This week: Cover Appeal Edited by: StephBee  
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“Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, thou art every day my valentine!” – Thomas Hood
“I have never celebrated Valentine’s day in my life.” – Radhika Apte
February is here and Valentine’s day has come and gone. I gave the boys a card and some of their favorite chocolate. If anything, Valentine’s, for me, is about showing a little appreciation to the guys in my life. (Husband & sons) . I hope however you choose to celebrate (or didn’t) it was a still a good day for you.
Last month I created a soup poll since January was a perfect month for soup. The winner for favorite soup was “Tomato.” Thanks everyone for sharing your soups. When I get a chance, I’ll put up some of the suggestions and recipes on my newsfeed.
This month I thought I’d take a look at Romantic Covers. What is it about covers? What makes them special? Does the cover compel you to buy the book?
Let’s check out the Cover Appeal.
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What makes a romance cover appealing? A portrait of the couple? A scene depicted from the novel? Something plain or something fancy? Have romance covers changed as trends have changed?
It all starts with the cover. The cover of a book is a marketing ploy meant to catch your attention.
From the 1940’s to the 1970’s most romance covers were illustrations, done by artists, usually with a tame picture of the featured couple from the story.
“Clinch” covers developed in the late 70’s/early 80’s. This type of cover has a handsome man (he might be bare chested) holding/embracing a beautiful heroine. Clinch covers were inspired by “The Flame and the Flower” a popular romance at the time written by Kathleen Woodiwiss. That novel’s original cover, the couple in a tamely embrace, barely hinting at the scandalous “romance” in the book. (this type of cover was indicative of the time which was an illustration by an artist.) However, after reading this novel, which was risqué at the time, publishers decided for more risqué covers, thus developing the “clinch.”
To some romance reader, the “clinch” cover maybe embarrassing, as this style of cover led to romance stories being called “bodice rippers.” On the flip side, to some readers, this type of cover allows the reader to expand their imagination. Clinch covers to this day still help to sell romance novels, especially if the author is new and unknown. IMHO, clinch covers will always be an option.
Now, in the 1990’s romance covers gravitated to displaying the hero in a masculine pose. (82 percent of romance readers are women). In a way, a bit tamer, as they were less “bodice ripping.”
Modern day
While clinch covers are still in use, (though not as risqué as the 80’s. Now you’ll find more suggestive poses, with the hero & heroine still dressed) romance covers have moved away from an overwhelming desire to go clinch. Nowadays you’ll find covers where the heroine is in a defiant stance, or the hero is looking rather adventurous. You might find a tease, where half the face is cut off on the cover, highlighting the torso. This allows for fantasy projection, letting the reader imagine the character. Or you might have a simple cartoon illustration which a suggests a lighthearted tone, reflective of the story in the pages. These types of covers are meant to convey a less embarrassing portrait of the story inside.
Reflecting modern trends, you can now walk around with a romance book in your hand and not be embarrassed by a risqué cover.
Making a cover
No matter what decade, publishers have always used much care to make covers. From the 40’s to the 70’s, artists generally illustrated covers. In the 1980’s, a photographer would take models for a cover shoot. Building on that, models might take a picture, but publishers, would use photo shop for the right look/tone/feel of the cover.
Question for you: Is there a favorite style of cover you gravitate to? Illustrations? Clinch? Single character on the cover? A romantic setting? Cartoon illustration? I’d love to hear what appeals to you in a romance cover.
References:
https://electricliterature.com/can-we-still-judge-a-romance-novel-by-its-cover/
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1342&context=hc_sas_e...
https://bookriot.com/clinch-covers-on-romance-novels/
https://hazlitt.net/feature/brief-history-clinch
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Romance/Love: February 22, 2023 Issue [#11822]
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