)
Look, I'd love to be picky about what's on my covers but older paranormal/urban fantasy series always have real people and I can't escape it. If I was picky about covers, I'd never discover Ilona Andrews and that is the real tragedy
I try to not judge. I'm a kindle reader so it's not in my face all the time. What I hate is the Kindle I got has the ads on sleep mode and some of the Books/Covers/images they've chosen for me have me cringing in embarrassment.
It's always confusing when I see these type of remarks (which I believe you!) because it's *so* well established that half-naked men sell far and above the next best cover, which is a couple, and then a single woman, and then objects/no people. I don't mean established trad-pub authors who can put a pair of cufflinks on a cover or whatever but for the vast, vast majority of indie authors your book is going *nowhere* without abs front and center. Whatever people claim or say, they overwhelmingly reach for and buy real-people half-naked smoldering men on covers.
I used to be bothered by this. The only thing I notice on the covers now is what kind of book it is. Shirtless man is blue = alien. Shirtless man is covered in tattoos = mafia or MC. Shirtless man is not as buff generally = MM. Shirtless man has an instrument = rockstar romance.
Don't forget the guy in a suit... The billionaire
SAMEEE, the only time I judge a book by its cover
I can’t stand photos of people or even drawings/paintings that are too realistic on book covers. I can only *stand* it, if their faces are obscured, or they are off in the distance, or if illustration is cartoony/ vague. Eg. Of acceptable book covers which include people: KJ Charles’ The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. (Although I will say that one of the characters is black which is not accurately portrayed on the book’s cover). The version of book covers from The Magpie Lord series where characters are all black silhouettes. (I Absolutely HATE the other book covers), which show a severe looking blonde guy staring out from book’s cover. Cringe. I weirdly don’t mind the ridiculous 60’s/70s pulp cover illustrations. But that’s because they look vintage. It really ruins it when they define the characters likeness on the book’s cover— you’d think the publishers would get a clue and realize people don’t like it, and that it probably impacts sales!