I turn to Cate Tiernan's series of SWEEP, they have should so much more now that they changed to the cover by the artist of Lori Thorn.
Instead of the cover that they have in the Bemidji Public Library, the photographs by Barry Marcus.
There seems to be a style that is selling better: simple, one coloured, with a very provocative image. Instead of what we had before which was more of something that consumed the entire cover. Is it that the readers are looking for something that isn't dominating and forceful? And they are aiming for books that are more docile and puts them more at ease and in a state to read the books better?
Then there is the whole entire point of her books overseas, known as WICCA instead of SWEEP:
Now I asked why they would need to change the name of the series, but then it hit me. How did people react when Harry Potter got out? Shall we not forget the book burning and protesting? By naming the book series WICCA in a dominantly Christian society. You cannot walk through the magazine section in your local KMart without seeing a Christian Child's book, and people freaking out in tabloids over what religion our President practices. And so it makes sense that if she had any hopes of her book selling it would need a new name that people would be able to read more comfortably. Or at least something that they have hopes on selling.
A person cannot walk on the streets with a book with the word Wicca on it when it really is referring to the religion without getting odd looks.
I wonder what other changes have been made in more best selling books versus when they were not known.
Interesting! There are definitely differences in how books are marketed in other countries, and I would say America's emphasis on religion is a big determinant, especially in books that address something like Wicca.
ReplyDeleteAnything that is contrary to the norm. I find that though the library has the form of the book with the cover by Mr Marcus, the stores and most of the people I know with the books have it with the cover design by Lori. It was only when looking into the different covers that I found that it had been called something different.
ReplyDeleteBut when it comes to the covers, looking at most of the more popular books that my friends have read and what is on the wall for best selling there is a theme. A simple background with an image that catches. Very much unlike what Marcus had done which turned the entire cover into something eye catching. Though this style may have been on the rise for many years.
Thinking back to elementary school when the Harry Potter craze kicked in that most kids were reading it. He is on a broom stick catching the snitch, that is the main image, while the rest of it is faded in.
Which makes me think of how cartoons had been done. Unless the object was going to move the setting was still, unnoticed, while everything was more vivid, catching the persons attention, much like the main image of the Apple on the cover of twilight. Though that is taken the theory to a more extreme of complete void as the cover with one simple object to catch your eye.