31 Days of Horror: Day 26: Horror Covers As a Conversation Starter

Yesterday, I reposted a Why I Love Horror essay by Lynne Hansen, one of the best and most prolific Horror novel cover artists working now. 

I wanted to include her in this year of looking back at some of my best entries in the series because as we all know covers matter so much. Horror covers, even more.

Last Fall I wrote this article for the lineup featuring six Horror cover artists not to miss with annotations of the books they have covered.

Below I have the introduction, but I want to remind everyone that talking to patrons about covers is a great conversation starter. Readers care about covers, but they don't think they should admit that to us. When we bring it up, we lighten the mood and get them more relaxed as we ask them to share what they are in the mood to read. Starting an interaction with a reader with a conversation starter like-- have you seen the awesome cover on this book?-- is a great option.

You can also look to the general blog where I post often about how to use conversation starter to build interactive displays at this post. A great option to build a display is to formally ask patrons to answer the question-- what is a book you picked based on its cover alone? Again directions on how to do this are here.

But I want you to stop for a moment and think about this question. Because most people think judging a book by its cover is taboo, you asking this question will be noticed by your patrons. They will find it a bit illicit even. And, most importantly. it will who them that you understand how readers actually pick books. It will remove their discomfort about asking for their next good read. It shows them that you care and want to help. And finally, it shows you have a sense of humor about it all.

Here is the intro to that article from September of 2023 to help you get started with using Horror book covers as part of your work with readers.

A Librarian Wants You to Judge These Horror Books by Their Covers

From the haunted stacks: Six horror illustrators not to miss.

By Becky Spratford | Published Sep 22, 2023

Psst…. I have a dark, dirty library secret for all of you. I think we have been doing this column long enough that I can trust you enough to share it with you. Here it is… 

 I judge books by their covers.

I will give you all a moment to recover from shock, but it is 100% true. And not only do I judge books by their covers, but I train library workers all over the world to do the very same thing.

Now I know all of you probably heard from a librarian or teacher at some point in your childhood, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and I am sure some of you have taken this as fact and carried it into your own adult reading life, even passing it on to new generations of readers. Well, I am here to tell you to forget it.

Why?

Well let’s start with this actual fact: Publishers want their books to have a cover that sells the book to its best reader. They need the cover to do the heavy lifting of attracting readers as they walk by.

But they also want them to be the right readers, ones who if they are attracted by the cover, stop and read the back and then decide to buy the book.

If publishers are putting that much effort, money, and thought into the covers of their books, why aren’t we using the covers to help readers find the best book for them as well? It actually seems irresponsible for me, someone whose job it is to match books with their best readers, to NOT consider the covers. A cover can never tell you exactly what will happen in the book, but those covers created by the very best artists can absolutely tell you quite a bit about the feel of the book to follow, setting the tone for the story that follows.

Which leads us all to this column. Today, I am going to present six of today’s best Horror book illustrators with two example books, titles that you can 100% judge by the superior art gracing their covers. I have spoken to numerous illustrators, authors, and publishers to make sure I have found artists who are both talented and trustworthy. However, the one disappointment I have encountered throughout this process is the overwhelmingly white and male representation in today’s horror cover art world. In fact, those I spoke to know it is a problem and many have been seeking out more marginalized artists to highlight and support as well.

Therefore, this article serves two purposes. One: to help you break the taboo and get out there to judge a book by its cover. It’s fun and slightly illicit, and since I have vetted the titles for you, I can promise you that the books will be worth your time. And two: to serve as a call to action for horror artists from marginalized perspectives to reach out, leave a comment, and let us know who you are so the community can help lift you up. Then, as people encounter this article, they can explore your art as well.

Click here to read the full article and start using Horror covers as a conversation starter all year long.