Okay – let’s just confess: buff male cover models are the stuff of fantasy. I wish to personally thank all publishing houses who have realized just who is buying their books – women (and some men) – and I want to REALLY thank them for giving us some oh-so-bodacious male bodies.
Karen Marie Moning has posted on her website an interview with her the luscious cover model, Nathan Kamp. You’ll recognize him – he’s the body behind all the recent releases of her Highlander novels. A man that has made my mouth water, among other things, and Sybil’s most favorite and ubiquitous cover whore
Nathan is also on the Wild Thing anthology cover, plus about a million others. All sincerely appreciated by yours truly.
As has been commented on here, there’s a noticeable trend to more graphic and erotic covers. I guess the fight for our eyeballs, and our buying dollars, is literally a pitched battle. I’m wondering where the line will be drawn and when. I can’t imagine they can get much more graphic, but, hey, I’ve been wrong before.
What are your thoughts on today’s romance covers? Do you think they’re getting too graphic, or 
are you enjoying the trend? Are they just reflecting the content? Do you think covers need to be more artistic, or more realistic? Do you prefer photography or art (drawings, paintings, etc.)?
Lastly, what are your thoughts on covers matching the “visual” of the main characters (hair color, body type, etc.)? Do you need that aid to help you imagine the characters doing, ummm, whatever? Should we be leaving more to the imagination?
Inquiring minds want to know…
I was just talking about this on the other post with Christine Wells because I sometime don’t care for the covers with just the male’s chest. Oh yes its great to see 🙂 but so many like that, that I know its supposed to be a hot cover. I’m not good with knowing which models are on which covers so maybe thats something i’ll watch and learn, but I do like the male covers with showing more than the chest, perferably like one with the heroine in the EC covers (for example, Ciara Stone’s western/Paranomal books (Chase n’ Ana and Molding Clay) and I love westerns so my covers I like are often westerns or historicals. Maybe its me, just tired of just the chest pics and want something more on it. I know that in ebooks, there can be covers that would not be on shelves, which is ok in the privacy of reading on the computer, but I do confess, for some print EC books, I prefer to get by mail and even with my kids being young adults, I use book covers in case someone younger is brought in.
I love alot of the culture of historicals and the dresses and all that, that is put on the covers. Especially with a bit a scenery. These are usually the Regency settings. Those I enjoy when art work is used with pics. I do not care at all for covers with supposedly funny covers. I can’t think of the word but its like Mary Wine’s cover of Tortoise Tango that seemed like a cartoonish cover. For me, I think a whole package is part of the book and that includes the cover. Thats too why like with LIT ebooks and PDF ebooks, I want the covers in the ebooks (some publishers do not have the covers in the ebooks when bought)
Gosh, I’m sorry I wrote so much! I love this blog here and love to chat books!
I don’t mind the sexy covers – I rather like some of those cover models 😉 – but when they get too graphic it’s a huge turn-off. I think reading the book blurb for most of EC’s books, along with the rating/category system give sufficient enough definition of what the book is about without having the deed being done right on the cover.
The other complaint would be when the covers look amateur-ish, like poorly drawn cartoons, or when the cover models don’t match the description of the characters.
Yeah, I think they are getting too graphic.
I want to be able to sit out back with the kids and watch them play, read in my hammock. The Moning book is pushing it, but I may be okay with it. It’s close. The EC book? Over the limit. To be quite honest, the only way I’d read it would be if it was in ebook and while I do like ebooks, when it’s a book I really like, I want both formats. Sometimes I read a print and then turn around and buy the e so I have it for convenience. It’s not going to happen if the print book is something I can’t have on the shelves with my kids around.
I shouldn’t have to hide away my books from the kids and I won’t. So if it’s not something I’m comfortable with my kids seeing, I just don’t buy.
Beyond the kid factor, some covers lately are just plain… I dunno. It’s more like a walking advertisement for sex. Since when did nudity automatically mean it was going to be sensual? It doesn’t. More and more, I find myself bypassing them for the books that don’t outright scream sex. Erotic romance or not.
This topic got me thinking so I decided to take a look at my rather extensive collection of books. I was a little surprised because I had a hard time finding anything too sexual- and I own A LOT of books. Hundreds. I then noticed that I had placed some Emma Holly books up front and thought for sure they would be pushing the envelope, but . . . no. Her book covers (at least the ones I have) are actually kind of tame. So, yeah, if my bookshelf is any indicator, I guess I do prefer books that are more romantic or sensual rather than totally erotic.
J.R. Ward’s books are a good example of what I consider sexy but tasteful. There are no threesomes, no barely covered bodies, nothing that would make me embarassed to read in public, but they do send the message that these books are hot. And I would definitely buy the Karen Marie Moning book(love her), but anything more graphic, like most of EC, and I usually stick with ebook format.
I don’t mind the sexy covers – I rather like some of those cover models – but when they get too graphic it’s a huge turn-off. I think reading the book blurb for most of EC’s books, along with the rating/category system give sufficient enough definition of what the book is about without having the deed being done right on the cover.
Stacy about sums it up for me! 😀
As for cover visuals matching the story, I do notice it when say, the heroine is described as having a short cap of blond hair and yet on the cover she has long, flowing black locks. It makes me wonder if they have even read the book!
I think the current crop of covers while pretty HAWT are still much better than the average Avon cover – you know the type I mean. It’s a wierd thing – but I think they almost seem more intellectual or something than the almost cartoonish man-titty covers of said publisher. I’m still kind of leery of buying either but if someone told me I had to – I’d pick the current crop any day.
And *chuckle* as for Anchor and Storm – I bought it based partly on the cover – but I wouldn’t haul it out in print version. It’s much safer on an e-cover book.
I’m personally a big fan of the Male Body Part cover – a really buff chest, a back, an arm, etc. The currently popular female back is nice too. As my editor says, it lets the reader know what she’s going to find inside. But many of the covers definitely cross the line from sensual to just plain tacky.
I’m in the minority on this (I know), but I sorta like those headless covers. The ones where you see the model except for their head. Nicole Byrd’s historicals for example.
I’ve never been a fan of clinch, man titty, or anything too graphic. The EC covers just about do me in. That said, I know they’re expensive for publishers but I lurve step back covers. For sexy, look no further than most of Nicole Jordan’s step backs.
The art dept doesn’t read the books. They’ve given description of the characters and a synopsis of the plot, and whatever ideas the editor and author have come up with. I believe editorial has a say as well. And sales. And then the art dept tries to come up with something that not only represents the story, but something that readers will pick up as well. I’m willing to be money that somewhere, someone researched which sells more, covers with short haired heroines or long haired heroines and the long hair one. Apparently blond men don’t do well on covers either.
And excuse my ignorance, but what’s wrong with Avon covers? It seems to me that they’re doing a variety of looks now. Are you talking about the paintings? I’m not sure which publishers are ‘better’ but some of the E-book stuff and erotica covers are pretty laughable. I’ll take my Avon man-titty any day! lol.
Though i am hetarosexual male i am a big fan of male bodypart cover. Male muscly chest is nice to see.
Thank you Arif! I agree!