Jan 14 2013
Monday News: A small suggestion for cover art change; US leads in under 50 male deaths; Harlequin + Bachelor cover photo sneak peek
Analyzing 2012?s Bestselling Books and Ebooks in the US and UK | Publishing Perspectives – Mainstream publishing in 2012 was hit driven and over half of the 2012 bestselling books where either 50 Shades or Hunger Games titles. The only other selling book of note was a Wimpy Kid title. I’d be interested in knowing that aggregate number of sales for those titles versus the number of books solder overall in 2012. I wouldn’t be surprised if those books comprised over 70% of books sold in 2012. Publishing Perspectives
Americans Under 50 Fare Poorly on Health Measures, New Report Says – Americans, particularly young male Americans are dying at a faster rate than in any other wealthy developed country. It’s a mixture of drug and alcohol abuse along with gun violence. “Americans also had the lowest probability over all of surviving to the age of 50. The report’s second chapter details health indicators for youths where the United States ranks near or at the bottom. There are so many that the list takes up four pages. Chronic diseases, including heart disease, also played a role for people under 50. ” Way to go America. NYTimes.com
Episode Two – Episode 2 Sneak Peek – Harlequin’s Bachelor and the Bachelorettes are coming to a romance book cover near you. The Bachelorettes are competing for a three book cover contract. This shows some stills from the episode. It looks like they are doing covers for Harlequin Presents and some westerns. ABC.com
Book By Its Cover » Labs With Abs – Instead of the Bachelor and Bachelorettes, however, perhaps Harlequin and other romance publishers could move in a different direction. We know that covers with dogs sell books. We know that abs on covers sell books. What is more genius than to combine these two together? Book By Its Cover
Send to Kindle
Jan 14, 2013 @ 05:04:10
I hate dog covers. They imply to me that the dog will have a major role in the book, and I’m not interested in reading that much about the hero/heroine’s relationship with their pet. Also, I’m not a dog person. Given the popularity of cats on the internet and in popular culture, why aren’t there more cats on covers?
I’m actually more likely to buy romances with Bachelor/Bachelorette covers than ones with animals. But I’ll take a dog book over 50 Shades any day (I’m now picturing a 50-shades like cover featuring pet accessories).
Jan 14, 2013 @ 06:11:25
A 50 Shades of Grey-like cover with a dog leash on it? I’m not sure I would be thinking “There must be pets in this book!”
Jan 14, 2013 @ 06:34:47
I’ve never watched The Bachelor, but I think that photo shoot looks kind of fun.
Jan 14, 2013 @ 07:30:57
@Ros: I agree about the photo shoot. I want to know what line the punk looking costumes are for.
Jan 14, 2013 @ 08:04:45
I’m thinking the punk/spicy clothing for the photo shoot must be for Nocture? I think the photo shoot does look fun but I’m still leary about the message it sends about HQ books. I don’t watch the Bachelor because it treats commitment way too lightly. I suppose the thing it has in common is the whole openess to falling in love thing. Won’t see them on my covers which in one way is a relief, but then I think about all those fans of the Bachelor picking up the copies with the couple on the cover, and I sort of wish they were doing plain ol’ contemorary…you know those authors will likely sell more books because of those covers.
And dogs? I like them on the cover, but I’m a dog person. Love them and I suppose I think “These are my kind of people.” I love the Labs with Abs. Ironically, my poor lab Georgia had a false pregnancy so she’ll never get to be a cover model. In fact, I think if she could talk, she’d ask for a tummy tuck :) Fun topics for Monday.
Jan 14, 2013 @ 08:11:14
I can’t get into The Bachelor and I’ve tried. Half the women in my family watch it and so every season I sit down and watch about two episodes and all I can think is “wow, I’m pretty sure you people are a therapists lifetime supply of wet dreams.” If I were a guy I wouldn’t marry any of you either.
Meanwhile, I don’t think it’s going to matter to me one way or another if Bachelor contestants are on the cover of a HQN novel. Unless the story is some kind of suspense where contestants start killing each other off and the cover is one of the women standing on the others’ dead bodies. Especially if they release it before the final girl is chosen. Now that I might buy.
Jan 14, 2013 @ 19:09:51
@CharlotteV: Ugh, with some books/genres, I’d probably worry the dog was going to be involved in a way I really wouldn’t want it to be. I know, I’m terrible.
Jan 15, 2013 @ 00:57:26
@meri we could do cats with hats for the fashionable cat lover. Might infringe on Suess though.