Judging A Book By Its Cover

Let's not beat around the bush. We do it. When we walk through a bookstore or are browsing for something to read on Amazon, we're looking for something specific: a book with a kick-ass looking cover, because that's what attracts us and calls out to us to check out the description and maybe flip through the first few pages or read the book sample. That's what the cover is meant to do, after all - make us pause for a moment and investigate further.

 

Herein lies something that we've unconsciously programmed ourselves to do throughout the years: we've taught ourselves to quite literally, judge a book by its cover. In response, cover artists have had to push themselves to almost superhuman capabilities, because if they can't deliver a kick-ass looking cover, the author's book won't get noticed, it won't even have a chance to sell, and both will face an almost uphill vertical climb: the author trying to get his/her book noticed, and the cover artist struggling to find work.

 

How did this all begin? I'll take a guess and say that somewhere along the line, someone created a cover that completely blew other book covers out of the water. I imagine it was like the scene from Dumb and Dumber: in a room full of black tuxedos, in walks Jim Carrey wearing an orange tuxedo. Among everyone in the room, in a sea of black was a splash of orange, which stood out.

 

Today, that room of black tuxedos no longer exists. Instead, it's a room of vibrant colors that stretch from one end of the color spectrum to the other. What once stood out in a sea of black no longer does - because there is no sea of black.

 

We've gotten so used to seeing those amazing covers, that we've come to expect it. As the artists and the technology becomes even more mind-blowing, our expectations for them have increased to the point of looking for something that goes beyond superhuman and risen higher, to the point of expecting them to be almost god-like.

 

I'll admit that I put cover designers and book artists on high pedestals. I am awed every day by the covers I see designed when something new comes out, and I have the utmost respect for those people for the amount of talent they have. I have zero talent in the drawing department myself, which is part of the reason why I have such a great respect for artists. Seriously, if you ask me to draw a person, what you'll get is a stick figure with a big round head. That's the limit of my artistic ability in the drawing department.

 

There are other artists that are just as amazing with digital drawing and painting too, it's not limited to physical paint and canvas. But our expectations have become so high now that we basically require every book to have a god-like cover in order for us to stop. If not, we pass it by and move on, never bothering to even read what the book is about.

 

And here is where the real tragedy that this line of insanely high expectations has gone to now: we judge books by their covers, not by the story within. There are some absolutely amazing stories out there that are only discovered by a small handful of people. Why? Because the author is just starting out, or couldn't afford to pay for a professional artist to design that god-like cover that might increase the chance a book will be read by a few handfuls more.

 

In a sea of color now, its a crap shoot. And for those just starting out or on such a tight budget that they can't afford to pay for advertising, which like anything else is really the only way to reach masses of potential readers... even with a god-like cover, it's difficult at best to get noticed - no matter how good of a storyteller you are.

 

So what is the point of all of this? Why go over any of this? To illustrate, let me provide a few images. I'll use my first fantasy book as the example, as it's gone through several cover changes from when I first published it to what it looks like today:



Original cover
 

 



First redone cover

 

 



Second redone cover (artwork by Mat Sadler)

 

 

 

Looking back, I see that first cover and I think "oh my God, that was horrible!" And then I look at the second one and think "well, that was better than the first one, at least." The last one I still love to look at. It's gorgeous. The artist who created that has more talent in the tip of his pinky finger than I have in my entire body.

 

I had submitted the book to Reader's Favorite last year for a review, and when it came back, I admit there were some tears, because the reviewer gave it a glowing 5* review, and I was given - along with the review - a sticker that I could add to the cover image to show it, which I did. This is the cover today:

 

 

 

 

 

Why show that off? To brag that Province of a Thief received a 5* review award? To get you to say "Holy shit, that is awesome!" and open up a new window to pull the book up on Amazon and discover that it's gotten almost a dozen more 5* reviews from readers on top of that?

 

No. It's to make my point. You see, except for some edits that I've put the book through to fix a few typos and make some minor changes (because I'm overly critical of myself and I strive for perfection, even knowing it's an impossible task but I shoot for it anyway), from that first book cover to the current one - the story has not changed.

 

When I first started writing as a career, I couldn't afford to hire a cover artist. So I designed the cover myself, using (you probably guessed it already) Word. Yes, I know... go ahead and shake your head in disbelief, it's alright. I was a newborn to the whole published author scene then. It took time to learn there was more to this thing than just writing.

 

Obviously that first cover needed to be changed. My sales (or rather, lack of) clearly showed that, so I spent a bit of money and found a stock photo that I liked, and along came cover #2. The title font and how it was displayed wasn't exactly a good choice, but it was a better image than the first. Still not good enough, however. Luckily tax season came around and with a bit of my return I looked for someone to redesign the cover again. I was lucky enough to come across Mat, who designed the cover at an affordable price and made it look like that first cover was done by someone with no drawing ability whatsoe... oh wait - it was, haha.

 

But through those redesigns, the story within didn't change. And that is the main point of all of this. The covers didn't change the story. Had I kept that first cover, I would still be waiting to get an actual sale from the book.

 

Covers need to be attractive. Everyone will agree with this. But they do not change the story within. When we're looking for something to read, we're not reading the book descriptions. We're looking at the cover image. And if it doesn't leap out at us, we're moving on to find one that does. That's the problem. We've become too reliant on the cover images. We've let them dictate our choices, and don't even bother to take a few minutes... a few minutes... to see what a book is about.

 

Not every author can afford to hire a cover artist or book designer. It's a simple fact. So they do their best to design their own covers using GIMP, Photoshop, (I use GIMP myself to create my Twitter images... that at least I have a greater ability in doing) or some other program to create book covers themselves. And then they cross their fingers and hope their skills are good enough that the cover will catch enough eyes and they'll make enough pocket change to be able to afford a professional artist/cover designer for their next book, or to redesign that one.

 

We've become a society that judges based on what we see. So let me end this with one final book image and a quote from one of the books in my Exiled trilogy, because they drive home my point:

 

 

 

 

 

"It is not what you see on the outside, but what lies on the inside that matters."

 





Starting off 2016 with a BANG!

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season that was filled with good food, time spend with friends and family, and memorable moments. I know I did!

 

With the holidays over and the new year having arrived, I'm starting things off with a bang. I'm getting back to my current work in progress, the 4th and final book in my Tal'Avern Chronicles. But besides that, I've got two things to announce.

 

First, my Facebook Author Page hit 500 likes the other day, which is an amazing milestone for me, as I still kind of consider myself in my infant years as an author, having only been doing this for going on 5 years now.

 

I wanted to show my appreciation, so I am holding a Giveaway. If you haven't had a chance to read my work, I write in two genres: Fantasy (geared toward the YA crowd but definitely books that adults will (and have!) enjoyed, and Paranormal Romance, which lean more to the adult crowd due to some strong language and steamy romance scenes that are mixed in with the action, suspense, and all that good stuff :)

 

Rather than repeat what I've posted on my Author Page, I'll simply provide the link to the page, so you can read the nuts and bolts of the giveaway (prizes, rules, etc):

 

www.facebook.com/saborgman

 

 

That's one announcement. The second one is in regards to my latest release, The Exiled Trilogy: Collector's Edition, which bundles all three books in the trilogy together into a single volume to bring you the complete story. So here's the exciting part: the individual books of the trilogy are $2.99 each, while the Collector's Edition is normally priced at $5.99. Basically, it's priced as a buy two get the third one free type of thing. HOWEVER...

 

From Jan. 8 - 14, the Collector's Edition (digital only) is going to be on a special promotion.... for $2.99.

 

So in essence, it's a buy one get two free deal. You'll be able to pick up the ENTIRE TRILOGY in it's Collector's Edition for the price that a single book in the trilogy normally costs.

 

I know, crazy right? Well like I said, I wanted to start the year off with a bang. :) Here's the link to the book's Amazon page:

 

http://hyperurl.co/c6ltbq

 

The promo is scheduled to begin at 12 PST on the 8th for US readers. UKers, you'll be able to snag the CE a bit before then, of course.

 

In the meantime, while waiting for the promo to begin, feel free to check out some of the reviews from the individual books and perhaps read through some of the samples from the books (I love that Look Inside feature!!)

 

So head over to my Author Page, give it a 'like', and check out the giveaway post. If you agree with the rules (make sure to read them!) and want a chance to win, pop in a comment. I jokingly suggested excited people to comment with 'omg omg omg omg me me me me!' rather than just a simple 'me' in the comments. Several people actually have posted 'omg omg me me me' comments, hahaha. I got a good laugh out of it, so thank you for the enthusiasm :)

 

And don't forget, Jan 8 - 14, The Collector's Edition will be at a special promo price of $2.99, so when it starts, snag your digital copy!

 

I would like to add as well, not just for my books but any author's books, if you enjoy the story that you read, please take a few minutes to leave a review on the book's Amazon page. Reviews are the lifeblood of digital books, and every author is grateful for each and every review their books get, including me.

December Donation Drive

Back at the beginning of December, when I released The Exiled Trilogy: Collector's Edition, I had made a promise. I feel very strongly about giving back, and about doing what I can to help make our world a better place. With the amount of negativity that surrounds us every day, I think doing such things is becoming more and more critical.

 

I'm no multi-billionaire that owns 5 houses, 8 cars, a yacht, a plane... I honestly don't really have anything one would probably consider 'extravagant.' And yet, the 1% flaunt their wealth and spend it on getting more and more shit to make themselves look like they're better than everyone else. Because they have money, they have to show it off. I'm sure there are a few people that pop in your head right away that fit the mold.

 

Now, not all of them do this. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are two people I will mention who donate their time and quite a bit of their money to a lot of different charities and organizations. I personally look up to them both, not just because they're two of my favorite actors, but for everything they do to help make our world a little bit brighter for others.

 

As for me, I'm more than willing to give what I can when I am able to help make other's lives better, even if it's something small that will help put a smile on a face, or help to bring joy to their lives - if only for a little while. Because that's what life is about. Not what we can get, but what we can give, what we can do for each other.

 

I had made a promise that through the month of December, for every sale of my new release on Amazon, I would donate half of the profits to a charitable institution, along with at least half of the profits I would receive from pages read from all of my books through Kindle Unlimited.

 

While there were few sales of the Collector's Edition, and the pages read didn't amount to a significant amount (it was the holiday season after all, which certainly played a role in the low numbers) I gave my word - and I keep my word.

 

I took the liberty of snapping a few photos showing the sales and pages read:

 

 

 

 

 

And then as promised, I went and made the donation. It wasn't much, but every little bit helps to make wishes come true.

 

 

To those who made a purchase and those who upped that page count by reading any of my books through Kindle Unlimited, thank you. While I may have made the decision to donate half of my profits, you are the ones who deserve the praise, because you made it possible. The amount doesn't matter. Yes, I wish the donation would have been higher, but what matters is that the donation will go to helping grant wishes and putting smiles on the faces of children fighting against life threatening illnesses.

 

So for that, you have my deepest gratitude and thanks. It truly means a lot to me to have been able to make the donation with your help.

 

 

All My Best,

Scott A. Borgman

Fighting Writer's Block

I've had a few different jobs over the years, from my first job working at a movie theater when I was 16, to working in Collections for a year before I went to college, to working in the grocery industry for about twenty years after college. Though each of those jobs differed, they all had something in common - there was always that one employee... You know, the one who seemed to be ungodly slow, or somehow found a way to screw up even the simplest of tasks that I would end up having to either correct or completely redo.

 

I'm sure we've all got at least one story of a co-worker (either past or present) who comes to mind at the idea that we could talk about. Of course, in those situations, something can be done about them with some means of disciplinary action.

 

At least with those other jobs, there was a small sense of satisfaction when the problem was dealt with. Either said worker was disciplined, their work improved, or in some cases, they quit or were fired. And then there's my current job - the last job I hope I'll ever have. The one that, unlike my previous jobs, means so much more to me than being 'just another job'.

 

It's not handing out tickets, or calling people over past due bills, or stocking shelves. It's writing stories with the sole purpose of delighting and entertaining others. The hours are long, and the work is hard... harder than I ever imagined it would be when I dreamed of being a writer when I was little... but I love it nonetheless.

 

However, the job came with a catch: another employee. One who couldn't be disciplined. Who couldn't be fired. Who couldn't be persuaded to quit. One who would just come in whenever he wanted to, stay for however long he felt like it, and whose only purpose during his shifts was to annoy, harass, and keep me from getting a thing done.

 

I knew about him, even when I was little. We've all heard of him. He goes by the name of Writer's Block, 'WB' for short... or some other nickname that authors refer to him as, usually proceeded by an F-bomb or some other colorful word.

 

WB's most prolific 'skill' is coming to work when we least expect him to. How he's able to sneak in undetected, authors have no idea. We just look up and see him standing there. This is typically followed by "Oh, shit..." or some other colorful phrase.

 

He's also varied in his skillsets, which allows him to be the most annoying co-worker possible. For some of us, he can completely block our creative flow. For others, he'll change that flow in ways that when we finish a chapter, a scene, or even a few paragraphs, it just doesn't work for us. It doesn't flow the way we want it to... it doesn't feel right. And while we struggle to fix it, he sits back and laughs as he marvels at himself for how well he does his duties.

 

He's frustrating. Annoying. Hell, he's an complete ass. But we're not entirely powerless against him. We have our own weapons to fight him with. After all, if you can't beat him... turn the tables and piss him off instead. Give him a taste of his own medicine, fellow authors!

 

The first and probably one of the most used tactics is to simply save your work, get up, and walk away. Perhaps pour yourself a drink. You could sit down and read a book, watch a movie, or my personal favorite - turn on a game and blow shit up for awhile. I prefer games with explosions in them, or FPS shooters, something where you can see your target and think "There he is... take that!" *Headshot against another player (if playing in a multiplayer game) or explosion following which brings a sense of morbid satisfaction*.

 

Then there's the Rocky tactic. *queue Eye of the Tiger music* Keep fighting, don't back down... eventually WB wears down and Rocky... er, you the author, will come out on top and knock out WB for the count. Granted, he'll come back for a rematch someday, but the immediate victory shall be yours. Wave your Championship belt in his face and go back to working on your next great novel. 

 

Another tactic is the Evasive Maneuvers. If he's annoying a particular scene, leave it behind and move on to another scene - come back to it later. This one's easier for some than others. I can't use this particular tactic myself, since my writing style is specific: write from beginning to end, no deviations or detours. So personally, I'm left with the Rocky and the Blow Shit Up tactics, though I do like to mix it up and throw in the Read A Book and Watch A Movie variations just to keep him guessing.

 

So the next time WB clocks in for a shift, if you've been frustrated to no end with this part-timer who comes with the job and won't ever quit or get fired, remember: he may be an annoying ass, but that doesn't mean you have to sit down and take his abuse, hoping he'll get bored and leave quickly. WB doesn't usually work like that. He's a troll. Don't Feed the troll.

 

Blow Shit Up, Read A Book, Watch A Movie, Be Rocky, and use Evasive Maneuvers. He may be able to defend against some of them... but chances are, one or more of those tactics will work.

 

Write on, fellow authors!