Don't judge a book...

I don’t think there is a person on earth who has not heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  While that may be a great metaphor for many other things, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would pick up a book with a half naked man and a woman on the cover locked in a sensual embrace and purchase it for a child.

Yes we definitely have to judge a book by its cover at least to gather basic information.  If you see a man wantonly staring into a woman’s eyes on the cover of a book, chances are it is romance.  And if you see a smoking gun, chances are its suspense or mystery.  Does that mean the book is well written?  That’s where the cliché comes in to play.  But the cover is exactly what we use to determine if we’re going to look at the book, much less purchase it.  You’ve all done it.  You look at the front cover then if it looks interesting you read the back and then the first chapter to determine if you’re going to purchase it.
A catching cover is extremely important to grab a reader’s attention in the ocean of books all vying for the same audience.  It is one of the greatest marketing tools an author has at his or her disposal.  Well known authors typically have their names in large lettering and the title of the book a little smaller.  If it’s part of a series, that information is prominently displayed.  If the author previously wrote a bestseller, the front cover typically announces, “Bestselling author of…”

That is why we have to be very careful when we choose a cover for our books.  It has to be attractive.  The font not only has to be legible but to evoke a certain feeling.  The picture on the cover should give an idea of the genre and generalization of what the book is about because if we don’t capture readers with the front cover, they won’t proceed to read the synopsis and hence purchase the book.

With that in mind, my publisher and I have been working on the cover design for my upcoming novel “Hurricane of the Heart”.  Choosing a cover is no small feat.  We had to make it eye catching; make sure the models are a loose representation of the lead characters, and that the cover tells something of what the story is about.

I’m  giving my Novel Spaces family a first peek at the cover.  If you can guess what the story is about by looking at the cover, please use the comment section to tell us.  If this is a cover that would make you want to purchase the book, please tell us.  And if it sucks, is too busy or is a turn off, tell us too.
Those who can guess the storyline accurately will be entered into a drawing and one lucky winner will receive a copy of Hurricane of the Heart when it is released later this summer.   I’m looking forward to your comments.

The great reveal: Jewel's new novel to be released this summer.  Guess the storyline from this cover for a chance to a receive  free copy of Hurricane of the Heart