Is it all about the Cover? Where’s the man?
First, I want to thank all of you that messaged me about last weeks’ blog post. It means the world that you read it and felt the need to message me. I hope I didn’t miss anyone as I responded back to you guys.
Alright now that that is out of the way let’s talk about the second thing that has upset me. Covers! This goes back to the same as last week that I’ve been told to change ALL my covers and put a naked man on them. This is the only way we can sell a book, and if you disagree with this then you need to throw the towel in and STOP… It went even more into the fact that ALL women were visual and without visual aid we can get people to buy our work.
I have to stop right here…
YES, we are visual but did you know that men are even more visual than we are? It’s been a proven fact that they are and that we will use our mind more to see the bigger picture. Oh hell, I might be wrong, but I have to disagree with this fact.
Here is my example… I have plenty so brace yourself, people…
Fading Memories was used last week as an example, and I shall use it again this week as one… Grief, love, ONE MILD SEX SCENE, learning to love yourself before you can continue to heal… The cover hat I have fits the feel of the book… Let’s picture this with a naked man on the beach when the story line really isn’t even about a man. To me, I find this misleading the readers, and it doesn’t reflect the words written in the book… So guess what I went with the whole clothed person on a beach theme instead.
Frosted Sweets is another example where I was told by said person that if I would’ve put a guy on the front with muscles, shirtless, and well you get the picture I would be a best seller by now on the New York Times and USA Today… Let me slap my forehead now at this one as IT DOES NOT FIT… Here’s a book that is entirely a romantic comedy, chick lit, contemporary romance, so please tell me what is wrong with my pink cover that fits this series? A novel about friendship, love, and more doesn’t need this type of cover.
So why is it always on the cover? Are you telling me that Nicholas Sparks needs to put men on his covers just to sell you a book? No, I didn’t think so. [clickandtweet handle=”” hashtag=”” related=”” layout=”” position=””]Just because I’m still gaining my readership doesn’t mean I have to mislead a reader or follow any trend just to make myself more familiar.[/clickandtweet]
Yes, I want the whole package but to do that I have to work hard at it. I need to be the one selling you me not just one of my books. I need for the readers to trust me, want to see what I will put out next, not what’s just on the top 100 list for everyone. [clickandtweet handle=”” hashtag=”” related=”” layout=”” position=””]When did we become cookie cutter? Why is being different from the rest such a bad thing?[/clickandtweet] Now don’t get me wrong as I have people on my covers for other books- but it works for that story and genre I’m reaching.
It drives me mad that unless I find a model or stock picture with no clothes on I am expected to never sell a book. Why is that? Better yet why have I allowed one person to dig so deep in my head to make me question everything I do? That is a whole different post for a later time.
I guess the answer is simple, I care about my work… I care about my readers… I want to give my readers what they want… The market is robust enough to make waves and I have the utmost respect for everyone doing exactly what I am doing- writing… It just makes me wonder? Are they doing what they want to do or what they think is expected of them?
Each day I surf the top 100 list in our genre and I get so confused and it makes me happy that I am different. I never want to use another author, trend, model, etc. just to move up the ladder. I want to do that on my own. I want to earn that respect to know I worked all those hours to gain this.
So if you don’t want to read my work just because I refuse to slap a naked man on it, I am truly sorry. But in the end, when you are done with that book you wouldn’t have been happy because you would have expected something else under that cover.
In a business that’s growing at a rapid rate, you have to dare to be different. Different is good, it’s fun and makes you feel like you’re doing something wrong. And most of my fans know that I like to be bad to a point, so until the angel wins I will continue to go my path and just hope one day my readers will find me.
Again this is by no means to talk about the way others publish a book, this is about me and how I feel when I am told I have to do this to make money. Let me clarify that I do what I do because it is a dream and I LOVE this job… Money can’t alway buy happiness, so I hope we are all doing something that brings us joy.
Until the last one that I will share next week, this is me signing off for the day.
XXXOOO
Lots of love,
A.M.
