A Responsible Musing on Book Covers.

This post dawned on me as I was reading this book where I constantly found myself flipping it over so that no one caught a glimpse of the cover. It's not a bad cover; just one large pair of lusty red lips and little else, except for some reason, (I've since noticed), I've gotten in the habit of turning down these covers… no matter what I'm reading. I actually think I remember the day this pusillanimity business started. I was reading one of Bill O'Reilly's books and happened to look up to find a pair of masculine eyes glaring at me. You can say I was embarrassed, because I was. But don't ask me to explain it any further because I can't. I guess it's something like how babies are 'generally' made. Most of us know how it's done, or happens, but most of us prefer not to advertise it while it's being done.

Still, I never recall this book flipping affair to be a concern before. And then too, book covers weren't what they are today. Book covers used to be a lot plainer. Or maybe, before I used to hide the fact I was reading period. It just wasn't cool to be out reading books back then; and to be caught reading a lot of books was just out of the question. That really wasn't cool.

At any rate, as I digress, book covers have been on my mind lately, starting with the flipping covers and culminating the other day after receiving an email that offered 'juicing' up my book covers. It's not the first time it's happened; or the second, third, and so forth and so on; all offers I've taken into consideration.

On one hand I would like to hire a book illustrator, just for collaboration's sake, and perhaps to free up some of my hands, except there's this other hand weighing in a number of other factors.

One factor is the issue of me, myself, trying to hide what I read. Imagine that. Spending all this essence having these covers adventurously illustrated, while readers like me, 'cause I know I'm not the only one, go through great lengths to hide the cover. And I know, the whole point is to at least draw in potential readers… except think about this. Imagine all the (long-hand) creative things that can be done to a cover, and doesn't chew out the linings in both your pockets, that will achieve a similar result... buyers stealing peeps both ways before deciding they're creeping that puppy home with them. All I'm saying is the cover only needs to be interesting, which… well, never mind… Let me just move on to this other factor.

Content.

Yes, yes… I'm a content lady, which I'll go on and slip in while it's convenient. I really do cherish my book covers. They are authentic, distinctive, and peeling off one of my favorite terms... they are interesting. Now this doesn't mean you won't catch me flipping them over as well. Like I said, this all goes back to that conceiving life process. But in whole, my book covers remind me of old vintage homes, versus the new, dime a dozen, aluminum modern homes. When I was younger those big old clunky dust-collectors with the hand-carved woodwork and medieval light fixtures and chandeliers were unpopular eye challenges. But today those homes are as adorable as they are durable—which none too ironic, happens to be exactly the elements I seek inside books. Realistic, raw, genuine content that is uniquely interesting, teaches me to appreciate new schools of thought, and of course is resilient.

And oh! About the book I've been flipping over all day; I'm really enjoying. It's rare to find books focused on the simplicities of storytelling without all the dashing splashy headlights.