Taryn had some wonderful comments on the Mask of Night page recently–wonderful both in the sense of making me as an author, very happy, but also very-thought provoking in terms of what draws us as readers to a novel. As Taryn pointed out, the Charles & Mélanie books are hard to categorize which can be “a bit hard a bit of a positioning problem – is it a murder mystery, a spy novel, a romance? Not that it can’t be and isn’t all of that, but although I’m not in publishing, just a passionate end-reader, often I think the marketing is an afterthought and they don’t always trust their audience, so they want to “dumb it down” to make it “one thought.” Your work is so textured that it isn’t easy to distill – for me this is what has me staying up way too late trying to find out what happens!”
Hearing that readers have stayed up too late reading one’s book is one of the nicest compliments a writer can receive. But Taryn’s comment also sums up why the Charles & Mel books can be tricky to market. I’ve always loved books that cross genres. Mysteries (Dorothy Sayers, Laurie King, Elizabeth George, C.S. Harris) and fantasy novels (Barbara Hambly, Steven Brust & Emma Bull) with strong romantic threads, romances with lots of plot and history and adventure (Penelope Williamson, Laura Kinsale), historical fiction with intrigue and adventure and romance (Dorothy Dunnett, Bernard Cornwell, Patrick O’Brien, Robert Goddard, Lauren Willig). But it can be hard for publishers and booksellers to figure out how to market these books. I don’t think it’s so much that readers don’t like books that cross genres as that marketing strategies are book store shelving tend to be based on slotting books into genres.
Which makes the cover copy for the books that much more important. I asked Taryn about this in the course of the discussion on the Mask page. What would make her pick up the books? (She bought Secrets of Lady based on recommendations not the copy.) Taryn said, “I’d like to think about the back-of-the-book question a bit more but my first thought (for Secrets of a Lady) is yes, you convey time (Regency) and place (seamy London), and secrets, which are always tempting. For Beneath a Silent Moon, it’s closer to making me want to buy, but…seems to focus on Charles and less about Melanie, who is one of the most interesting heroines since Scarlett O’Hara or even about them together and how complex they are. And also the theme of forgiveness – but not heavy-handed, maybe in the form of a question – could you find a way to forgive the love of your life after you’ve learned they have betrayed you? This seems like it might be a direction to consider…don’t know, maybe have a small focus group from visitors to your blog!”
Which gave me the idea of turning the discussion into this week’s blog. What themes or plot elements or phrases on a book cover grab your interest? Did you pick up Daughter/Secrets or Beneath based on the cover copy? If so, what was it in the copy that caught your attention? Are there other ways you think the books could be described that you’d find more compelling? In general, what makes you want to buy a book?
Taryn said, “What makes me buy – spies, tortured war veterans (male and female) as i am intrigued by the parallels to the 21st century version. Relationship is a big part of what makes me buy (cover art attracts (although I hate those men with no shirts, *where* did those shirts go, anyway??)). I picked Secrets up through romance so I was expecting relationship stuff – wow, those revelation scenes early on *blew my mind* – and that kind of inter-personal drama really delivered! Even if it was not a typical romance book, it delivered the best of romance – a strong set of characters with real problems that they need to solve together. Unusual that these are married, that also added to the “I’m intrigued – I think I’ll buy” moment.”
As I’ve mentioned before, anything to do with “spies” or “espionage” on a book cover grabs my interest. Doubly so if it’s historical. The same with politics, particularly historical politics. So do words or phrases implying there’s a complex plot–“twists and turns,” “plots and counterplots,” “maze of intrigue,” “secrets”, “unraveling,” etc… And anything that indicates lovers with a history–married couples, ex-lovers, enemies who’ve betrayed each other. And thematically, anything to do with ambiguity, the elusive nature of truth, loyalty and betrayal is pretty much guaranteed to draw me in.
I’d love to hear other readers’ thoughts on these questions. What makes you want to buy a book?
On another note, I’m now on Facebook. I’m still getting the knack of how it works, but if you’re on Facebook do friend me, and I’d love suggestions for reading and writing-related groups to join.
And be sure to check on this week’s Fraser Correspondence addition–it’s a letter from Mélanie to Isobel Lydgate about Twelfth Night at Dunmykel.
Update 14 January: I’m blogging on History Hoydens today on bringing an historical world to life, inspired by the movie Milk.
Tracy Grant - Novelist 
January 11, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Hmm. I impulse-buy much less often these days, but back when I did . . . any number of factors could make me pick a book off the shelf. A beautiful cover never hurt–although I’ve also stopped to stare at covers that were impressively awful–and neither did an intriguing title or provocative copy. I tended to linger over blurbs that promised adventure, mystery, romance between compelling characters, and a fully realized setting, whether historical or fantastical.
But the deal-breaker for me was always flipping open to a random section of the book and sampling the writing itself. I once picked up what looked like a standard-issue fantasy novel–Teresa Edgerton’s “Child of Saturn”–and was blown away by how well she wrote and how quickly her characters and setting pulled me into the story. I found Deborah Grabien’s Haunted Ballad mystery series in a similarly random fashion: her use of traditional music as a recurring theme prompted me to take one of her books off the library shelf but the writing as well as the concept kept me coming back for more.
I admit to relying more on recs than I used to, which is how I found Daughter/Secrets. But if I like one book by an author, I’ll glom the rest and not stop until I’ve either exhausted the backlist or the books start going in a direction that doesn’t appeal to me.
January 12, 2009 at 12:11 am
I get pulled in by covers too, Stephanie–which is funny, because as a writer I know the author often has very little to do with the cover (I actually get to have some input these days). Then I’ll look at the cover copy and then I usually do read a bit of the book-but usually the first page not a random part in the middle. Opening the book at random is an intriguing idea.
I rely a lot on recs too, though the same themes and buzz words that draw me in cover copy tend to be what gets my attention in recommendations. Do you get most of your recommendations from websites or message boards or from friends?
January 12, 2009 at 2:30 am
Many of the writers with whom I have the longest history were recommended by friends, family, or librarians! And even now, if a friend says, “This book is great–I think you’d like it,” I make a point of checking it out at a bookstore or library. But since going online and discovering websites and forums dedicated to the kinds of books I like, I’d have to say that most of my recs these days come from those. (Sadly, my local newspaper’s Book Review section suffers from genre snobbery, so I seldom find leads there on promising new mystery series or–perish the thought!–romances.)
January 12, 2009 at 6:44 am
Librarians are a great source of recommendations! I discovered a lot of authors through librarian recommendations growing up. But my mom was my best source of recommendations. She introduced me to Jane Austen, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham, Georgette Heyer–a lot of the writers that are still my favorites today (I turn introduced her to Dorothy Dunnett and Elizabeth George. It helped that our reading tastes were very similar. I still get recommendations from friends, but I get a lot more recommendations online these days too.
January 12, 2009 at 4:48 pm
I’m definitely guilty of judging books by their covers! I’m drawn by the ‘headless lady’ cropped portrait style, which usually indicates historical fiction (I don’t usually browse by genre, more by recommendation and author). Secondly, the groups at Librarything, and various members whose ‘Interesting Libraries’ I watch, are an invaluable source. I also chain-buy when it comes to authors – from Elizabeth Chadwick to Jean Plaidy to (eventually) Cynthia Harrod-Eagles!
I picked up ‘Secrets’ after joining in this blog on a discussion about TSP, but the cover would have hooked me!
January 12, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Those covers draw me in too, Sarah! The fact that you found “Secrets” through a TSP disucussion and that you get ideas from the libraries of readers on Librarything brings up a good point. I tend to get most of my recommendations from readers with similar reading tastes, whether online or in person (that’s one reason my mom was such a great source of recommendations). Just hearing “this is a great book” from someone doesn’t necessarily get me to try the book if the person in question and I have different tastes in literature.
January 14, 2009 at 1:46 am
I am drawn to the covers also, but I look towards the recommandations given by other authors on the bookd.. I found out about you on the Avon board, I just clicked, then read some of the excerpts on your web site.. I have to say I really enjoyed the book, although its not what I usually(straight up, hist. romance), I really enjoyed Charles, he was one of the most fascinating heros, I have read.. Melanie overpowered me a bit, I had to get used to her.. but a great read..
I personally like the tortured hero or heroine, or the plain/shy heroine stories.. for some reason I LOVE those, but there are never enough..
January 14, 2009 at 8:53 am
It’s great to know you found my books through the Avon board, Tal! And great to know you enjoyed “Secrets,” particularly so in a way if it isn’t the sort of book you generally read. I’m always intrigued by whether readers relate more to Charles or Mélanie (most readers seem to see the book through the lens of one of the two characters). I hear a lot about Mel (she’s a rather unusual heroine), so I’m very glad to hear Charles described as fascinating (I’m very fond of both of them and like to see them get equal time :-).
I like tortured heroes and heroines too (have you read the Lymond Chronicles? Lymond is definitely tortured!). It seems as though there are quite a few plain/shy heroines who find themselves over the course of the story–but perhaps those books used to be more common than they are now?
January 15, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Lymond Chronicles, I will have to look for them ..Thanks for the suggestion , I am ALWAYS looking for new books. there are not so many of those plain/shy stories.. I am constantly on the hunt for those as well..
some how I always look towards the male in a book, I always find females really tough.. I think writers have a hard time w/females its such a balance, they have to likable first off, believe it or not, if you read some of the hist. romances, the heroine is not always likable(annyoing and whiny lots of times, saying “no,no, no,” until the last chapter) but no matter what I will always read,,its that or medication
Tal
January 15, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I often find when one of the couple of particularly fascinating and charismatic, the other is cast a bit into the shade. This seems to happen particulary with heroines, when the hero is especially vivid.
Re: shy heroines–have you read “Rebecca”? Or “Jane Eyre”? Both have shy (but strong in their own way, particularly Jane Eyre) heroines and tortured heroes as well.
January 16, 2009 at 9:46 am
To reverse this topic, here is what loses potential readers for authors: the 1980s Romance cover with Fabio’s chest plastered across the front, even if updated. I have just stumbled across a recommendation for ‘The Spymaster’s Lady’ by Joanna Bourne, and the various reviews make it sound intriguing and possibly well crafted to boot – but I cannot bring myself to order it! I would have to rip the cover off, and defacing brand new books is not generally a good sign. Why do this, publishers? Who are you appealing to, pray?
Have you read this book, Tracy? Should I swallow my pride?
January 16, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Apparently covers with bare-chested men sell well, Sarah. Which is baffling, because I hear lots of complaints about them.
As to “The Spymaster’s Lady”–I have read it, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a fun book with lots of adventure and intrigue and and interesting hero and heroine. I think you’d like it!
January 19, 2009 at 2:43 am
I tried to find you on facebook, but there are quite a few Tracy Grants! Perhaps you could post a book as your profile photo?
January 19, 2009 at 2:45 am
Oops! Never mind, I found you!
January 19, 2009 at 2:53 am
Thanks for posting, Debbie! I do have my profile photo posted (at least I do assuming I did everything correctly :-). It sounds as though you found me, and I just got a friend request from you which I’m about to reply to!
January 23, 2009 at 5:06 am
So what makes me buy?
1) Cover: attracts my attention first. (Name of author is next – a old friend or new acquaintance?) Cover needs to convey the right time and place (not 21st century, not Tudor, or medieval.) I like Regency for the turbulence of the Napoleonic war, spies, it was a complicated time. I like complications. 🙂 I like to stay in England, not much interested in India, Ireland, Scotland, America. Not sure why but that is what does it for me.
PS- little rant on the Secrets of a Lady cover – that RING! It was SO wrong I couldn’t even look at the cover I would get mad that somebody couldn’t find out what it was supposed to look like!
2) Author kudos are big sellers for me, and I like newspaper quotes too, anything that says this is worth spending time with. especially with authors new to me. Or if I buy on Amazon, the reviews from regular readers like me who commend on the book – that is how I found Tracy, and I’m really glad to be part of the team!
3) Keep your shirt on, dude. (It can be loose, and she can be taking it off for you, but let’s have some mystery, ok?)
4) Back of the book blurb is the most important part of the decision making for me, then the inside cover, and if I’m still undecided, the first few pages will tell me if I will like the writing style. So, the back of the book needs to tell me, not so much about the plot, but about the people I’m going to meet and invest my limited free time with. I want to be engaged by them, be invested in their happy ending. I’m going to do some homework on some of my favorite books, to see if there is any theme that seems to work.
I have a question for this crowd: Who, among your favorite authors, would you put Tracy’s books? For me, I pick Elizabeth George, Anne Perry, Pam Rosenthal, Judith Ivory, but even Harlan Coben (for the horrible things that happen to ordinary people) and whose novels are relentless. Vince Flynn has the relentless part down and while his circle of people is very small he is completely committed to them, so if feels like there is room on this bookshelf. The are others – what are yours? My criteria is spectacular writing about compelling people who can’t help but hurt the one they love because of things in their past, they don’t need to be a love story but a history/mystery is probably a better fit.
In any case what I want to know is who’d be on your bookcase? Maybe that can help with the marketing/positioning question we’ve been tackling.
My next question, should I be sending hard-copy/snail mail letters to Avon, and whoever publishes Anne Perry and Elizabeth George to tell them they need to publish your next books!! Who does it go to, “Publisher in Charge” or “Editor in Charge?” I don’t know anything about book publishing and would only like to because i want to help these books get out there!!
-taryn
January 23, 2009 at 6:24 am
LOL, Taryn. I love the “Secrets” cover, and I think it manages to capture the historical texture, intrigue, and romance of the book beautifully. But I have to confess that when I first saw it, I emailed my editor to tell her that the ring didn’t look *remotely* like the Carevalo Ring. She replied that they loved the look of it and they thought of it as more symbolic than literal or something along those lines. The portrait (which is real portrait) actually looks quite a bit like Mélanie (as does Madame Recamier on the “Beneath” cover and Mélanies on the hardcovers). All in all, I’d rather have a ring that’s wrong and a Mélanie that looks like Mélanie than a perfect rendition of the Carevalo Ring and a golden-haired Mel.
I’m intrigued that it’s info on characters more than plot that catches your attention on cover copy. Do other readers feel the same? I think for me it’s a balance of both.
And I’m fascinated to hear other readers’ comments about books they’d shelve mine near (so impossible, often, to work that out about your own work as a writer). You mention a number of my favorite writers, including Pam Rosenthal, who is a good friends (and a fellow blogger on History Hoydens) as well as a wonderful writer.
I have to say I’m not quite where to direct a snail mail letter to a publisher–perhaps “Editorial Department”? The only ones I see are the ones that are addressed to me, care of the publisher.
Thanks again for being so wonderfully supportive!
January 23, 2009 at 4:55 pm
One more swipe at covers in general and that ring in particular…I agree that your other covers in the Charles and Melanie series definitely help the sale – I do like the use of “real people” from that era, they add a touch of authenticity as well as often being “classy” – which is why in the case of that ring it irritated me so much. That ring was a huge part of the plot, and it was so *wrong*! I’ve seen covers where the hair color of the principals were wrong, or he’s scarred in the book but not on the cover, or once he had an eye patch but on the cover it was the wrong eye! And one time I bought two books in the same week by different authors that had used the same couple in the same clothes…argh!
Authors spend a LOT of time carefully crafting the story to be perfect and then are completely overruled when it comes to one of the more important parts of the selling proposition, the cover. I don’t know much about how books are marketed but it seems ridiculous to exclude or overrule the person who knows best what the image should look like! – OK – I’m done now!
And in any case, I’m looking forward to seeing NEW covers for the Charles and Melanie series very soon!! 🙂
January 23, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I totally agree that authors should have cover input, Taryn–and usually they do. I’ve also been able to send cover notes with what my characters look like, and usually I can tell that the artists attempted to depict what I described, though often inevitably the characters doesn’t come out look quite like I envisioned (one heroine who has “auburn hair with golden lights”–I was picturing fairly dark red hair with a few sun-lightened strands) and on the cover the heroine looks strawberry blonde :-). Interestingly, all the different depictions of Melanie come closer to my image of Melanie than any other of my characters who’ve been depicted on a book cover.
Since covers are a vital piece of marketing a book, I do understand why authors don’t have complete cover control. I actually don’t think I’d want it, because I haven’t got a clue what sort of cover will make a book sell. I’ve loved covers on my some books that haven’t sold well at all and vice versa.
January 25, 2009 at 7:33 pm
[…] inspiration comes from another comment Taryn made, in responses to the discussion about my What makes you want to buy a book? post a couple of weeks ago. Taryn brought up a question I’d love to hear answers on from more […]
February 25, 2009 at 8:37 pm
I first judge a book by it’s cover. Cliche but true! I can tell if a book is *probably* going to be in the right time frame based on the spine and/or typography used on the spine. The cover art clinches it. Very rarely will I look past the cover if it’s “too modern”.
Next I read the back. If that sounds good I open a random page, usually in the middle somewhere, and read for a minute. I can usually tell if I’ll like the author and characters by the dialogue. If I do, I’m sold!
I must admit, I don’t buy historical fiction that’s JUST romantic… it has to have some teeth. Spies (but realistic ones, not heroes dashing in capes), murder, seedy parts, etc. Even a great personal turmoil is good.
And I can’t bring myself to buy any book with half-clothed people on the front. Reminds me WAY too much of the bookcase of romance novels my great-grandmother had. 🙂 Plus, since I don’t buy historical fiction JUST for the romance, that kind of cover *usually* means that it’ll be too focused on that and not on the gritty real-life stuff.
Just the 2 cents from an end-reader. 🙂 Loved Secrets, BTW.
February 26, 2009 at 5:01 am
I’m a total end-reader too, digicollage! And while I love love stories, I enjoy them more when the romance plays out alongside intrigue, suspense, adventures, historical events, etc…
So glad you enjoyed “Secrets”!
March 2, 2010 at 2:15 am
once i read a book or a story im become lazy and i cant understand the book that im reading.can you help me?
March 3, 2010 at 7:27 am
Thanks for posting, Sharm. Do you mean you can’t understand the book you just read or the book you read next?
April 1, 2012 at 12:06 pm
desain kaos…
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