How much does a book cover interest you?

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November 1, 2018, 11:31 pm

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How much does a book cover interest you?

Have you ever bought a book because the book cover looks good? Some book covers tend to be intriguing, even mysterious, leading people to buy it for that reason primarily. Do you remember books that you purchased for the same reason?

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mosesoscar

mosesoscar

Not much really. I've made that mistake of judging books by the cover, and to be honest, I've been disappointed a lot. Well I'm not saying that good books doesn't come with good covers, they do. But judging a book by the cover is not really reasonable. There are good graphics designers everywhere that all an author needs to do is to locate one and get him produce something captivating; its good presentation and its business tactics, and with proper packaging you can sell poison to someone. Packaging is not it for me, it is not a direct representation of the content of a book.

I judge books more by recommendations, and by their authors. That is better.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

I can relate. I've also been disappointed by many books. This is after seeing such a captivating cover. Most authors seem to have good illustrations but fail to meet the reader's expectations. That's because a cover isn't entirely representative of the book's potential

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Sometimes a book cover tends to deceive readers and we may end up not getting what we wanted or expected.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

Discernment is absolutely the key. Let us not be deceived by the cover. Content is the most important part of the book.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Yea the content is, it is want the book really has to offer and the knowledge is vested in the content while the cover is just a selling strategy to me.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

It really is. Covers are used for marketing purposes. It doesn't really matter much compared to what's written inside. That's why readers prefer a simple cover with an outstanding story.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

That's true. It could be why many books tend to have pretty illustrations. The covers are meant to mask the less than ideal quality of writing. Better read some chapters first before buying.

6 years ago

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menchuuy58

menchuuy58

The content really is very important for me. I am not lured easily by the cover. I will browse the table of contents.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

That's right. This is why many experienced readers are disillusioned when it comes to pretty book covers. They know how it's far from trustworthy.

Sadly, they had to learn it the hard way. Kind of like how we did.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

Yes, same here, that's why before I buy books from a store, is I will read it as much as I can so that I can understand the stories.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

I don't buy a book just because the cover is interesting. I always buy book because I have read good reviews. Sometimes when I know nothing about the book and I find this book on the store that has a great author bio (someone who has done a lot of writing and has achieved a good status as a writer), the description of the book, reviews from other prestigious author and media (as printed on the cover), I might buy that book.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

You may read a review or should I say a plot of a good book online or at the cover but may end up not getting what you had read in the plot, some plots are captivating at times.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

That's true. What ever you may read on the cover may not be true, or even the book review you read might not be true. Reviews can be biased or even sponsored. As a writer, I have done a lot of fake review for money, therefore, you cannot truly believe the review. The best way to decide on the book is through the comparisons of various reviews, ratings and the number of people who rated ( 4 start rating is more valuable if there are 100 ratings compared to 5 star rating from 10 people) etc.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

Aren't some recommendations flawed? Some reviewers do not give honest reviews. They do it for money. Am a reviewer and I know.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

Reviews can be faked. I have done a lot of fake reviews for money. If you check upwork you can see a lot of jobs posted seeking for reviewers for Amazon books. Therefore, even the reviews you see on Amazon are fake. Therefore, you should not completely go by reviews.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

I can't remember exactly if I have ever done what you said. But I love to buy books and read them. I think its the content that I am looking at that interests me as I browse the book first that I am buying,

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

You may spend your time browsing a book at the local store before buying and still complain that the book is something else, it happened to me sometimes ago after I read the plot and went through few details of the book it was looking good there but when I started reading it I wasn't feeling that zeal I felt the day I bought it.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

I really agree with you. You just made it clear that we don't judge the book by its cover, it's all about the content.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

The content is the key knowledge of the book and not the cover so we shouldn't judge by the cover as you have said above.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

Don't judge a book by its cover. This is what we often hear when somebody passes judgement. This can also be true with books.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Yea thats what they say, a book should not be judged by it cover, if we start to judge a book by it cover then many people will easily be deceive by just nice design on books.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

Aren't some recommendations flawed? Some reviewers just do it fir money and do not bother even readinh the book. Am a reviewer and I know.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

A book is usually judged by its book cover by most people. That's why it pays to have a good one. A good book cover, is an interesting one. It should draw the readers attention to pick it up, buy it and read it.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I do agree that recommendations and online / offline reviews are good ways of knowing which book to read. It's a big help for readers but it's not 100 percent accurate more so some good books might not cater to the taste of a particular reader, and that's where book covers can make a difference.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

I seriously don't think any book can cover an entire interest, knowledge is versatile and can be hard to be in just one book, therefore no single book can cover all interest.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

I think that you missed it slightly on what the poster was meaning to say. It's not something arguable that not a single book can be able to cover all topics in the world today, there is no book that can contain all knowledge.

But was meant here is the whether you have been ever influenced by the book cover to purchase such books in the past?

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

Yes, our fellow member might have read it differently. Being influenced by book covers is a common thing. We all judge based on appearance whether we like it or not. But it shouldn't be all that we consider.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

Book cover can influence on buyer. Book cover does only only mean a great graphics on the front cover, Book cover also include, author bio, synopsis of the book, the reviews, and interesting lines from the book.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Yea, book cover does not just stop in the graphics only, it goes beyond to include things that makes the book unique.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Thanks for that, well I was just trying to say that the cover must have a little thing to do with our area of interest.

For example, I love reading war books and I went to a local store to get one and I came across a book cover that caught my attention, it has to kind of warlike or related for me to pick it and glance through it.

Am talking from my own point of view, I don't know about others.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

Well the cover does no entire tell about the book. It tells just the basic things like the author, story line, plot etc. What ever you see on the cover is just to grab your attention. The main question is whether you are influenced by the cover or not, or whether you buy because the cover looks great? Yes, you can be influenced and the cover might tick you. Therefore, while buying a book you should always refer to other things like reviews online and offline, recommendations from people you trust etc.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

That's true. Books have a so called niche. It's what separates them into different classifications. This is mostly evident in the type of readers and genres they're interested in.

6 years ago

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jpk0007

jpk0007

No, I don't think I have ever bought a book cover just after seeing a good book cover, Although having a good book cover can always be good for the sales of a book. However, I always buy books after reading reviews of those books online or when someone recommends those books to me. Many times I buy a book after it becomes popular so that I am assured that I won't be wasting my money on buying it.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

You are very correct my friend with that assertion on not having to use as a result of the book cover to decide whether to purchase or not purchase the book.

Sometimes, appearance can be deceiving, so it's better to look beyond the book cover alone and check out the table of contents.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

That's smart of you. I've bought books because of pretty cover arts quite a few times. It wasn't what I expected. Often books end up being different than what you hoped. Such is the loss that comes from expecting the cover art to be just as good as what's written.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

There are two different ways to buy a book. You have read great things about the book, a lot of people are talking about the book and you also want to read the book. You are in a book store (might be online or offline), find a book that looks great (the author has reputation, the book has many 5 stat ratings, there are a lot of reviews, prestigious authors are talking about the book etc.), and you buy the book. Both of these methods can be very helpful in choosing the right book or both of these methods can trick you.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

A good book cover helps to sell the book well especially when it's a new book that people don't know much about. Take for instance, if one is just looking at buying any good book to read, the covers of the ones on display will definitely influence their decisions.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

Book cover does not only mean the front cover, it also has a back cover and more than the front cover back cover can influence the buyers. the back cover contains teaser which might grab the attention of the buyer. The back cover contains synopsis as well as reviews, these all influence the buyer's decision to buy the book.

6 years ago

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jpk0007

jpk0007

Yes, that is true we can read the synopsis that is available on the back cover of the book. It does give a brief description of the story. Sometimes the Synopsis looks very good and the story seems to be very interesting after reading it. However while actually reading the book, we realise that the story is not that good and then we regret our decision of buying the book.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Yes that true, if someone wants to get a good book to read without having any other book in mind to purchase. It also a good way to market new books as you said.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

I actually get quite drawn into the cover of a book. I know, I know - they always say don't judge a book by its' cover, but I think when you're short on time and you're at a library or a bookstore, you are going to be drawn to things like the images or graphic design, or even a fun font on the cover.

6 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

I can say that I've been interested by a lot of book covers. The problem is that only few delivered the same in terms of content quality. So this could be the reason why many books become popular despite not having good writing. The cover alone grabs the person's attention.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

I guess it's a commentary on the way the world is these days, to a degree. We can often be drawn into how something looks, without thinking about the substance inside. I'm sure many of us are guilty of that - I know that I've definitely picked books before based on cover images alone and been underwhelmed.

6 years ago

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mark8625

mark8625

It happened to me before. I was very in hurry that time and I did not read the summary of the book written at the back so I was assumed that the story was good because of its cover but when I started reading it I was very disappointed about the story. I learned that no matter how hurry or in a rush you are,you need it to take time and read what is on behind. Not all good covers has a good story inside and not all bad covers also has a bad story in it too. Dont deceive by its looks. Read it and be inspired what its inside.

6 years ago

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vinaya

vinaya

When everyone was talking about Dan Brown, I thought to buy his book. I really liked his book. Then I bought another one, I did not like the book, it fact it was just a waste of my time and money. My point buying a book and liking a book are two different thing. Buying a book can be influenced by many things and liking a book are also inflected by many things. "Women in Love" is a great book by DL Lawrence, however, I have to admit that it is a great book (I did not like the book though)

6 years ago

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allyn2017

allyn2017

They say don't judge a book by its over but sometimes you'll buy a book because it has a great cover. I've both a book titled "bad blood" it has a really nice cover and even nicer story.

6 years ago

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mark8625

mark8625

Yeah that is right. I did not realized that during that time. What I prioritized was to buy. Sometimes we learned from our mistakes.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

Yes, I agree. Every person is different and not everyone has the same perspective on things. Some people enjoy a cover of a book and some make it as a deciding factor if whether he/she will buy the book or not

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

Book cover does interest me, especially when the title and the overall presentation are attractive and thought-provoking. I believe book cover speaks to some significant extent of what the book is all about. It may not completely tell everything inside the book but it is very crucial whether people will buy, read and gain from it.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

Book cover really got my interest with something, having a good book cover can make me buy that book even if the content is not that good, I am attracted by the cover itself than the content.

6 years ago

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menchuuy58

menchuuy58

Its undeniable that the beautiful cover presentation hooks me to buy the book. The more beautifully it is presented the greater the hope of buying it for myself. I don't usually buy books that are not well presented.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

Never judge a book by its cover is one saying that really does not apply to me. i always get attracted to the material on the cover including the pictures and any writtings made. there are times I am right while there are also other numerous periods when i have been wrong in my estimation.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

Actually when looking for a good book to read, I would always look at the book covers first. I do think that attractive book covers can influence people into buying a book. The design of the book cover can tell alot of things about a book, it's both a marketing and advertising tool. Sometimes people even buy books with good cover design, not to read but to be used as indoor display pieces or to accentuate ones room or living room.

6 years ago

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HappyLady

HappyLady

Any publisher will tell you. "It is the cover that sells the book." If you think about it, this is the invitation to look inside. Most people buy the book for the cover and many do not ever read the book. This may depress the writer, but it is a known issue in the publishing world. All writers do well to pay great attention to the book cover and ensure it is as inviting as possible. I was told this years ago by a publisher.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

That's it. Sometimes, a book can be brilliant, but if you're competing with a bunch of other books on the shelf you're going to need to have something that sets you apart from the rest. I'm sure that's why authors end up putting a significant amount of thought into the graphic designs for their covers. It can be what makes or breaks their sales, I'm sure.

6 years ago

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esteban123

esteban123

I think that the book cover sometimes give us some attraction and motivation to buy a certain book but most of the time I am into its content since I don't want to buy a book just because of an attractive cover because it might not be worth for my penny. I do appreciate that some author uses some strategy to invest on their cover so that it can easily be sold in the market and I admire it since it is really an effective way to have.

6 years ago

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mitan143

mitan143

I highly consider reviewing first the cover of the book. In fact, it has a big impact to me. I'm just used to consider how the publisher/writer/author created the cover for that certain book, well aside from its title itself. Sometimes, whenever I see that the cover is nice and totally interesting then there's a high chances that I might buy it or I want to read it. But there are also times that we should never depend on the book's cover because there are still a lot of good contents with unappealing book covers.

6 years ago

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astraherondale

astraherondale

I don't buy books simply because they have good cover art. Since I'm very picky, I take the time to scour through the book's reviews instead of impulsively purchasing one. After all, books aren't exactly cheap. However, while I don't pay attention to the cover art, what makes me think twice about purchasing a book is its formatting. As much as possible, I prefer my book's text to be easily readable, with the right font, and printed well.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I must admit that book covers are the number one factor that brings my hand into holding a book. But, what makes me open the book itself is if I like the reviews and the synopsis. If neither reviews nor synopsis can get my attention, no matter how wonderful the cover is, I would leave it and would never try to read the first paragraph.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

We judge a book by its cover. The title and graphics are very important. Normalky we cannot know what is in the book if not through the cover.

6 years ago

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ElectorAlexande

ElectorAlexande

Yea thats true, but at time the cover tends to tell a different thing from what the content itself has to offer.

6 years ago

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mark8625

mark8625

Yeah. The cover is just a strategy of the publisher to make it more attractive. But what is important is the content and what is the book all about.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I agree with you. Most people would be drawn into something because of the oyummuter appearance, we cannot really avoid that.

6 years ago

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jaybee19

jaybee19

Book covers are actually one of the reasons that make me want to buy books except for the books that I need for schooling. Whenever I go to the bookstore, the books that i always get from the shelf are the books that has interesting covers. However, I don't consider the book covers only nowadays. Recently I've been reading the synopsis as well and I try to also look for reviews online just to make sure that i am not wasting my money.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

I actually wonder to a degree how much impact this has these days since ebooks are so popular, too. I know for print copies it still plays into my purchasing decisions, but I wonder about ebooks - basically it's just word of mouth for those!

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

You have a very good point. It's not easy to draw the readers' attention into your ebook because there is no physical conver. Well, in that case, it would be a battle of synopsis and reviews.

6 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

As the old saying goes, I don’t really judge a book by its cover, haha. In all seriousness though, I’ve never really found that a book caught my interest simply because of the cover alone. What usually catches my interest is actually the title. If I’m at the bookstore, I’ll pass by a lot of books with interesting covers, but I’ll only stop at the ones that have a title that peaks my curiosity.

Kind of makes me feel bad for the graphic designers who put so much hard work into making people attracted to their products.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

Book cover really got my interest, tho I agree with the person who also posted on this thread that it is not about the cover itself, it's about the content of each book.

6 years ago

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MomoStarr16

MomoStarr16

First impression last. For me the book cover is the very first thing that caught my attention on buying a certain book. It has a big factor for me and big chance that I will buy it if it has a very good and creative cover.

6 years ago

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cks003

cks003

Although we are usually advised not to judge a book by its cover, we still commit the same mistake and cannot avoid the temptation by letting its cover influences our decisions. This happens especially when we have no idea of the content and the quality of the book. This lack of information usually makes us "vulnerable" to the beautiful and specially designed book cover. At least that is my experience.

6 years ago

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anyone01

anyone01

I read a lot of books, And after I’m inside the library I will admit, a few book covers are attractive so that I want to read it. I typically take hold of a random book and read the preview earlier than deciding on it. However a few books have a wonderful story, but a books with a low quality cover, you never realize what is inside the books if you not read it. For me I don't judge a book by its cover as to the fact that the authors isn't always the one who are making the cover.

6 years ago

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mdayrit

mdayrit

I get attracted to books with nice covering but before buying it I will always consider what the book is about. I believe that it is important for writers who wants to get their works known to have a good book cover. It is the first one that will get the attention of buyers. Unless you are a known writer, it will be hard to let readers find your books if you will not let it stand out visually.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I agree. Book covers are really important as it emphasizes the story as is. It helps the reader to have their first impression about the book they are planning to buy.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I agree with you. Well, it's the cover that attracts most of us. But what attracts us to buy them is the synopsis or the reviews.

6 years ago

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rlfinnash

rlfinnash

When I purchase a book, I usually buy a hardback book with a book cover. I do not buy a book based on just the cover of the book thou. I read what the book is about, and then decide if I would be interested in buying the book or not. Book covers are nice for hardback books, as they also serve as book protectors.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

Book cover really got my interest, even if it's not a good thing because you don't know what's the inside of it.

6 years ago

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Janie1994

Janie1994

I think the book cover helps to sell the book but isn't the only reason why people would buy one. Depending on the cover art it can help to set the scene, establish the theme, or simply be about catching people's eyes while sitting on the shelf. The latest book I purchased which is a crime novel set in the Australian Outback, I purchased because I liked the description on the back of the book and the front cover- which was dark and cloudy with a lone house sitting out in the middle of the desert-evocated this sense of dread and misery which perfectly fit with what the book was about. I read the book cover to cover in two days and it was absolutely fantastic. If it hadn't been for the book cover, I might have left it behind thinking it was an interesting book but that I did not need to read itl

6 years ago

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agbuyarashel

agbuyarashel

When it comes to books, book covers are one of tge important aspect of a book because it represent tbe wholeness of the book, from the font, the color, tge picture and the desigh that dictate and give us the first imoression.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

Honestly, yes. I have bought a book before because of its fascinating cover. It is really colorful and on the same time it is mysterious. It shows two different worlds met in the middle. I have read the book and honestly, it is not the best book that I have read but somehow, it is a unique kind of story.

6 years ago

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mhingnhormz

mhingnhormz

How much does a book cover interest you: Before i used to do that also if the cover of the book is somewhat like interesting it will encourage me to read it but i stop judging a book cover when i know how to value the importance of simplicity. The great example of that kind of book is the bible.

6 years ago

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koki12346

koki12346

Honestly when I's just looking - a lot, and that's because I don't know what am I looking for. But when I know what i want to buy, than I don't even look at the book covers.

6 years ago

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teremisuu

teremisuu

When choosing a book, the thing that I always check first (aside from the title, of course) is the synopsis that is written at the back. I then check the cover, if it looks promising. Note that in my case, the synopsis always comes first; if the plot doesn't look interesting, then I usually don't even bother anymore. Still, book covers are important to me. Bad cover design makes me lose my interest. I mean, it wouldn't hurt to make sure that a good book to have a beautiful cover, right? Great covers do hype up a reader's curiosity and interest in the content.

6 years ago

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knnon

knnon

I don't think I've ever bought a book because of a cover. Definitely a cover has a lot to do with the impact of a book because it's the first thing a buyer sees, and that's probably why some people are buying books based off on covers. I've seen some book covers which are irrelevant with the story. So what I always do is read the summary and read reviews and then I decide if I'll buy the book or not.

6 years ago

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gutzman

gutzman

One of the most popular saying is "Don't judge the book by it's cover." but attractiveness wise, most of the time people would still pick well designed book cover compared to the simple ones. It is indeed a factor if you want to sell or attract potential buyers or readers. It doesn't mean that a well designed book is enough. It just have to be one of the aspects you should consider in making or choosing a good book to write or read.

6 years ago

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cjctm11

cjctm11

I used to own a lot of books and I really appreciate the covers of it specially the hardbound covers. Usually they tend to make a beautiful covers to attract the customers and it is quite effective to me but still it will be your choice depends on the book that you wanted. It is still your choice depends on your taste of topic.

6 years ago

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davedaot04

davedaot04

It certainly does interest me, It's probably why they try to make their book cover look good, to sell it and people subconsciously buy for the things that attracts their eyes, whether they admit it or not.

6 years ago

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