An age-old book nerd debate no one will solve
“Like a fool, I decided not to go to a doctor — I wanted to get on with the book I was writing.”
Sick with tuberculosis on an island called Jura, Eric Arthur Blair wrote the classic “1984.”
He was in a race against death, but after a grueling year, the book came out in the UK on June 8, 1949. It was a hit.
As Blair was pessimistic about his talents and writing career, this must’ve come as a shock.
But it came nonetheless, and though he wouldn’t have believed it, his dystopian social science book would go down in history, spawn terms like “Big Brother” and “Orwellian,” and create a stunning floor for future dystopian writers everywhere.
The book cover was simple. Just text. No people.
But does that mean you should do the same?
Nope.
Over the years, 1984’s book cover has gone through dozens of facelifts or facedowns, depending on who you ask, but what’s best for your book?
I don’t know.
And am I qualified to answer this question?
Nope.
Still, let’s look at a few reasons why you should put a person on your book cover and why you shouldn’t.
Most people like people
For many of us — not so much me — a person’s face creates a strong emotional and social connection. We become curious about their life, hobbies, thoughts, and the how of changes in their butt size, in the case of Kim Kardashian.
And this curiosity spills over into your reader’s book choices. As they browse the shelves, they think, this character looks and feels like me, so they must have an interesting story because I’m interesting.
And when their self-absorbed thought process combines with a book cover character with a unique appearance (humanoid or Mars-like), clothing style, or a super buff or hourglass shape, they’re enticed to read more.
But that’s not the only benefit.
Putting a person’s face on your book cover can help with memory. When you add a face, your readers can more easily remember which book this character belongs to when you create merchandise.
Two points. Let’s see how “yay for faces” can collect more.
Automatic emotional and relationship connections
A face conveys emotions. Your readers can learn a lot about the story through the character’s facial expressions and body language, and these can create an instant bond.
Romance — obsessed with pressing lips together and long embraces
Erotica — addicted to low-slung jeans and lacy lingerie
Horror — perpetually training for a screaming, bleeding marathon
And so your readers will get a feel for the book. An instant connection.
Now, what about faceless book covers?
Lets your reader imagine your character
We create worlds without images. We put ink on a page or pixels on a device, and the reader makes their inner picture. Decides to invest their emotions.
This creativity can be interrupted when you put a person on your book cover.
It forces a mental picture on the readers and may take away some of their enjoyment.
Conveys more than the emotional, relationshipy stuff
A symbolic book cover gives you the freedom to convey your book’s mood, tone, and underlying themes.
A person on your book cover creates limits.
Yeah, they can give you all the emotion and connections, but they’re a no-go for anything abstract (like mystery, concept, or atmosphere).
Though the people-centered memes are hilarious, there’s only so much you can do with the smirking meerkat guy or the sassy librarian lady.
Doesn’t Distract
A symbolic book cover lets you paint a bigger picture of your book’s world. You can add tons of tiny details that’ll draw in your readers.
When you put a person on the book cover, they tend to take up all the space, all the attention. They fill in the shadows of the world, and everything else gets pushed to the background.
Rather than being the entree, they become the cilantro in your bowl of chips. A distraction. Unwanted.
And that can push some readers away.
What you decide is up to you. These are a few things to think about when creating your book cover.
What’re your thoughts on book covers, my fellow book nerds? Human or nah?
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