This post may contain affiliate links. Please check out my privacy policy and disclosure policy.
So this recently was brought to my attention by the wonderful @thebibliotheque. She wrote a full length blog post which she goes ham about it all and I highly suggest reading it.
BUT, I just had to write something about all of this because it got my feathers all ruffled.
Recently The Guardian did an article about social media and the influence that it could be having on book covers – and in my opinion, while a lot of the article was just meh, it was shedding some bad light on the bookstagram community!
The general consensus coming from this post was “bookstagrammers buy books just for the cover.” Period.
While the article itself was whatever with what it stated, it was the comments that had me grumbling.
Just because we take photos of our books doesn’t mean we don’t read the contents. With all the books out there, a cover has to catch your attention. The classics have more simple covers because they’re classics – they have enough hype already. But with all the books written, you need something to draw your readers in.
There were other comments in there about blaming certain generations and such for this happening (which is a cop out in my opinion) and saying things like ‘I bet they just use the book for a photo and don’t read it’.
Okay stranger. Yes, I go to my local bookstore, find a beautifully designed hardcover book that is about $30 and spend my cold hard earned cash to buy this book, just to bring it home and take a photo of it and never read it – and not get paid for posting that photo. Yes, I totally did that.
No you ignoramus!
About 90% of these books get read, or are read, before the photos are posts. Many photos come following a review.
Also, the idea that it’s all about the cover is so wrong. So many photos that are so popular I see are just of the pages. Also so many popular books have plain and simple covers – nothing flashy.
Now, this is an opinion piece, but reading the comments you can tell who the readers are and who is not – also who are the trolls and such. But I just wanted to bring this to the front of all your readers so you know what your friends may think. I’ve had to correct them on what bookstagramming is. It’s an art and a way for you to make a community. Almost 90% of the people who follow me are bookstagram accounts, so we just share recommendations through pictures. Very few people there actually are there to learn about all these new books and be part of the community in some side-lined way.
In my personal opinion, this Guardian article was quite silly and a sensational piece – a piece just for the sake of writing. Through this article a bookstagram account may potentially be targeted (I pray they don’t) and they clearly took words from the interview that suited the angle that they wanted their article to take – like always.
I’ve never once thought that covers were made for taking photos of – it’s to gain attention in a store when on a shelve. It’s just sad that so many individuals would bash a community that just is sharing a love of reading through a modern way. So many people don’t read unless it’s on an e-reader so they should be happy that books are still prevalent.
What are your two cents on this?
I read books that have awful covers but awesome stories. I never judge based on what I see. This is so dumb to me. I don’t Bookstsgram because I don’t know how. However, if this is how it is, nope, if rather not.
When I first joined bookstagram I thought it was all about the cover, because it seems like that to the outsiders. But so many get the book for a cover of a book they really want to read. I haven’t met any instagrammers to this date that just buy for the sake of buying for a photo. I’m sure there are some out there – but it seems everyone buys to read. Of course you want a nice cover for your bookshelf anyway, but it’s definitely not always about the cover, at all.
Ok. Well, then that article is just a puff piece. I’m sure there are people like that, but most of those I’ve met online read everything they buy. Although some bloggers recommend books they never have read and that upsets me.
That really does bother me – I never recommend it unless I read and I think that should be a rule of thumb.
I agree, how funny it is when people take a wild leap and jump to all the wrong conclusions! I usually take photos of the books either myself or my son are reading at the time and post them on Instagram when I get round to it. I wonder how many people have only bought books to photograph them and post on social media. Not many I’m guessing!
I so agree. It was quite sad for me for the outsiders to assume things. 🙁
I can’t lie I’m a total cover whore. It’s what draws me in. I don’t read blurbs usually becasue I like going in blind. But having said that I have read some that suprised me …with horrible covers but great contents
Oh I agree. A cover draws me in first just because of all the options – but if I get a recommendation and the cover isn’t amazing it won’t stop me from reading it.
This makes me so mad to read!! Of course we take pictures of books! That’s the point of Bookstagram. But that doesn’t mean we don’t read them. Do the people who post traveling pictures only go there for the picture, and not do anything else? Or when someone posts pictures of their family, is that the only time they see them? Heck to the no. People are simply ignorant and have nothing better to say.
That’s a good point, relating it to other people on instagram. It’s quite sad how ignorant people are.
Whilst I do love an awesome book cover and have been known to buy a book based just on the book cover grabbing my attention, it’s the contents that matters. I’ve read some awesome books with terrible covers, and some not so great books with beautiful covers in the past. I think it’s very sad that someone would buy a book just to take a photo of it to share on social media.
I completely agree. I find one that gets my attention by the cover bu then the summary makes me decide. But buying a book to take a photograph is a waste of money and a very good story (or a potentially good story).
Haters gonna hate
Agreed.
Ok, being a graphic designer made me ignore books that have horrible covers and I do judge a book by its cover. I shouldn’t, but that’s how I am. I look at the cover, open and I judge the font, the paper and how much effort that author and publisher put on it. Sometimes the prettiness (is this a word?) hide a very bad history but at least you can keep the object.
I choose to read books based on the cover but like you said, I read!! I totally read!
I admit I am initially drawn to covers 😬
I only take photos of the books I have to read. I have never bought a book because it looked good to photograph. People have to find something to moan about.
I read the blurb/summary/comments on the back cover of the book first, even before looking at the front cover, almost always.. and bookstagramming does not need covers .. it just needs books…
I am a novice bookstagrammer and learning the tricks of the trade still but will never feature anything that I myself will not/have not read… And looking at all the other talented bookstagrammers, I have found many posts where the cover is not even featured.. so many open books 🙂
Authors spend hours contemplating their covers. Why not show off the work. It is art in its own right!
I tend to judge the book by its cover. But obviously if the content is not appealing, I won’t recommend it to anyone just because of the cover.
Personally, there have been times one of the bookstagram accounts I follow posts about a book I’ve either been curious about but haven’t gotten around to yet, or a book I haven’t heard much (if anything) about, and the posts have gotten me to either buy the book or check it out from my library. I think the Guardian piece is trying to stir the pot in something that person (probably) doesn’t know much about.
I do really agree. It’s to get readers and get a conversation going. They definitely got some readers – even if it wasn’t for a good reason.