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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/6290-What-Makes-a-Good-Romance-Cover.html
Romance/Love: April 30, 2014 Issue [#6290]

Newsletter Header
Romance/Love


 This week: What Makes a Good Romance Cover?
  Edited by: StephBee Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

A banner for the Romance/Love newsletter.


What makes a cover romantic? How inclined are you to check out a romance novel based on the cover? Do you think all romance covers have bare chested men on them? You might be surprised by the current trends in covers.


Letter from the editor

There are a ton of romance covers on the market (all in different degrees of undress) but what makes a good romance cover?

First off, what should a cover do? Ultimately, the cover has one goal – to draw a reader to a book like a bee to pollen. You want the cover to entice the reader to read the blurb, thumb through the contents, and ultimately, buy it.

"Bad" covers can make a reader run in the other direction. So what's a bad cover? (keep in mind, I'm talking about mainstream romance covers – not erotica covers which tend to have a lot of degrees of undress and very suggestive poses)

Bad covers don’t accurately reflect the novel or the theme of the story within. Say it's a "sweet" novel with hand holding and kissing only. It's not a good idea to put a bare chested man on the cover. A bad cover has crossed the line from tasteful to tasteless. A bad cover makes you shy away from the book, not pick it up.

Elements that make a cover successful:
It reflects the novel and theme.
It catches your eye and makes you want to read the blurb.
It's tasteful, intriguing, and it doesn't make you cringe.

A good cover artist usually solicits a cover art input sheet from the author, asking for the author's vision and concepts. From there they work on finding graphics and stock photography that will represent the story well.

Cover model Jimmy Thomas got into the business of producing romance covers because he noticed there was a lack of quality stock photos for artists to use. Thomas ensures the photo shoots meet his high standard – he uses his own props, selects the poses, and picks the women in the shoot. He's one of the most popular romance cover models today.

Journey of the Heart Cover
Jimmy Thomas, Cover Model


Artist Jon Paul paints romance covers, keeping the focus on the characters and less on the backgrounds. He prefers painting historical settings and it's usually the publishing house that reaches out to him to commission a painting.

Romance Cover: His Christmas Pleasure
Jon Paul, artist, painted cover art


Yes, you can have a bare chested man on a romance cover and have it be tasteful. It's all in the presentation. Perhaps he's partially clad or wearing an open shirt. There are tasteful poses that evoke romance.

Question for you: How important is the cover to you when you buy a book?

References: http://www.thcreviews.com/cgi-bin/vts/interview_jimmy_thomas.html

http://reganromancereview.blogspot.com/2013/07/an-interview-with-gifted-cover-ar...


Editor's Picks

 Love Notes (1990-2010) Open in new Window. (E)
Love digs deep in heart that once it's over, you wouldn't find anything to fill the holes
#1718713 by Culas Author IconMail Icon


 Spice Open in new Window. (E)
A small dog with a huge personality. Please rate/review - and I'll do the same for you!
#1590374 by KhyatiSoparkar Author IconMail Icon


 An Unusual Blizzard Open in new Window. (13+)
It's raining WHAT?


 Poles Apart Open in new Window. (13+)
A neurotically depressed British Art professor finds himself falling for his new co-worker
#1840058 by K.A. Franks Author IconMail Icon


 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1945284 by Not Available.


 Endures All Things Open in new Window. (13+)
Tristan struggles with his newfound love for Noel.
#1881592 by StephBee Author IconMail Icon


STATIC
Color Blind Open in new Window. (13+)
A woman's thoughts on interracial relationships - a love against all odds.
#1066513 by iKïyå§ama Author IconMail Icon

 
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Word from Writing.Com

Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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Ask & Answer

Feedback from my Romance/Love NL DTD: 2 APR 2014:

Crystal J. Dean Author IconMail Icon
I have always loved "How Do I Love Thee?". I remember reading it in front of my Junior Psychology class in high school. We were to pick out a song, poem or whatever that described how we felt about love. Lots of people picked songs, but I knew what mine would be. The teacher and my fellow classmates seemed interested and impressed, but I barely made it through the reading. I was nervous and I had a very serious boyfriend that year whom I loved deeply. I could feel the tears making my voice shaky, as I thought of him with every word. I paused to take a breath and continued. I have always remembered that poem and that special memory. I also still have the small book that I read it from that day in 1996.

Thank you so much for sharing. It sounds like a very poignant memory for you. It's amazing how Barrett-Browning's words transend time.

~Minja~ Author IconMail Icon
Hi Steph. Great newsletter, thank you for it. I love "romaticism". That was inspiration for me to make "Victorian Writing Style Contest " in WdC. It is all about 18th and 19th century's authors. I'm thinking to make one more but just for poets. I'm bad with poetry but I do love to read it though. I think it would be great. Anyway, while I'm here now I would like to share with you my favorite "romanticism" poem. I so love William Wordsworth and his Ode:INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY. I've heard of it first time in the movie Splendor in the Grass and I loved it. I've found reflection of the words later on in my life. Thanks again for this newsletter. All the best.

Thanks so much for sharing. Wordsworth is another classic poet.

BIG BAD WOLF is Lucky Author IconMail Icon
Let me try- "Love is a red rose, as it is always thorny." *Laugh*

Love it! *Smile*

len_gray
My favorite Romantic poet is Emily Dickinson.

I actually didn't care for her for a long time(I was a die-hard Shel Silverstein fan) until I read 'I Could Not Stop For Death' She's been my favorite ever since *Smile* I decided to take the Romantic poetry challenge and so I wrote
 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1984964 by Not Available.
This was a really fun exercise and I'm glad that I tried this! *Smile* Thanks for challenging me to do something new!

Thanks for taking the challenge!

QueenOwl ~ A New Day Dawns Author IconMail Icon
I don't know if what I just posted went through or not. So, here it it:
 Love Story Ten Thousand Miles Away Open in new Window. (E)
The longing to see each other face to face is expressed out of the abundance of the heart.


jaya Author IconMail Icon
I have several favorite romantic poets. As of now it is W.B. Yeats. His poem addressing Maud melts my heart.
Here's my poem for your challenge:
Come gently, oh, garland of clouds Open in new Window. (E)
Love blossoms in the arms of nature.
#1985286 by jaya Author IconMail Icon


Regards
Jaya

Thanks for taking the challenge. *Smile*
A pic of me taken 2 years ago.

StephBee Author IconMail Icon is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. Her latest romance novella is "Dark Shadow" and it takes place in the distant future on the Borealis space station. Can Helios save the station and win Vivian's heart?

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