Is it Cover or the Content that sells the book?

[*DrDln* (dr.s.dhillon)]

I see lot of emphases on covers. That reminds me the old saying: "Don't judge book by the cover."

I don't mean to undermine the importance of cover. But I still believe in old saying that content is more important.

What does the other authors and readers think?

[Victorine]

Since they would have to have read your book to buy from content, I would say it's the cover and the blurb that sells the book.  (And sometimes it's the reviews.)

Covers are VERY important, IMHO.

Vicki

[T.J. Dotson]

Its all of the above. If you have a terrible cover, no one is going to buy the book to read the content. If you have a great cover and awful content, your reputation as an author is sullied. In this game its all or nothing.

At least that's the advice other authors have given me. And I've taken it to heart.

[JeanneM]

I think the cover is what will immediately grab them. That and a good blurb. Then it will be the content (if an ebook and they download a sample) that will make them want to buy.  

[Daniel Pyle]

Covers are VERY important, IMHO.

I agree. For someone coming to your work for the first time, your covers are pivotal.

The content is important if you want them to read more than one of your books.

[JSimmons Illustration]

I see lot of emphases on covers. That reminds me the old saying: "Don't judge book by the cover."

I don't mean to undermine the importance of cover. But I still believe in old saying that content is more important.

What does the other authors and readers think?

Keep in mind I'm saying this as a pro book cover illustrator, but the illustration is what's going to bring someone in. A reader may not be judging your book by the cover but if the art's not there and readable and attractive a person browsing won't make it to the blurb and will even skip good reviews.

[modwitch]

I personally think it matters that your cover looks reasonably professional - but after that (depending on genre), other factors are more important.  Titles and blurbs and reviews help sell the first book to a reader.  Content is what gets someone to like your book, read the next one, write a review, tell a friend - and all those things are really important for long term sales.

I want one of those covers that makes people drool, I really do.  And maybe soon I'll get one made - but my book is selling with a cover that's fine, but certainly not spectacular.

[Carradee]

Both, but covers are what catch the eye to get the reader's interest.  Then the blurb and the reviews.  Some readers will buy from there, but many of us will check a sample of the content first.

If I can't see a content sample of a book, I won't buy.  There are exceptions, but most of them come when I already know the author and know I like their writing.

But a good cover is necessary for catching the reader's eye to begin with.

Vicki's cover, for example, catches my gaze every time I see it, enticing me to buy it—and I don't even read that genre, unless I'm curled up in bed, sick.  (Crime/murder fiction makes me feel better, for some reason.)  I have no e-reader.  So no curling up on the bed to read it if I were to buy it.

But it's so professional and eye-catching.  It screams "You will enjoy this book!"

No matter how great the cover is, though, if the interior's full of errors, I won't like it.  (I haven't read Vicki's excerpt or anything yet to know.)

[Dara England]

I think the cover is hugely important (yeah I know, what do you expect from a cover designer).  But seriously, a good cover catches my eye and pulls me in to read the blurb and find out what the story is about. A cover also signifies to the readers what they can expect from the book.

[BarbaraKE]

In my opinion, the cover is extremely important to attract that initial "Hmm, that looks interesting" reaction.  Without that, the reader will never get to the blurbs, sample, etc.  

[Retired]

Unless a book/movie was recommended by a friend, the cover is always the thing that either catches my eye or doesn't. If it doesn't, then I'll never see the blurb, so I'm sure I've missed out on loads of excellent books just because they have dismal covers.

[Terrence OBrien]

Something has to bring a consumer to the page where he can then get the content.

[ellenoc]

IMO covers can turn people off but they don't bring them in. It doesn't matter how wonderful a cover is, if the book just isn't my cup of tea, I'm not going to the Amazon page. Even if it is my kind of book, if the description doesn't pique interest, I'm not going to the Amazon page. On the other hand if I think the cover looks cheesy, ugly, like no effort or thought went into it, etc., I don't even read the description of the book.

I'm also going to confess here that all my life I've marched to a different drummer, and I think this is one more example. I see post after post telling me look here, this is a great cover, and I look and often don't see anything special or even don't much like it. So it's perfectly likely that I'm wrong and the majority of the rest of the world buys or doesn't buy books because of covers.

[Gregory Ashe]

I'll be honest and say that I'm actually, more frequently, drawn to titles than to covers. The covers of most of the fantasy books I end up reading are (IMHO) fairly awful, although I know that I'm in the minority in that area. Titles, however--if they have a good, poetic ring, I'm hooked. Example: The Darkness That Comes Before.

[Holly A Hook]

Covers are going to be the first impression someone gets of your book, so yeah, they're pretty important.

[horse_girl]

There's an old saying: You only get one chance to make a first impression.

Covers are that first impression. You want it to hook the potential reader. It's your invitation to the blurb and the sample, and hopefully a sale. But it all starts with that first impression. If you can't get past that, you've lost a sale.

[Joshua Rigley]

I see lot of emphases on covers. That reminds me the old saying: "Don't judge book by the cover."

I don't mean to undermine the importance of cover. But I still believe in old saying that content is more important.

What does the other authors and readers think?

It's the cover and the title. The title is especially important. Why do you think "Chicken Soup for the Soul" became so popular? I remember reading in "Think and Grow Rich" that one book when from collecting dust to becoming a bestseller because the author changed the title.

The reviews serve as social proof, and in this day and age are of particular importance to make the sale.

The actual content of your book as little to do with the sale, ironically enough. However, it is your content that will determine whether your customer will buy from you again, so it's important to have good content as well.

So I guess you could say all of it sells the book.

[JJayKamp]

I keep wondering if romance covers with half-naked men are a draw or a turn-off.  I tend to gravitate toward them, so I remade my cover for The Last Killiney. And sales plummeted immediately.  But I really thought it would draw people to click on my book far more than the cover I previously had, which was a moody, misty Pacific Northwest beach.  I think a cover's clickability is in the eye of the beholder...er...or something.   

[CraigInTwinCities]

I see lot of emphases on covers. That reminds me the old saying: "Don't judge book by the cover."

I don't mean to undermine the importance of cover. But I still believe in old saying that content is more important.

What does the other authors and readers think?

In the eBook age, the cover is your first line of attention-grabbing. It's what you see that makes you decide to click through to a description and the "buy now" button.

Covers aren't everything, but they are significant.

[Andrew Biss]

I think it's very similar to food, where you eat with your eyes first. The cover is your first point of contact - that fleeting moment where your mind is either engaged or moves on. If you can catch someone's attention with your cover you're halfway home.

Of course, if your subsequent blurb doesn't pull them in further, you're out. If you have a sample for them to read, that will also be a tipping point.

But you probably aren't going to get very far without a good cover. Even a lame title can be overlooked if your cover art is a hook.

[PMartelly]

the cover and blurb sell the book, crappy content gets the book returned. lol

[Raymond Birdsell]

In the eBook age, the cover is your first line of attention-grabbing. It's what you see that makes you decide to click through to a description and the "buy now" button.

Covers aren't everything, but they are significant.

I think that old saying about not judging the book by the cover is still true - when you can sit there and read the blurb, flip through the physical book, etc.

Not so with an ebook ... although I suppose if your blurb is good enough - they might choose to sample your work regardless of the cover - but you are still fighting an uphill battle.

[Edward C. Patterson]

It's engaging readers and BUZZ that sells books. It's selling yourself (VRANDING) that sells books. Covers play a role and content - well, if the goods aren;t there, you won;t be, and the readers will assure that.

Edward C. Patterson

[daveconifer]

Since they would have to have read your book to buy from content, I would say it's the cover and the blurb that sells the book.  (And sometimes it's the reviews.)

Covers are VERY important, IMHO.

Vicki

Vicki, do you still have the original image of the cover of NWSS?  I remember it being red and black.  It's still "read" -- 100,000 times.  Congratulations on that...

[daringnovelist]

Here's what I think:

Whatever you believe will become a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Why?  Because if you believe that customers find your books by browsing covers, that's how you will market your book. If you believe they will find it because they've heard of you and your work, then you'll market your work through platform building.  If you believe it's the contents, you'll pursue ways to get your content in front of readers.  If you think it's ranking, you'll give it your all to get ranking.  

And you won't try as hard at the other things, and they won't be as successful for you as the thing you try harder at. (And no matter what you think you're doing, you simply don't try as hard at the things you don't believe in.)

I think all of the above helps -- the question is not so much what sells best as what is the most effective way you can use your time and money.  And that's something we each have to find for ourselves.

Camille