Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week bloggers will be listing Ten Book Cover Trends (or just elements of covers) I Like/Dislike {can stick to one or the other or both!}. Since I can’t pinpoint exactly what kind of covers I like, I thought I’d highlight some I don’t and others I just see too much of. I could only come up with eight.
Eight Book Cover Trends I Dislike:
1. The book cover does not match the character’s description (the protagonist is blonde)
2. Duplicate covers
3. Book covers with the movie posters
4. Book covers in a series that do not match
5. The toe-to-toe pose
6. The almost-kiss pose
7. The I’m-walking-away-in-a-pretty-dress-and-oh-I-must-look-over-my-shoulder pose
8. The fact that most covers feature white characters. The problem has more to do with the lack of non-white protagonists in fiction which is probably a topic for another time, but there is also the problem of whitewashing . Here’s a link to a post written a few years ago on the issue. There were only a couple of book covers with non-white characters I could find that correctly represent the protagonists in the story.
What book trends do you like/dislike?
A Kernel of Nonsense 
Haha, movie covers are the worst. I want the book cover, not the cover with the actors on it. And I need covers to match too! Otherwise it looks so wrong on your bookshelf.
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I completely agree.
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Oh my gosh.. the 7th one had me laughing! But you are right about all of them! Great list/explanations! 🙂
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I’m glad to hear it. Thank you.
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Omg, I’m-walking-away-in-a-pretty-dress-and-oh-I-must-look-over-my-shoulder pose- legit best and truest thing I have ever read. I do like covers with that on it, even though I am tired of seeing it, I still think they’re pretty.
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Yes, you are right. They are still pretty.
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I so agree on movie covers! I will pay more to get a book without a movie tie-in. I do fall for the girl in pretty dress pose still! And the covers in a series that don’t match!! Great choices.
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The only way you would get me to by a movie tie in cover is if I’m broke and going without the book is simply not an option.
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I hate it when I find the same picture used for a cover. (Like I found the picture they used for the book Entwined with a girl in a white dress and a castle in the background.) I think it cheapens the quality of the cover if I can just find the picture online.
I love the trends you pointed out. I totally forgot about different covers for books in the same series. Ugh. I hate that. So much. (Tis why I haven’t bought Sarah Dessen’s new books.)
Thanks for sharing!
Amelia
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Yes, me too. I think I know the covers you are referring to. It feels like the publishers are trying to pull a fast one.
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Oh wow, unmatching series would destroy me, was it a cover change or do they just not match?? I don’t think I’ve seen any duplicate covers that are that obvious (that I can think of) but your first point really bugs me – when images don’t match protagonists. The designer could at least ask the author for a description if they don’t want to, or haven’t time to, read that part of the book!
R x
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I think they just changed the covers which is really too bad because I love the cover for Unspoken, but the cover for the second book is so generic.
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You make some excellent points I wouldn’t have thought of here. I definitely don’t dig multiple same covers. I’m not super bugged by non-matching in a series, but it is kind of annoying. And I never thought about the “almost kiss” pose, but you’re totally right! Good call!:D
My TTT Post
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The almost-kiss is so common, I actually had to limit the number of covers I showed for this post.
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I never realized how many covers have the toe- to- toe pose! I love your list, so true!
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It’s one I’ve noticed a lot over the years.
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Models that look nothing like the characters annoy me, too–as well as models who are inexplicably dressed in much less clothes than they should be.
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Yes, please clothe your models before putting them on the cover of our books, thank you.
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I’m definitely not a fan of the almost-kiss. It’s just awkward! And I didn’t realise how many girls in the flowing dresses actually look over their shoulder. So dramatic. x) Haha!
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Very dramatic, which I suspect is the point.
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I could not agree with you more about number 4! It’s so irritating, and I HATE when they change midway through a series!
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Me too, especially when one is much prettier than the other.
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I agree. I hate the movie covers. Usually, the normal book covers are prettier than the movie ones
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Agreed. Movie covers are hardly impressive.
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It’s disappointing when certain stock images of models are rehashed over and over again across different genres and you don’t even have a do a double-take to realize that you’ve seen them before.
Cheers,
joey via. thoughts and afterthoughts
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Yes, the example I used is the most obvious I’ve come across. I almost shouted my indignation, but then I remembered I was in a library.
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Oh man. Non-matching series covers are THE WORST THING EVER. Thanks for stopping by my TTT! 🙂
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I quite agree. No problem, thanks for returning the favor.
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I agree with 1 & 2 the most… 🙂 thanks for sharing and for dropping by my TTT earlier this week.
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My pleasure.
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