So very true.
For me anyways. Still.
What about you? Is your POV something you’ve always felt about book covers or has it changed?
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Kris + Books = Good. *Sometimes*. 
To be honest I don’t really notice unless it’s completely wonky. I hate when great note is made that one guy is a big muscular bear and one guy is tiny and twinky and the two headless torsos on the cover look like Olympic swimmers (not that you’d know that hating on the big O and all ;-P). I guess my brain just has the capacity to forget what I saw after I get started. I’m more likely to afterwards look at the cover and go WTF? He didn’t look like that.
Gee, Tam, I wonder what your favourite sport of the Olympics is. 😛
“I’m more likely to afterwards look at the cover and go WTF? He didn’t look like that.”
I guess the thing about ebooks is that you don’t get the constant reminder about how sucky the cover model is than you do with a print book. It’s like print publishers want readers to go postal on their arses.
It depends. If the cover matches the book description then I’m usually happy about it. Or, if I hear from the author somehow that the cover model matches who she saw, then that’s fine too. But otherwise, not so much. I guess that’s why I don’t mind the headless covers so much – I can put the face from my imagination on the hot body then! 🙂
LOL. I did a post once about the benefit of the headless torso on a cover.
Good point about when an author mentions the cover model matches her image of the character. That definitely makes a difference.
Oh sweetie, I want my books to turn into graphic novels during the sex scenes, so no I don’t worry about the cover. At least then I can picture the model naked.( I lost my imagination during a wiggles concert during the late 90’s)
Tish
Saying that, the T & D cover is not how I picture Simon and Dec.
Sean and I used to fight about the RL people he believed represented Simon and Dec. You’d think being the author would give him greater insight, but no.
We have now agreed James Magnussen is Dec and all is right in our BFF world again.
James Magnussen for Dec – check. Who are the Stuart candidates?
You mean Simon? 🙂 NOT the one Sean thinks he is that’s for damned sure. *makes vomit noises*
I blame Sean – he called him Stuart in a recent tweet to me – it’s all his fault!!!
I blame him for anything anyways so you’re more than likely right.
I try not to compare the cover models with the characters but it’s damned difficult sometimes. I think this is why I’m a fan of the headless model – then I can put my own face with the bod. 🙂
Word. And now I’ve seriously got to find the post I did about the headless torso cover. I think it might need a revisit.
I’m with Tam in that I don’t really notice covers. 90% of the books I buy are by author and I don’t even see the cover art.
Has that changed, Kassa? I remember you did a post about it – last year? The year before? – and am just wondering whether your POV has changed in the meantime?
Not at all. If anything I’m even less invested in cover art than ever. Since I’m not really following current book trends I only pick books by author right now. I don’t even read the blurb let alone see the cover art.
This holds doubly true for non m-m genres.
I must be misremembering. Not unusual for me due to the meds.
So you’re only reading authors whose work you know then? Can’t be bothered? Don’t have the time to waste? Sorry to bombard you, Kassa. I’m just curious.
No you’re not misremembering. I did a post about how I used to choose books by their cover art (which was true). Now I only choose based on author. Back then I used to surf the publisher sites (DSP, Loose, Samhain, etc) and was usually too lazy to further click to read the blurb. I’d make a list of books to read based on what art I liked.
Now I haven’t visited a publisher site in over 6 months and I’ve no clue what’s out to be honest. I visited ARe recently and searched by author because I wanted something to read. I’m too lazy to investigate or try new authors now, I don’t have the patience either. So it could change and has before but right now, I have neither the time nor the inclination to really look for books.
So basically you’re saying you’re still lazy, but just a different kind of it. ;P
In all seriousness, I hear you. My reading has been minimal at the best of times over the last 2 years so when I do find myself having a yearn to read – as I have over the last few weekends – I go straight to ARe. I buy authors I know, including those who write my not-so-guilty-pleasure shorts. Sometimes I pick up a new-to-me author, but cover art, excerpt and what mates say about it on GR all come into play.
I’m a ninja book buyer now, though. Too scared not to get my reading fix while the urge lasts. It just doesn’t happen that often and I really miss that.
I love the yaoi-like covers. The covers of Ginn Hale’s WIcked Gentlemen and Lord of the White Hell are some of my favourites. TBH I’m so often not a fan of covers, especially when no care has been taken to have the models even look remotely like the characters, that I try and ignore them…
I’m instantly attracted to yaoi-like covers too. I wonder why we have that in common? ;P
Have you ever looked at the information about the artists on the BEB website? If you haven’t, I recommend you do.