It is generally known that most romance novels, even self-published, utilize a buff male frame, or a couple in a heated embrace, for their all-important cover image. I’ve gone the opposite direction with my first series and I continually wonder if going against the grain is a good idea, or even makes good business sense.
Contemplating The Change:
I’ve been contemplating romance book covers for a long time now—wondering if I need to update my covers to be sexier or leave them as is. I’ve received plenty of advice both ways. Some folks like the covers as is, and I do too. They’re not bad looking as far as covers go. But some comment that there’s not enough inference to the romance and sexual content of the story, and I have to concede that that is a valid argument.
Branding and Consistency:
I’m not a marketing expert, but I understand branding and the need for consistency, so if I were to change one book, I would need to change them all. That means the ebook covers as well as the physical book covers. Ebooks are easy to change. However, the trade books are costly and time consuming to update. If I did change the covers it would most likely be for good. So I really, really need to think it through.
As far as other books, I appreciate some of the covers that depict hot sexy guys on them, but then, there are those that I really don’t like. There’s really no rhyme or reason to it, it’s just personal taste, and I’m sure, or rather, it is inevitable that something I don’t necessarily like someone else will positively love. I’ll just have to pay more attention to which ones I like and why.
What’s in store:
I’m currently working on book 3 of my Shadow Quest series, and there is another book in the works that will be a spin-off series. I’ve decided that the spin-off series will be in e-format only—at least until enough people complain—so I might just stick with what I’ve already created for Shadow Quest and then play around with sexy covers with my next series and see how it goes.
