Do Judge a Book!

by Jo Robertson

Many of my friends say that the book's cover is what draws them to it in the first place. They prefer bright, rich colors and have definite tastes about what's included on the front: hate headless torsoes, love bare chests, hate "busy" or "dull" covers, love glossies or pastels and sexy step backs.

Sometimes they claim they'll buy a book because the cover is so engaging, so brilliant and beautiful, they havc to own it! I've always been a pragmatic gal and think I can have my cake and eat it too. So while I enjoy a striking cover, I've got to be engaged with the first three pages to purchase a book. Okay, sometimes just one!

The cover of my debut novel THE WATCHER (see above) screams darkness, dangerous, and doom, which is exactly what I intended. But I wanted my second book THE AVENGER, also a romantic thriller, to have a sexy hunk on the front. Doesn't the cover shriek alpha male? I confess I'm in love with this guy. I want to take him home and hide him in my room! This book has lots more romance in it.

Be sure to look for it mid-September at Amazon and Smashwords!

Readers often are as rabid about the title of a book as they are by the cover. An unfortunate cover or title, one that may raise snickers upon first glance, could be the mark of death for a book.

Green Eggs and Ham is a title that's iffy. Seriously? Green eggs?

But it's a quirky children's book, so it doesn't make you want to throw up.

Here are some other unusual or outrageous titles I've seen:

1. REUSING OLD GRAVES: Now this book is out of print so I can't really determine how one goes about reusing a grave. Any ideas? However, in used bookstores it's commanding a hefty price.

2. HOW TO WRITE HOW TO WRITE: Catchy enough. There are a lot of books about writing and the writing process, but this one gives a twist.

3. SQUIDS WILL BE SQUIDS: For some reason this title makes me giggle. Of course, it's a children's book, and I like the play on words.

4. THE MADAME A ENTREPRENEUR: CAREER MANAGEMENT IN HOUSE PROSTITUTION: This one made me laugh too, but for another reason entirely. It was published in 1979 and I have to wonder how many states had legalized prostitution back in the day and what kind of sales the book generated. Gotta love capitalism!

What about you, readers? What favorite, interesting or unusual titles have you encountered? Do you buy a book based on the cover or the title? Which influences you most in your purchases -- the title or the cover?