Book Cover (WTF) Research | How To Find (Great) Indie Books
Diamonds In A Pile Of Blob
Have you ever seen a blobfish?
It looks like an old man cartoon covered in slime. And if I’d just shown a picture of it, you probably wouldn’t have known what it was.
Is that a fish? A paperweight?
Did the Loch Ness Monster step on Grandpa?
All very important questions that would likely not get answered in one glance. And either curiosity will have you doing an online search or poking the creature to see what happens.
Basically, trying to obtain more data.
The technical term is WTF Research.
(That’s totally not a technical term.)
(Until now!)
So look, I brought up this vague puddle of creature strange to illustrate a point.
(I know, you’re shocked and amazed at my narrative prowess.)
(Gaze upon me in awe.)
(And read on.)
If you are looking for your next favorite book, you may pass a lot of strange or vague covers that do not tell you what the book is about. You might pass a row of blobfish books that may not strike your interest enough to question and dive in to find out more.
But you would be missing a really cool fish!
OK, they are arguably not all that cool, except they have no bones, no teeth and is just a pouch of loose skin swimming in ONLY THE DEEPEST DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN, where the pressure is so great that it would crush any other creature with a skeleton and kill it…
Sooooo, they are a little bit ridiculously amazing.
And many books that you are passing by could be, too!
But how do you know? How do you find Bob the Amazing Blobfish Book amongst all his boring brethren covers?
"Nope, my sanity level was still at normal and incoherence of said paragraph was confirmed by a second source."
Don’t Knee-Jerk Until You’ve Tried It
Start with your brain.
Think about all the books or authors you know FOR SURE that don’t interest you.
I mean, really you’re truly positive about it.
That looks stupid. That looks dumb.
Total sappy chick book I’d never touch, even with my eyes!
Total lame dude romp only full of shooty-shooty and no people-y-people-y.
And then totally and completely doubt yourself.
I mean, if you KNOW you don’t want to weep your eyes out with the gut wrenching severance of your soul, then yeah -- no Nicholas Sparks.
(45 Minutes straight I wept after only WATCHING The Notebook. Thank god I hadn’t read it. I might still be crying.)
(OK, I have delved into more of his stories and liked some quite a bit, and they didn’t spur me to consider immediate counseling. But gosh! The Notebook still haunts me. I approach with caution.)
That is an example of a well WTF-Researched no.
So, for all of the books you know for SURE you are a no on…reevaluate and make sure it is based off of actual research and knowledge, and not knee-jerk reactions.
But how do I engage in this WTF Research of which you speak? You may ask.
Very good question!!
Read On McDuff
Start with reading!
Well, I guess that starts with engaging the book.
Then turning to the first page.
Apply eyes liberally, and usually in a linearly motion.
Consume words observed.
Translate within noggin.
And calculate enjoyment factor.
(Optional Advanced WTF Research Technique: Execute all above steps with an open mind.)
The first couple pages will tell you a lot.
Even just the first paragraph.
I engaged a book of a very popular author, read the first paragraph (that was substantial) and could not make heads nor tails of it. So much so I read the paragraph to a friend to see if I was losing my mind or if it was actually as incoherent as it seemed to be.
Nope, my sanity level was still at normal and incoherence of said paragraph was confirmed by a second source.
Years later another book by that author was chosen in a book club I was in. I tried. TRIED! Tried to read it, as the person recommending was a good friend and loved the author. Nope, I couldn’t finish it. And what reading I did was painful all the way through.
So, I am comfy with reading the first couple pages and then letting it go.
You have now completed one variation of WTF research.
Well done!!
Take Sample Advantage
Amazon often has those Start Reading options.
Take them.
Sample Chapters to another book in the book you just read, even by another author?
Do It!!
Go to a physical bookstore and just pick up books and start reading.
Then put it down. Either in your “hell yes!” stack or back on the shelf. Make a note mentally about that author or book.
Read and rinse and keep doing that.
Until you have a gleefully large stack of potential Next Favorite Books!
Trust But Verify, Because That Makes Sense
Look guys, I am exposed to the beginning of a lot of books that come through and good lord if I don’t spend my day trying to pull myself out of a great read. I mean, are-you-kidding hard.
So start picking up books and just ignore the covers!! Start at “A” in a bookstore in your favorite genre and then just start reading the first pages.
Spice it up a bit and go to a genre you THINK you don’t like. (Shock, awe, gasp!) And start reading.
I think you will be surprised.
And I think you will be really, really happy at the shining pile of loot you bring home.
Have a great week, you guys!
Stephanie Writt
Writer, instructor, graphic artist and all around lovely soul, with a generous sense of humor (yes, I am totally writing this myself), takes delight in sharing her geeky knowledge and ridiculous joy in reading, writing and business. As the current Director of Operation at WMG Publishing Inc., she has the privilege and mischievous pleasure in writing this blog every week.
When Covers Go WRONG!!
Here is the Original cover - Do you know what that story is about?
Here is the new NAILED IT cover! See a difference?
Ghost of a Chance
The Poker Chip
by Dean Wesley Smith
Attorney Gail Kelly dies suddenly on her way to dinner and within minutes meets Dan Carson, aka Sunset.
A Ghost Agent for over a hundred years, Sunset offers to help train Gail. But somewhere in their lust for each other (yes, ghosts can be horny) they stumble onto a plan that could destroy the world.
Dan and Gail and other Ghost Agents must join up with Poker Boy and his team and a bunch of gods to try to save the world just one more time.
USA Today bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith brings you the fifth book in the crazy Ghost of a Chance series.
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