Who actually said “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” ?
I want to know. Because we all judge books by their covers.
Even you.
Need proof?
How many of you have been suckered by a stunning cover only to find that the story between those covers is less than stunning? (That would be me.)
Or maybe you have read an excellent story hidden underneath a jacket that would bring shame and dishonor on you family for multiple generations? (That would be me too.)
This is a problem because beauty matters. I want to read beautiful books—not just a beautifully written book, but a book beautifully made.
But beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
Is it, though? Is it really?
Publishers know that beauty matters. They use design to reel readers in. When a publisher cons me into reading a bad novel through gorgeous cover art, my inner nerd gets mad.
If you truss up a terribly written novel in leather and gold leaf, it’s like putting a prom dress on a pig. Eventually, someone is going to notice. (That would also be me.)
Have you ever been caught in a publisher’s cover art bait and switch? Were you mad, even a little? Did you throw the book across the room? Or just sigh, and donate the thing to a free little library?
-rj
R. J. Sheffler 
I love a beautiful book though I am usually too chicken to just try a book based on the cover. The one and only was the Night Circus, and I enjoyed it.
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I was put off by the Night Circus.
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I tend to be wary of buying books I haven’t read, but I have certainly picked books out at the library because the covers were alluring. It is frustrating. But what is more frustrating is when there is a truly phenomenal book that doesn’t have any decent editions. There are books that I WANT to own, but they don’t look that great on my shelf, and that makes me kind of mad. I like it when the exterior of a book and its interior can match. That being said, I would much rather own an ugly book that is good on the inside than a pretty one that I don’t care for.
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YES! Exactly. I finally found some Brandon Sanderson covers that I didn’t hate and I thought, “I must buy them all.”
We should have books that are works of art. And they are hard to find.
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Are you referring to the UK editions from Gollanz? They’re amazing. (I do like the US edition of the Stormlight archives though…. those paintings are great.)
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I think so. They’re gorgeous black and white with a splash of color. The best.
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Yes!!
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