There are things going on among self publishers that confuse me. Or maybe what I mean is they confound me. Like for instance why are authors spending money on an ad for a book that relies on a book cover as the draw?

I think book covers can catch attention, or maybe they used to. Now, everyone and their brother has gaudy, tawdry, and sometimes outlandishly bizarre cover art. Not only that but there’s not much variety. Look on Amazon or at a shelf in the book store, do you not see similar picture types, fonts and colors?

It grates against my creative being that marketing pushes conformity. Sure some visual clues are helpful to attract specific readers but I have to laugh at the lack of variety as though every cover artist has bought into the same formula. Seriously authors spend hundreds of dollars for a book cover as though it is a pivotal piece of the book’s potential success and yet they all look so unimaginative (okay maybe not all, there are some gems). Am I alone in thinking this way? But what started me on this rant was a Facebook ad featuring a picture, no description, just a title of the series“now available”. Unless someone is a diehard fan that ad means nothing.

 I am never tempted to open a book by its cover especially these days as I’ve mentioned cover styles are repetitive. The title is the first significant piece of information that makes me look at the inside cover. For an ad I want to know why should I be excited about finding out a book is available.

I love art, but I’m not reading a picture book. What would happen if book covers went black and white, Arial font, just a title and author’s name? Just wondering. Would writers get back to the focus of writing? Stop spreading the feverish pressure to spend money on a cover design? I don’t know. Like I said, I’m confounded. What about you?

I’ve got a great story on Kindle Vella, have you checked it out? It’s not for everyone, a suspense, lite romance involving a twenty- two year old woman who is the focus of a cybercrime ring, Homeland Security sting and a megalomaniac. It’s an easy read: EPISODE 1 of “Kill Words” HERE: .https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/episode/B0CZK5PDH5