tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post4705728385064582079..comments2024-01-26T09:29:04.765-08:00Comments on My American Meltingpot: Can You Judge a Book By Its Cover?Professor Tharpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714326142739366426noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-6601568683276952092010-05-21T19:32:25.581-07:002010-05-21T19:32:25.581-07:00I think you are right that a cover with an image o...I think you are right that a cover with an image of a black woman's face would stop a lot (not all) of white or other non-black browsers from opening up the book. The cover on The Help would certainly deter me from opening it if I was browsing through a store - it looks really boring. <br />You can sort of tell the genre of a book from its cover, for example the "chick lit" novels all have the same look. You want a more trade kind of look than a summer light reading kind of look.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-79353156071840919352010-05-19T08:56:32.522-07:002010-05-19T08:56:32.522-07:00Shuggie,
I love your idea for the cover and I had...Shuggie,<br /><br />I love your idea for the cover and I had a similar one too, but it was nixed. <br /><br />Stephanie,<br />Thanks for visiting. Please come back. And the stories about your son on your blog had me rolling on the floor. I can totally relate.Professor Tharpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04714326142739366426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-3874642596740749072010-05-18T20:33:09.918-07:002010-05-18T20:33:09.918-07:00I too don't care for covers with characters de...I too don't care for covers with characters depicted, particularly actor types after the movie comes out. The cleaner/plainer the cover, the more likely I will pick it up.<br /><br />Visiting from TWC, best of luck to you and congratulations.Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03466195136758964634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-19503526536264131402010-05-17T09:53:17.754-07:002010-05-17T09:53:17.754-07:00Now that I re-read the concept - I guess the women...Now that I re-read the concept - I guess the women's bodies showing is okay (in their respective professional/work attire) - but still shot from the back.Shuggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-78550011669478917902010-05-17T09:51:27.904-07:002010-05-17T09:51:27.904-07:00This is just my idea as I was thinking about the t...This is just my idea as I was thinking about the topic of the book - but maybe a white hand/arm and a black hand/arm holding onto the same baby carriage/stroller? (shot from the back) No bodies nor faces, just 1 of the women's arms each holding onto the carriage/stroller handle (in between the two women) and they can be facing the Brooklyn Bridge (in the background)Shuggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-88698506966360379392010-05-14T07:46:56.129-07:002010-05-14T07:46:56.129-07:00Emerson,
Thanks for the insight. I appreciate it....Emerson,<br /><br />Thanks for the insight. I appreciate it.<br /><br />Toni,<br />Point well taken. I hope I can generate half as much buzz as The Help!<br /><br />Ragazza,<br />Thanks for asking. I'm not sure where it will be shelved, but I'm going to work hard to make sure it lands prominently displayed in the Great New Fiction section. Fingers crossed!!!!Professor Tharpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04714326142739366426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-2797660648753345582010-05-13T00:35:23.545-07:002010-05-13T00:35:23.545-07:00hmmmm good question.
The cover with the photo of ...hmmmm good question.<br /><br />The cover with the photo of the bridge tells me it's set in Brooklyn/NYC.<br /><br />The bridge can be symbolic...bridging two cultures?<br /><br />I assume this book will also be shelved in the African-American section.nyc/caribbean ragazzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09370358466131415888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-10532208293129276332010-05-12T08:46:42.149-07:002010-05-12T08:46:42.149-07:00I'm not sure that The Help is a good example t...I'm not sure that The Help is a good example to use. As a bookseller, I've noticed that the sales of that book are due to the word of mouth factor and marketing, rather than it looking like an interesting book. I do share your misgivings about a night shot on the cover of a book whose audience is primarily female, because similar styles almost always appear on mysteries and some may walk on by. However, any good and creative marketing program backed by great writing can certainly counteract that.Toni Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01301378153468384096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-75679919119175962822010-05-12T08:41:23.904-07:002010-05-12T08:41:23.904-07:00Hey, Lori
I must say that I am glad you went with...Hey, Lori<br /><br />I must say that I am glad you went with the Brooklyn Bridge cover. I love covers that don't try to tell too much of the story or appeal to a particular audience (aside: I almost never by the movie cover of a book after it has been made into a film). <br /><br />Books with characters on the cover often interfere with how the characters reveal themselves to me, and I am a bit bothered by that. Case in point, I just finished Marlon James's The Book of Night Women, which is wonderful, and although there is only one beautiful black woman on the cover, I gazed at the cover often wondering which character she was. I finally decided that I was being silly, and I stopped fretting over the woman on the cover.<br /><br />An abstract cover tells the reader that you respect his/her imagination, and it puts you, the writer, in a position to have to produce work that will speak for itself. People will buy the book because it is good, and word of the quality of writing will travel. I will certainly sing its praises, if it is a good read (and sure it will be). <br /><br />With that said, I don't have a rule against reading books with pictures people on the cover. <br /><br />Thanks for allowing us to weigh in on this. <br /><br />Emerson <br /><br />PS: Check out the cover of Victor LaValle's Big Machine. Big Machine is getting all kinds of attention. Have you read it?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02649468859582209416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-51904730891315812532010-05-12T08:36:22.552-07:002010-05-12T08:36:22.552-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02649468859582209416noreply@blogger.com