Do You Judge a Book by its Cover?

I wouldn't ignore a book just because of its cover, but an intriguing book cover and/or title can sometimes make me pick up and book to see what it's about when ordinarily I might not.

I'm glad you found a great book you enjoy. It's always fun when you stumble upon a discovery like that. I've done that with several authors.

When I'm book shopping, titles and covers have always gotten me to pick up and examine a book. The small bit that's usually on the back cover describing the plot is next, and then reading a few pages follows that.

I go to Goodwill often and browse their books. Many of them are hardback books that have lost the glossy book cover. Unless the title really calls to me, I rarely even pick them up.

I just read a paperback I got from Goodwill several years ago, Erich Segal's Love Story. It had been sitting in my parents' basement for awhile. Black mold. Good thing it was short.

I always judge a book by its cover. What else is there to go on?

I don't go by the pix so much, most fantasy cover is a rehash of MTH and KAH (mightily thewed hero and kick-ass heroine) though I do miss the old Vallejo covers. I go for the author then whittle down by the blurb.

Erinmiller77 said:

I just read a paperback I got from Goodwill several years ago, Erich Segal's Love Story. It had been sitting in my parents' basement for awhile. Black mold. Good thing it was short.

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ROFL! I'd only be more impressed if you had to get medical treatment after reading it.

Captshady said:

ROFL! I'd only be more impressed if you had to get medical treatment after reading it.

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That has yet to be seen...LOL

When the cover says "DANIEL STEEL," I tend to judge very harshly.

Bartholomew said:

When the cover says "DANIEL STEEL," I tend to judge very harshly.

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I actually picked up a Danielle Steel book this year, after a hiatus since junior high. (I'm trying to read a quota of books this year and didn't have something to read one night, and a friend offered.) I had several moments when I was jarred out of the story by sentence structure or ending with a preposition--she should know better than that, right?--but once I was into the story, it didn't bother me. She can definitely tell a story.

Of course, if you're referring to a typo of her name, I would also judge that harshly. How can you judge a book by its cover if the name is misspelled?


ETA...I suppose there could be an author out there named Daniel Steel, whom I have most likely offended. I am sorry.

Shadow_Ferret said:

I always judge a book by its cover. What else is there to go on?

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Recommendation.

Most of the books I read, I read because someone whose judgement I trust has recommended them to me.
I do the same with music and films.

I really like the covers for Penguin classics that have reproductions of old paintings on them. Dead Souls, for instance, has one by Chagall on it.

HeronW said:

I don't go by the pix so much, most fantasy cover is a rehash of MTH and KAH (mightily thewed hero and kick-ass heroine) though I do miss the old Vallejo covers. I go for the author then whittle down by the blurb.

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MTH? KAH? Wha?

And I'm old school, I still miss Frazetta. Frazetta on a book cover guaranteed I'd buy it.

JimmyB27 said:

Recommendation.

Most of the books I read, I read because someone whose judgement I trust has recommended them to me.
I do the same with music and films.

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I don't trust anyone's judgement. My tastes are so bizarro eclectic that even if two authors are similar and I like one, odds are good that I won't like the other.

Buying new books is a frustrating experience for me. Like hunting for easter eggs in a mine field.

Shadow_Ferret said:

My tastes are so bizarro eclectic that even if two authors are similar and I like one, odds are good that I won't like the other.

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read any vonnegut, ferret?

My criteria for buying a book, in this order: Genre (I don't buy Romance, apologies to Romance writers... oh, unless it's a gift for someone who prefers the genre), Author, Reviews (whose and for what reason(s)), Preview (I always read a few pages before deciding if it's for me).

If the author is unknown, it always comes down to the quality of the writing. Unless it's a non-fiction book on a topic I am really interested in.

The cover has little to do with my decision to buy.

cray said:

read any vonnegut, ferret?

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I have vonnegut in my library. Slaughterhouse Five and Breakfast of Champions. Started S5, but didn't get very far. Wasn't in the mood at the time.

Almost always. The exception would be if I'm already aware of the book beforehand because of a friend's recommendation or a review.

As someone in marketing, I know how important the title and the cover is to the sell. Freakonomics, for example, was huge in large part because of the title's power to get consumers' interest.

Unless you're a known entity and people are going to buy your book regardless, the title and cover art are very important indeed.

I suppose idiots have money, and there are plenty of idiots, but in answer to the question: I don't. I look inside.

A cover can alert me to one of my favorite categories, Historical Fiction.

I am a person who judge a book by its covers. There are so many books out there;it's so difficult to choose. I like covers which are not too old with pretty graphics. Catchy titles will catch my attention too!

Due to my limited budget, I generally buy books that are screaming in the news, eg. The Wheel of Time, Farseer trilogy, Elantris, Mistborn, A Song of Ice and Fire, etc....


When I DO buy a book by myself with no recommendation from anywhere, title and cover do play a role. First of all, I dislike carrying about a book with a corny cover that may make my friends laugh at me, regardless of the content. I know at least one person who strips off their cover and replaces it with cardboard.

Catchy covers are always a plus. I also get intrigued when there is nothing on the cover other than the title and author.

Although I definitely don't judge a book by its cover, when browsing in a bookstore I will definitely pick up and look at a book with what I consider to be a great cover.