… I’m interested in continuing yesterday’s topic and throwing a couple of things out there to see what you all think.
Am I imagining things or is it the same two from yesterday??
Tam and Jen both raised an interesting point about when the same model (or, I guess, someone who is easily recognisable) is used on multiple book covers. They said this can make them hesitate because they have already associated this image with the character from another book.
This made me sit up because I have a similar issue (see this post from my earlier – and obviously very popular – days) when it comes to a model appearing on covers for both m/f AND m/m books. My immediate response when I see this is usually along the lines of ‘but he’s gay!’
So, in addition to getting further comments re: the above, I wanted to ask you this:
Considering book covers, especially in the epublishing world, are usually the hook to suck in the punters/readers do you think it more likely that you would purchase a book which used the same image or model if you loved the first book (ie riding their coat-tails *you know who I’m talking about ;)*)? Or, on the opposite side of the coin, if you hated the story would you shudder, think ‘no fucking way’ and move on?
Kris + Books = Good. *Sometimes*. 
Hmm. I wonder who? 🙂 But if I have a positive association with a model then I am more likely to buy it and I got burned once. BUT, I have such a positive association from the first book that if he shows up again somewhere else I'd buy it. My twisted little mind blames the author for giving my cutie a bad story, not his fault.
If I hated the story? Hmmm. Wonder what would have happened if it had been in reverse? I don't think it would scare me off if I knew the author. If you put boy from hated cover on a Jordan Castillo Price or Chris Owen I'd buy it anyway. Hell, I'd buy one of those if it had that Hot for Nick cover because I KNOW the story will make up for it. For a stranger (so to speak – not like I KNOW the other authors), I might be more wary just because of a negative association, but I'm not 100% sure, its never happened.
I'd like to think I pay attention and wouldn't confuse one author with another just because their book covers share a cover model. I'd also like to think I wouldn't buy or not buy a book based on cover models. Period. (Because, you see, I have my very own, and he's always very close at…knee. And I say this knowing Kris is a jealous hater who'll undoubtedly accuse me, yet again, of harboring ridiculous fantasies.)
Tam: It scares me that I get your twisted little mind. LOL.
So basically if it's an author who you know gives good book you'll buy it regardless of the negative associations with the cover, but if it's a new-to-you author you'll prob'ly hesitate. See, that also makes sense to me. Scary indeed. *g*
K Z: I'd like to think so too, but the reality is that visual images have the tendency to act as memory prompts (for eg people recalling a story from a photo) so it may be something that happens automatically or unconsciously.
BTW, you spelt habouring wrong.
Just sayin'.
Well, great minds think alike. 😀
I've never bought/not bought a book just on the cover. Some covers catch my attention more than others but ultimately it's the author/blurb that grabs me.
What did I tell ya? And she's such a jealous hater, she's stooped to calling me a misspeller.
Now that's low.
Tam: True. LOL.
Lily: I'm definitely more superficial than you, Lily. There are a couple of P L Nunn and Anne Cain's which I just want to buy so I can own the cover – the stories not so much and, in the case of one, the blurb looks so unbelievably convuluted that I know there's little chance I'll ever actually read it.
K Z: As an Aussie blogger I have certain principles and one of them is to ensure that my US virtuals relearn the fact that 'u' is NOT a dirty letter.
Fantasies, or the lack thereof for that matter, have nothing to do with it.
Usually I don't pay any attention to a book cover, mostly because usually it doesn't have any connection to the story – therefore I decide to buy a book after reading the blurb.
As for covers – it's always just two adorable shirtless guys. They all look the same (and who's looking at their faces anyway) and if I saw the same model on a cover of another book, I wouldn't remember it.
Matthew, i just noticed that there are some other covers around these days. With more head or clothing even
I do have this hesitation on ebuying new books with models on covers that I did not like.
“and who's looking at their faces anyway”
Well, you can't argue with that point. You win. LOL.
I'm seriously beginning to think that I'm just overly attracted to bright, shiny objects (ie pretties on book covers). I'm more of a 'well, hello pretty cover', 'that blurb sounds vaguely interesting' and 'wow, cool or sucky excerpt' kinda girl.
“I do have this hesitation on ebuying new books with models on covers that I did not like.”
Me too, Ingrid. For eg I've had a couple of 'interesting' experiences with this guy: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-extinction-78939-145.html?oid=70&sortBy=recentlyAdded and with this one: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-wetskin-17451-145.html?oid=208&sortBy=recentlyAdded. And, no, I'm not talking about these books specifically cos I've not read either.
Kris, you have no idea how I suffer when I love a book and hate its cover. There's a series I couldn't start reading for what seems like forever because the model on the cover looked like Simon Le Bon's long-lost ugly twin *shivers*. As it is, I won't buy the printed version of those books, even if I'd like to, because the artwork is really too crappy – IMO, of course.
I, too, agree with Tam: if I know an author, and love his/her work, I'll always buy the books, awful artwork notwithstanding. A new-to-me author? Mhhh. A cover I like is an incentive, but I try to be objective (I got burned too).
I'm also a little tired of naked chest and general hunkiness on ebooks' covers. OMG, is there something wrong with me? I cannot believe I've said it. But there it is, and it's the truth. Jenre presented a poll some time ago asking about headless torsos (torsi?) and I answered among the lines of “I shall scream if I see another one”. Neeedless to say, since then my voice is a little hoarse 😉
WTF, Sara! Are you sick? You'll give the rest of us perves a bad name. 😉
Covers as incentive = covers as bait, I reckon. I'm also now firmly of the opinion that an epub which does not give book covers the proper consideration they deserve does so at their own peril.
The only covers that immediately spring to mind when I think of the ones I hate are the new covers for the Sookie Stackhouse series. Stupid 'True Blood' tie in shit. 😦
Ah, yes. We've all spent time at the beginning wondering whether anyone is reading the stuff we post up faithfully each day.
I did most of my best posts when nobody was reading them 'cos I was so fired up and enthusiastic!
Anyway, back to your topic. I use book covers as a hook to get me to look at the story. If I see a cover which is the same as a book I've read before, I may be more likely to look at the blurb/extract to see what it's about and compare it to the book I have read.
Mostly though, I just have a bit of a snigger to myself about the cover being used before and feel a certain amount of pity for the author.
There are covers in the m/f romance world which use the same model (such as Nathan or Fabio in his heyday) on purpose because they attract readers. I'm not sure whether there is the equivalent for m/m covers because you don't often see the faces. There have been a few torso/shaded faces shots where I was certain I'd see that model before but since all torso shots seem to cause a glazing over with me these days, I can't be sure of that.
I have to be honest though and say that my tbr pile is so big at the moment, the only books I'm buying are those from authors on my autobuy list. I don't care about the covers then as I'll buy the book regardless.
I don't tend to look at covers when I'm in a bookstore or I'll glance at it and then read the back blurb. (except I'm getting pretty tired of that Nathan guy – bleck)
But with ebooks it's hard NOT to look at the cover. I don't think, for me at least, that having the same person in the photo would keep me away, even if I hated the previous book that they were on. I probably would say to myself…hmmmm that person was on blah, blah, blah book and move on to read what the book is about…but it wouldn't effect my purchases.
I'm honestly not sure. I've been lucky so far as I haven't met this problem. I wonder, if I saw it in a book store from a distance, if I would think it was a book I had already read and ignore it..
Jen: From the comments made in this post and the previous one it seems like the repetition of an image on a book cover is most likely to impact people when it comes to purchasing new or less well known authors. Very interesting, isn't it.
Aww, Fabio… I have such fond memories… not. I think I got sick of him in much the same way I am of the frequently used images. LOL. Having said that, a part of me is wishing there was a m/m equivalent. Oh, the possibilities. 😉
“I have to be honest though and say that my tbr pile is so big at the moment, the only books I'm buying are those from authors on my autobuy list.”
Have you been at K Z's lately, Jen?? Cos this was an issue she raised in relation to the increase of some epubs stables on her blog.
Tracy: I'm definitely a pretty cover person. I've actually been known to buy the UK or US or Aussie edition of a book just on the basis of the cover design. Bloody Hell. Can anyone point at the person on the blog who has OCD. LOL.
Orannia: “I wonder, if I saw it in a book store from a distance, if I would think it was a book I had already read and ignore it.”
That was one of the points I was trying to make in the first post because it may actually take me a couple of times of scrolling through the virtual shelves before I realise that it's a different book. That can't be good for sales if there are similar people to me out there.