Beyond these recommendations, I’m sure I’m NOT into these new type of covers for historical romance. They incite no character imagination as far as I’m concerned, and I wonder if it’s a new trend. Give me the bodice ripper covers any day.
As a note, these are all coming from traditional publishing houses such as Berkley, Kensington, Hachette, and Zebra. Is this an attempt to save money in some fashion? Is it a conspiracy to do away with cover art? They remind me of contemporary books along the line of cozy mysteries.
I hope this trend dies because half of the joy of historical romance novels are the gorgeous covers that inspire. They are art forms. Jon Paul Studios has been the go-to for many of these publishers in the past. Check out his website and the pictures you can purchase.
What are your thoughts on this new trend? Yea or nay?
They say men are stimulated visually. It’s not what they hear whispered in their ears – it’s what they see with their eyes that move them toward sex and romance. For the most part, I do think that men are wired that way. However, when it comes to reading steamy historical romance novels, women are not only moved by the story, but by the covers that give us a glimpse of the hero and heroine in a passionate embrace.
The historical romance genre bombards readers with bare-chested, muscular males, who have shirts falling off their backs, toned physiques, and six-pack abs. The heroines are women with unbuttoned or unlaced dresses in the back, overflowing breasts from low necklines, and lustful scenes of kissing in provocative poses. They set the stage for the forthcoming sexual tension between the characters and build the reader’s anticipation of what is to come between the sheets . . . I mean pages.
The old adage you can’t judge a book by its cover is really only a half-truth because I dare say most books are sold in the romance genre by what is on the cover. The cover sets the scene, tempts us with what’s inside, and reveals the type of book we’re about to read, or at least it should. However, there also appears to be a lot of similarities in covers between well-known authors, including fonts that are utilized as well as stylistic features that are part of an author’s branding.
Of course, there are many talented cover designers and graphic artists that produce fantastic work in the industry. Large publishing houses can afford the best artists and highly paid models to grace their covers. One artist, in particular, is Jon Paul Studios. You will recognize his work on many covers coming from traditional publishing houses. Check out his gallery and get lost in his works of art that are breathtakingly beautiful. The cover art above is a Jon Paul creation and reposted with his permission.
Many indie authors and traditional publishers are also turning toward stock photography on sites such as Dreamstime, iStockPhoto, Getty Images, Shutterstock, Adobe, and much more. There are also romance cover sites, such as Period Images, which I highly recommend, as well as Romance Novel Covers. The prices are reasonable and licensing terms are fairly straightforward. Frankly, I’ve thought for many years that photographers have a goldmine of opportunity if they would focus more on historical era shots with men and women in the fashions of the time. I’m happy to see an increase of such photographs on the market.
However, just purchasing a photograph isn’t the end of the design process. The real artistry, of course, comes when a picture is chosen, as well as a background, and then it’s turned into a cover story that is unique. Authors, however, are wise to learn the rules about license usage rights, model releases, and copyright law when dealing with photography. Better to be safe than sued for damages in a court of law for infringement.
Since Fabio’s earlier days of book cover shots, with his long hair, chiseled face and body, it seems the standard for romance covers hasn’t changed very much. We now have new models and artists on the scene and the advent of advanced design techniques to tickle our fantasies. I have noticed, though, a distinct difference between historical romance and historical fiction covers. Historical fiction uses less exposed flesh than the historical romance genre with bulging six-pack abs under white open ruffled shirts and ladies with breasts spilling over the bodice or low in the back.
In any event, a well-designed cover does the trick. It will either entice us to purchase or not. Frankly, I remember the days when I loved to buy novels with beautiful covers and kept them on my bookshelves like works of art. Now, we enjoy them our high definition digital readers. Wherever they meet our eyes, in print or on screen, the effect remains the same — you wish you were the heroine in the arms of the hero about to enjoy the fleshly pleasures that await.
