I read an interesting article linked on this blog post. I’ve blogged about a simliar topic in the past here, here, here, and here, and wonder how the sales will be on my next novel since an African-American woman is on the cover and the book will be released into most major stores: including Walmart and most bookstores that carry Christian novels.
Last summer, when I was at the Romance Writers of America conference in Washington D.C., I was talking to my roommate, author Rachel Hauck. I told her about the stigma of African-American novels – some White people think the stories are for “us” not “them”. Plus, if there are Black people on the cover, the book is sometimes automatically shelved in the African-American section – and some Whites don’t search that section for reading material.
The flipside is, if my book is shelved with White books, therefore placing my title in front of White readers, they still might not buy my novel, but, then again, they might.
I told her that I hoped that my publisher would not place a person on the cover. I’d mentioned that I’d seen that some of the covers for the 3-in-1s had just scenery, no people. That’s the way I wanted my novel to look. You see, I’d heard that Barbour’s 3-in-1s sell really well, and I figured if I had a cover without people, like the other contemporary releases, then the sales figures that those books had would somewhat guarantee that I’d share the same sales numbers. (I know there are no guarantees at all, I was only speculating, hoping to increase my chances of getting some great sales.)
Rachel suggested that I let Barbour know what I wanted on my cover. Since I had not seen my cover yet, I figured there was still time to make my wishes known. I did contact them and gave them some samples of covers that I liked for other contemporary 3-in-1s.
I did get my cover a few weeks later. And here it is. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ve probably already seen this cover a gazillion times:
I love the cover, and felt it captures the essence of the stories and looks better than what I’d suggested. Upon further research, I did discover that Barbour changed their convention for designing the covers for the 3-in-1s for the contemporary series that will be released in 2010. Prior to the 2010 releases, the cover always had scenery, but starting in 2010, the covers now have a person (either man or woman) on the cover. For their historicals, it appears they were already using the convention of using a person on the cover of their 3-in-1s in 2009 – so no major changes for the historicals.
Here’s some examples of the 3-in-1 covers for contemporary series for 2009:
Here are some examples of the NEW 3-in-1 covers for contemporary series for 2010:
I think the marketing department did a great job with the 2010 3-in-1 covers! They look beautiful and I think that having the people on the cover captures the power behind the story more than having just scenery.
HOWEVER, I’m wondering how my book will be shelved? For example, I visited Walmart over the Christmas holiday. Most Walmarts have the 3-in-1s shelved together, but since mine has an African-American woman on the cover, will it be shelved with the other 3-in-1s in the inspirational section, or will it be shelved in the African-American section? If somebody comes to Walmart each month to buy the 3-in-1s and mine is in the African-American section, instead of with the rest of the 3-in-1s, then I doubt they’ll know my book exists and I might lose a sale. I did notice that there were some African-American inspirational titles shelved in the African-American section.
ON THE FLIP SIDE, if my book is shelved in the African-American section, I could capture those readers who only read African-American books. They might go to the AA section only, without browsing the rest of the sections, not knowing that my book could be shelved amongst other books.
I believe the ideal solution would be to shelve it both places, but I highly doubt that’s going to happen!
I need to stop worrying about this because it’s all in the Lord’s hands. And before you say, “All of this shouldn’t matter, a book is a book…” well, don’t say that. It does matter. I’ve seen the way some African-Americans and some Whites read books. The sad fact is sometimes they do base or buy a book depending upon race. 🙁
Do you think I’m worrying about nothing?
I have a BIG problem w/ the way they shelve Christian Fiction African American books. I know in the library they always want to group all the African American(AA) books together, I went to them and told them NO! THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, they only put the religious stickers(+) on the white Christian fiction, her respond to me was well we can only put one sticker on the book, i told her i have seen 2 stickers and i want 2 stickers on the AA books as well, we have a right to know which ones are AA Christian fiction, she said to me wouldn’t you rather have the AA sticker on the book? i told her NO i want bother stickers on the book.
Hi Celilia. I understand how you feel. Unfortunately, there is still a certain bit of racism out there in the publishing industry and just in general. I’m not mainstream published (yet) but my first devotional “SimplyWisdom” is self-published. I have a gorgeous cover with an AA woman on there. I chose the picture. I liked it because it’s just a woman reading the bible wearing my favorite color. Now, I often wonder if white people (or any other person of a different race) will buy it. It’s not a “black woman’s” devotional. I just try not to think about that so much. I encourage you to trust that it will reach the hands of those who need to be inspired by it– white or black. I know your book is going to do well!
Those type of thoughts can drive us crazy though!
congrats on your new release! Happy New Year!
Blessings,
Kennisha
You’re definitely not worrying about nothing. This is a reality of the publishing industry that AA authors have to confront.
I have mixed views because see the pluses and minuses of general shelving vs. AA-specific shelving. I don’t know enough about book sales to know if, and under what conditions, one is more profitable than the other.
Your cover is beautiful. Let’s pray you generate wonderful sales regardless of where it is shelved.
Hi Cecelia! As a regular reader of your blog I a hoping they put your books in the Christian section. That is the only place I look when I go to a bookstore. I really don’t want to look at the covers of some non-Christian books. I find your site to be pleasant & I must say I always enjoy looking at your book covers. Now sometimes I prefer scenery over people. But, I think the lady on your book cover looks fabulous. Good luck on the sale of your book. God Bless
Cecelia the subject you have presented is one that has been debated on many fronts. I too was told that if I placed a Black woman on my cover it would limit my sales. To date, I have done well, but I can honestly say I don’t know how many have bypassed the work because of the image on the cover. Moving further into this conversation, I have yet to hear that placing a White woman on the cover of a book would minimize sales. I say that from the standpoint of ‘sales’ in that conversation, being defined as White dollars.
Coming into this business one must understand that by virtue of ethnicity (non-White), your work will, more often than not, be classified as having limited appeal. Perhaps the issue here really isn’t the cover or library and/or bookstore placement. Maybe, just maybe, the issue rests with the mindset of the reading community. Within that community are those who may be afraid, unwilling or even feeling insulted by the mere suggestion that they consider reading something other than what has been established as the status quo when it comes to books.
Linda!
http://www.lindabeed.com
letusbearfruit.blogspot.com
Cecelia,
First let me say, I love the cover. Thank goodness they did a good job. The people are much more appealing then the landscapes. :o)
I’ll play devils advocate here and tell you from a business perspective marketing is targeted. It’s the formula, it’s the way it’s done for better or for worse. You’re publisher knows that the majority of your readers will be African-American. Why that is, is another discussion all on it’s own; another blog post, for another day. But the reality is those are your readers. So they want to reach those readers. Studies have been done that have proved African-American, Latino and Asian readers are more attracted to books with pictures of people who look like them. Hence the pictures. Your publisher really is trying to increase your sales.
There are white people who would absolutely not care that your characters are African-American, but is that the majority or the minority of white readers? I think I would guess the minority. Book stores get returns when people take books home and find out the characters aren’t who they thought they were. I worked in a bookstore for four years and saw it all the time. Believe me it’s a problem. So, I say understand this. Accept it. Know your target market and sell to them. There are enough African-American romance readers to make you rich. They just have to know you exist and have a book.
And I know this is not just about sales, its about reaching readers and wanting a diversity of people to read your work, etc., etc., but until you are a huge bestselling author you really can’t focus on having a crossover readership. You have to work from where you are until you’re large enough to have crossover appeal.
I say pray they put you in the African-American section, because otherwise you’re going to have a hard time moving that book.
Blessings,
Rhonda
I hadn’t thought about this from an author’s POV. I guess I might move past some books with an AA on the cover, but honestly I don’t know why! You’ve given me something to think about. It generally wouldn’t stop me, especially if I knew and liked the author. 🙂
As for this particular cover, I didn’t even think AA when I saw her. She could be anything, in my opinion… and I like it a lot. She looks nice. So I wouldn’t worry about it a bit – I sure wouldn’t pass the book up if I saw it in the store. And maybe it’ll attract some AA people who wouldn’t normally pick a book up with a white woman on the cover. I have no idea what to think about any of that – I know I’m not racist and it shouldn’t matter about the cover or the race of the person in the book.
One thing I have learned after twenty years of reading… you can’t tell a book by its cover anyway, lol. 😉
I’d just sit back and see what God does with it!
First, Celilia, that cover is gorgeous. They did do a great job. However, I think it will get shelved in the AA section. I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t. It’s the way it is.
The cover is beautiful. I find it is a confirmation that we all have much more in common than we have different. It is very sad that, as a society, we still divide up as whites and blacks. It really makes no sense at all. This is one of the matters I deal with in my new release, Angela 1: Starting Over. To learn more about the book, just click on my name and follow the link to my website. Thanks.