Lookalikes
My short-term memory can be a little iffy. I long ago learned to rely on the sticky note for assistance. When I write something down I generally remember it. So, you’d think after all this time I would be in the habit of writing down the titles of books I want to buy. Nope. Historically, I go by memory which means I spend time in every bookstore having this thought: “gee, what was the name of that book I wanted to try…?”
Publishers add to this trauma when they play the let’s-all-use-the-same-covers game. Sometimes the same exact photos are used. Sure, I know how the business end works with buying the right to use the photo versus owning the rights to the photo. But, honestly, the covers don’t have to be the same to confuse me. Sometimes the style combined with the subject matter invites the oh-I-think-I-already-bought-that problem…when I didn’t. This hit me when I checked out Sybil’s site and saw Delilah Devlin’s cover for her upcoming release (April ‘07), Into The Darkness, a contemporary vampire novel from Avon Red. For some reason, seeing it reminded me of J.R. Ward’s Lover Eternal, a contemporary vampire novel from Signet.
Before anyone sends me a snide email… I know they’re not the same photos. I know authors other than, maybe, the biggies don’t choose their own covers. And, I like both covers. Only saying they remind me of each other. Here they are. You decide:
February 1st, 2007 at 11:23 am
But even worse than similar covers are the titles which can be exactly the same. I don’t think it should be allowed. Or reissuing the same book with a different cover. After buying the same book twice more than once it’s gotten to where books I probably would have bought aren’t because I’m not sure. A lot of the time I stop on the spur of the moment and don’t have my list either.
February 1st, 2007 at 1:29 pm
That has happened to me before but the two books had the exact same covers, seriously. I must track down the books and post them on my blog.