AW Cover Wars: US Covers vs. Anywhere Else
Not too long ago I reviewed Hothouse Flower by Margot Berwin. It was a book I had mixed feelings about, though overall it was a pleasant read. That’s not truly what I’d like to talk about though. I was paging through Goodreads the other day and happened upon another cover I hadn’t seen before. It then led to all of the covers from around the world. Needless to say, I was much more impressed with the covers from around the world.
Over the time I’ve been reading and reviewing Chick Lit one thing has struck me over and over again. Covers. Just take a look at the varying covers for Hothouse Flower from around the world:
Now, the US and UK covers…
Can you guess which is from which country? How about from the US? Well, I’ll give you a hint…take a look at the two on the outside. Yep, one is the Hardcover and the other is the Paperback cover for both US editions. My favorite? By far the UK cover in the center (on the second row). What about you?
This is almost typical of what I’ve seen in the past couple of years. It seems the UK (and other countries) have a much more whimsical feeling to them, adding to the overall feeling of the book. Versus many of the US covers I’ve felt were often stale or lacking in some way or another. Prime example, Jodi Picoult’s UK vs. US covers. I absolutely adored the UK cover versus the US cover (either of them in fact) and I’m still wondering where exactly the lake comes into play???
The US cover in the center.
So, does this mean I’m not a fan of US covers at all? Absolutely not. In fact there are quite a few US covers I simply adore. For example…
But what I’m wondering is, am I alone in these feelings? I often feel that US covers tend to be a bit more serious, more heavy on the photography and very literal with the meaning of the story. Whereas outside of the US covers seem more carefree and often “carry” that signature “Chick Lit” look.
What do you think? Do you prefer covers from one country or another? Or does it simply not matter and you are only interested in what’s on the pages of a book? Do you have a favorite cover that stands out in your mind? I’d love to know!
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February 13th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
Brilliant post, Danielle! For Hothouse Flower I love the Indian cover but the UK cover is definitely best. I hate the US paperback, it’s nowhere near as nice as the US hardback!
As for the Jodi Picoult novel, I prefer the cover with the blanket mainly because that blanket is part of the story!
But you’re right, despite lacking significantly to the UK market, some US covers are beautiful. They’re just few and far between, which is a shame because they could make Chick Lit much more than it is by giving books better covers, or even using the UK versions!
I mean there’s loads of US covers I like: Winter Bloom, The Ten Best Days of My Life, The Importance of Being Married, Kim Gruenenfelder has great covers, as does Melissa Senate but for all of those, there’s ones like Forget About It by Caprice Crane (in fact, Caprice’s covers in general are bad, bar for her new one With A Little Luck), Jodi Picoult’s aren’t that good either, and it’s just a shame because it’s possible to have good covers!!
Bit of a long comment, but it’s something I feel passionate about. Because if I was a Chick Lit fan in America, I’d be hesitant to try some authors because of the cover and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like that!
February 13th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
Interesting post Danielle.
I much prefer the UK covers of my books vs the US versions (admittedly there are only 2 at the moment), but it’s not just chick-lit where covers are dramatically different.
When I was in the US recently I went to Borders and standing in front of the crime section I couldn’t believe how unimaginative the covers were compared to the European versions.
Check out Harlan Coben, for example, on Amazon.com vs Amazon.co.uk.
The US version are all about the author name and title. The UK versions are much more subtle.
However, I guess the cover designers in the States know their market so obviously you’re in a minority!
February 13th, 2011 at 9:24 pm
It’s rare I find an American cover that I like. I don’t like how heavy on the photography they are, the colours are often very bland and they just turn a book into something that wouldn’t interest me, whereas I feel the UK covers are far more representational of the story inside. They look much more fun, use brighter and bolder colours, and aren’t afraid to be simply “chick lit” - something I think the US covers lack quite a lot. It’s as if they are disguising themselves within a more serious outer look, and that’s wrong - why can’t a chick lit book look exactly like what it is?
February 14th, 2011 at 1:02 am
I often prefer the UK covers. Not absolutely always… I’ve imported many of Rick Riordan’s kids books from the US because I hate the UK artwork. But in general, I find I prefer UK book covers.
Jasper Fforde’s “Shades of Grey” is a gorgeous simple paint-by-numbers design in the UK; in the US it’s so full of different images, and the grey is so dark, that I have trouble focusing on anything to see what’s depicted.
I can’t really comment so much on chick lit novels due to the fact that I’ve rarely seen US covers for them.