Cover Cafe

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."  William Shakespeare

What's in a name?  One of the reasons a romance book cover can find itself making an appearance in our Worst category is....the TITLE.   I know that authors and marketing departments have very specific reasons for choosing titles.   However, sometimes the Cover Cafe committee looks at a title and we ask...."What were they thinking?" 

If an author is an auto buy, we will groan and purchase the book anyway.  However, in that uncharted territory of a  new or  mid-list writer...the title can affect the final sale.  Let's take a look at a few titles that made us wince, shake our heads or roll on the floor laughing.  (A quick thank you to Cover Cafe committee members, Jeanette, Mary Alice, Karen H., and Karen W. for some of the crazy title suggestions below.)

Then there are the titles that all by themselves seem fine but coupled with the cover illustration and design...become a disaster cover.   Of course, the poster child for this type of cover is Suzanne Brockmann's,Get Lucky, published in 2000.  The hero's name was Lucky and he was supposed to be a handsome playboy...well he was a hunk but the art department didn't captured the type of hunk  Suzanne had in mind.  This year, the reprint of  Mr. Hyde's Assets, made it to our final ten covers in the Worst category.  The title paired with the poor guy baking in the sun makes it a worthy competitor.

On the other hand, a great title is worth its weight in gold for several reasons.   One, the title can jump out and stop a potential buyer from moving to the next book on the shelf or on a website.  Two, it can linger in the mind of a potential buyer even if the buyer isn't making a purchase at the time.   Three, it can help create reader loyalty for a series of books.   I love titles that play on words. They always make me smile and I instantly notice them when perusing available books.  Annette Blair released a very successful witch series  with titles that helped tie the whole series together.  Her release, The Kitchen Witch, won first place in our 2004 Contemporary category which is no easy feat for a cartoon cover!

I think when a perfect title meets a perfect illustration there is cover magic.  The 2010 title, Chasing Perfect, instantly interprets the feeling of someone chasing after the perfect match or romance.  The illustration is the cherry on top of a great cover! Mad, Bad, and Blonde says it all, too.  Something is definitely ticking this blonde off in a big way and it has something to do with a wedding.  The combination of the title and illustration compels you to pick up the book and see what all the ruckus is about with this blonde.  And, Vision in White, by Nora Roberts hits all of the right notes for a romantic release.  You don't even have to read the back blurb to know what it's about - weddings and romance, plus some killer shoes.

What titles make you smile, sigh, laugh, cry, or throw the book against the wall? Hmmm...that makes me wonder, does anyone throw their Kindle, Nook, or eReader against the wall and do they survive the experience? 

Publisher information available on mouse-over.

Return to Cover Cafe's Main Page

To display an image you must surround the URL pointing to the image with [img][/img] tags.

To add a link you must surround the URL with [url=][/url] tags.

Please make sure to fill in the Anti-Spam CAPTCHA code below the comment box before submitting your comment.  Thanks!