Is it Cover or the Content that sells the book?

[TattooedWriter]

Mickey Spillaine used to say: "The first page sells the book, the last page sells the next book."

Maybe that could be revised to: "The cover sells the book, the content sells the next book."

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

Maybe that could be revised to: "The cover sells the book, the content sells the next book."

That summarizes well and I don't think anyone will argue with this statement. But it takes more than cover (the title for example)  to sell the book, IMO.

[DDark]

From a reader's perspective - it's a combination. From a well known author I trust - I just buy. But if it's someone I don't know, I look through the "look inside" feature, read the excerpt to see if it's something I would like. But what makes me click on the book to begin with?

What makes you lift a book off the shelf in the store?

The cover!

It may not be the deciding factor in the sale, but it will land readers on the book page.

[Selina Fenech]

I think both sell books, but in different ways. As a reader there are two ways I buy books-
1. I see the book (cover and blurb), like what I see, and take a chance on the content.
2. I hear a lot of good word of mouth about the book. This is obviously based on content, other readers who have read and loved the content and are spreading sales via their good reviews. So I think you can get good sales through content, but even then the cover is important, if not quite as much. For example, I put off reading the Hunger Games for ages because the covers did nothing for me. I don't think they are bad at all, but a cover says something about the style, genre and themes of a book, and what those covers were saying to me as a reader is that they weren't my sort of book. It took a lot of good word of mouth to turn me around and finally get me to read them.

[Ben Dobson]

Cover and blurb are important, but I've seen some pretty sketchy covers on some pretty decent selling books, so content must mean something.  On the other hand, I've seen some pretty sketchy content in some pretty high selling books, sometimes with a sketchy cover to boot.  And of course, I've seen great books with great covers that are selling poorly.

So really, I have no idea what sells books.

But on average, I think a really good cover and blurb will make a big difference.  Books that succeed despite lacking those things are, at least, more rare.  You've got to get people to your good content somehow.

[JosephHass]

In my personal experience and I read somewhere around 50 books a year, at  no point does the cover play any role in my purchasing decision.
I've read a lot of "the cover or blurb or sample are a reader's first impression". That's hardly the case for me. The first impression for me is usually some critical response to the book. I don't have to go searching through the digital stacks, plenty of people are doing that already. Blogs, professional critics, friends, relatives, co-workers, awards panels.... they all steer me to what I want to read. If I read a book and enjoy it, I check into the authors next publication(and usually their previous publications as well).

Here's the undeniable truth, book sales grow geometrically. You can experiment with covers and blurbs and price points all you want. You can twitter and facebook and blog and  it will not matter. If 3 out of every 10 people who read your book aren't telling everyone they know to read it- your book will die.

So is it Cover or the Content that sells the book?
No one is telling anyone to read a book because it has a great cover.

[CraigInTwinCities]

Responding to the OP:

You see emphasis on covers on these boards because in the indie world, we have to think about the marketing end as well as the creative end.

While a good cover vs. a great cover may not necessarily improve sales, keep in mind that some indies slap very incompetent covers on their books, that make their books look amateur instead of professional.

And that can indeed hurt sales, even if the book inside is terrific.

[Dara England]

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?

Speaking for myself, the cover determines whether I buy the book. The content determines whether I'll buy again from that author. But not everyone is as attracted to pretties as I am and I've seen some readers (usually readers who are already accustomed to buying from indies) say covers don't much affect their buying choices.

ETA: And I just realized I already posted in this thread about three pages back. Isn't it funny when a threads been going so long you forget you've already commented on it? 

[Chrystalla]

A few minutes ago I was browsing different threads on this forum and a cover in a signature caught my eye (something with an elf, I think). So I clicked on it and read the blurb on the amazon page. And I realized this isn't for me. But had I liked the blurb, I would have gone on to read some reviews and maybe download a sample, and maybe buy the book.

So, as others have said: cover, then blurb, then sample, then purchase. The cover doesn't sell the book. But it often is the first step toward that purchase. 

[Decon]

Couldn't resist coming out of my self imposed KB exile to post this.

My views on eBook cover design from my blog. (edited for KB post)

What's in a book cover?

The answer is everything…Your book cover is the packaging that it going to sell your product that it contains. I say sell. but what I should say is that your cover is an initial factor that creates an impression, especially in the case of a new or unknown author when a reader is browsing for books to buy.

There is a basic principle in advertising that applies equally to books. Just look at ads in your local newspaper. The well-informed advertisers work to three principles. Whom it is, what it is and where to get it. All other marketing jargon and arty-farty creativity are bullsh*t, unless the purpose of the ad is brand awareness. You must always have the basics in mind when commissioning a designer, to be able to give them a clear undertaking of what you require and leave them to use their creativity around that. If you are designing the cover yourself, then just pray your creative juices will enhance the basics. I have to say though, that cover design is the one item on your list that if you have a budget, it is best left to the professionals.

The development of eBook technology and the sites that distribute eBooks have set size parameters that have caught out many designers of books. Books that caught the eye on the bookstore shelf can look bland on the web page and unless you are a fan searching out a writer, the book can be easily overlooked. I would always recommend designing the eBook cover first and make sure that it is clearly visible as a thumbprint.

So how do the basics apply to all book covers? Simple, but first take a look at eBook covers as the information for the customer to make a decision about buying is fragmented and slightly different to the printed book. Your name is your brand, your title is what it is and if it is an eBook, the click on the cover will take you to where you can get it and will provide further information to allow you to make a decision to buy, or not.

In the case of paper books, the customer will have everything in their hands to make the decision, through the cover, the book blurb, the author’s bio and sample reading, but as in the case of both media, it is like being on that first date … there has to be that initial spark to explore the possibilities.

If you take the brand, you may be unknown now, but your name is going to be your brand. All that implies, is that you will be known for writing in a certain style and in a certain genre. If you take care of the quality of your product then you will become a trusted brand and recommendations will follow. For trusted brands, or recommendations, covers are less important to those seeking out a specific book or author, but you still have to consider the casual browser who may never have heard of say ... Stephen King.

Titles are… ‘what it is’ and should give some clue as to the content of your story. The same is true of any background design.

I think the, ‘where to get it’, is self-explanatory. In all cases, you will have been enticed by a need, possibly influenced by outside sources, or marketing to arrive at the location to consider a purchase of the product. Fortunately, with eBooks the distributor guides the consumer in the direction of the fragmented information and the check out.

So what other influence can determine your choice of design? For this, you need to research your genre. However, it doesn't stop there. Ask the question, will a design for the American market suit the British market? A quick search of the internet and you may be surprised by the answer.

"Will the information guarantee success?" you say. Hell no, but it will put you in with a fighting chance in what is a highly competitive market.

[Bethaney]

I think the cover is the so-called 'first impression'.

If the author hasn't invested effort in the making of a cover, chances are they may have not invested any effort in the content.

I understand we're not all graphic designers, I'm just speaking form a reader point of view.

The blurb is important, because if your not going to sell it to me, why should I bother?

[AFernandez]

IMHO "cover vs. content" is the wrong question. The first few months, a great cover and marketing campaign will produce more sales than great content alone. After that, your sales will be dictated by word of mouth. You have either managed to established yourself as a good author or not. So the answer is a clear "both."

And a note about covers: it's not about having a piece of art, it's about the cover making the book look like books the reader enjoyed to read in the past. Books aren't commodities, people buy what is close to things they know they like.