Book jackets

[olmue]

Dear Random House cover designers,

PLEASE put flap copy on your books! Every children's book I've picked up by you has a) no dust jacket, b) no summary on the back, and c) if anything on the back, just a blurb. This is ANNOYING. The children for whom the books are meant often do not know who the blurbers are. And if the prospective readers don't know even the genre of the book, it's awfully hard to interest them enough to pick it up. Every single book we've encountered like this, my kids have put back on the shelf. It could be the most amazing book EVER, but if I can't tell what it's about, I won't pick it.

Sincerely,
Someone Who Might Buy Some of Your Books If Only She Could Figure Out What They Were About

Comments

[juliakarr.livejournal.com]

Wow! I will have to check that out. I had no idea...

[olmue.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. Leepike Ridge, Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains, and Nobody's Princess are all ones I have checked out--but that was purely based on personal recommendation. I never would have given them a second look otherwise. The cover art is lovely, but novels are about WORDS, you know...

[megancrewe.livejournal.com]

It annoys me so much when a book doesn't have a summary! Especially if instead it has a short excerpt--ack, spoilers! :P

'Cause, yeah, how are you supposed to know if you're interested if you have no idea what the story's about?

[olmue.livejournal.com]

Lately the ones I've been seeing don't even have an excerpt! The ones I've read have ONLY been because a person I actually know recommended them. I just don't like having to check the Library of Congress subjects to guess what it might be about.

[beckylevine.livejournal.com]

So funny--I can barely get my son to READ the jacket cover. But it is the only way for him to decide if he wants to read something. Well, other than if there's a dragon on the cover. :)

[olmue.livejournal.com]

Heh heh--dragons are always a good bet. Seriously, though, I didn't think flap copy was a big deal until I couldn't find any. And then I started noticing my kids putting the books back when they couldn't figure out what they were about. Too many other books DO give you that information, and it's easier to pick and choose among those.

[shaelise.livejournal.com]

It's not just the kids . . . I really dislike picking up a book and not being able to find a blurb about the book. I don't want to only read someone's two sentence review either...I want to know what the book is about. Maybe you can change the world and get this taken care of for us. :)

[olmue.livejournal.com]

I'm tempted to write them an actual letter...