Judging a Book by its Cover

Judging a book by its cover...some of us have done it, maybe some haven't. But the majority of people will come right out and say that they will judge a book by its cover.
This is so wrong on so many levels. At least crack the book open and take a peak at the meat of the story! This is the very reason why Amazon and other book sellers offer a "Look Inside" feature. Not all covers are created equal.


Whether this is due to the graphic artist, the publishing house, or an independent author who does not have a large budget, it is a sad reality. In an ideal world, all books would have equally exciting and grand covers. But this isn't an ideal world- far from it in fact.


True, a book's cover is very often the first thing a potential reader will see. It should catch the eye of the reader, at least for them to pick up the book, or click to see more. What I don't understand is why people often don't give a book a further look. Books are made up of much more than what is on the outside. To truly get an idea of the book, you have to spend time flipping through and reading a few pages, if not chapters. If I pick up a book, I know within reading the first few pages if I want to continue reading or not.


And it doesn't matter if it's a traditionally published book, or an independent one. I will always pick them up, or click the "Look Inside" button. Because as a reader, and a writer, I know what really matters to a book. And it has nothing to do if the cover is flashy or not.


Sadly all too many people will simply glance over a cover and move on.
I say it's time to give those books a second glance, or even a flip through. I for one have found some amazing books that at first glance didn't catch my eye.


I challenge you, the next time you glaze over a cover of a book to go back for a second look, flip through, check out the writing. You might be surprised at what you find!