I judge books by their cover. No, this is not a metaphor. I’ve avoided books, and specifically bought books, simply because of their cover without even reading the synopsis.

I know you do it too; it is biologically instilled in us to choose on instinct and judgement. But that’s something no one likes to talk about. It’s ‘taboo’. We claim to never judge a book by its cover, but are you really telling me you gravitate towards those mass marketed books with random covers?

If you do, that’s your prerogative, I hold no judgement for other people’s choices. But it seems like the majority of people are not influenced to pick up those books.

A lot of authors these days tend to do title reveals and cover reveals. Everyone in the bookish community will then argue whether or not the cover is good. Is it serving its purpose? Do the colors match? Is the title clear and perfectly spaced?

All these details will determine if someone picks up this book. We learned that people don’t gravitate towards people on covers, unless done tastefully. For example, historical fiction books naturally warrant people on their covers, but rom-com books don’t.

Covers are one of those things that let me know how a book is going to be. A more cartoony cover usually signifies that I’ll be reading a light rom-com that won’t be too heavy or show-stopping. And I know a cover that is mythical, dark, and mystical will provide me with a usually heavier fantasy book.

Despite this, the book might surprise me. That supposedly light-hearted rom-com might end up being a 6 star read that I never wanted to put down; just like how that fantasy book might be so incredibly boring that no amount of world building will fix it.

While our brains are wired to judge books by their cover, it stands true that what’s behind the cover matters more. We are living proof that the cover is not the determining factor for all that life is.