I vaguely remember the first time I heard it. It was way back when, you know, before my family moved to Texas so I was not even five years old yet. On my dinner plate was this strange looking circular food and I was not having it. Who names something an olive? Like wasn't that some form of oil and isn't oil for cars? Remember, I was little (and I was gullible and it wouldn't surprise me if my brothers told me olive oil was indeed for cars). One of the adults in the household then stated "don't judge a book by its cover, Shelby." And I'm pretty sure my response was "that's not a book and it doesn't have a cover." Still I ended up giving green and black olives a try.
Now here we are twenty or so years later and I absolutely adore olives. Granted, I basically will try anything these days when it comes to food, and am no longer quite as picky.
Where did this phrase come from? When did it pop up?
Although I'm not entirely sure where the phrase first came from, according to the handy device known as Google, I've learned it was used officially in 1944 (as the phrase "you can't judge a book by its binding"). Because of that, I'd be willing to bet it was originally used starting in the mid-1800s at the earliest.
Now, if you haven't heard the phrase and are unsure what it means, basically it means don't judge somebody or something based on appearance alone.
For example, say you are out and about with some friends not too long after turning 21 and go into a bar that has this super buff, super tall, super tatted, biker guy who could probably break someone's neck simply by glaring at the other person. My first instinct would be to be thoroughly intimidated. But the only empty space within access to the bartender is on either side of this terrifying man. And its your turn to buy drinks.
So you stand up taller, try to work up the courage to go up next to him, and wobble unsteadily over to the bar. There, you order a round of shots. As the bartender starts making them, the man sniffs in your direction.
"You smell nice," he says.
"Thanks," you respond and try to slide a little bit further away from him. If he can smell you, then you either are too close or have too much perfume on. The man sniffs again.
"Kinda like vanilla," he nods his head to himself, "yeah, vanilla and mexican food."
"Um... okay," you say trying to see where the bartender went to and how much longer her making the drink will take.
"Do you like cats?" Biker man says.
"Cats? As in cute little furry creatures that will someday take over the world?" you respond. Biker man's face lights up and he nods. Then he lifts up part of his shirt to reveal a tattoo of a cat on his hip.
"This was my little Mimsy," he said, "she was a darling. She died last month and now my world seems so empty."
That was how I ended up spending 40 minutes having a drunken conversation about the pros and cons of a cat dominated world, and that was the first person I ever talked into adopting a new cat. (Note: the first, but not the last). Ethan and Caesar were doing quite well last time I talked to him before graduation.
When it comes to people, I highly encourage you to not judge a person.
But when it comes to actual, legitimate books, then of course judge them. Book covers are so important in the marketing of a book, and some people tend to forget that other people will pick up books and set them down based solely on what the cover looks like.
Different people appreciate different kinds of covers. Research needs to be done in order to perfect the gift of proper covering.
Personally, I like simple but intriguing covers. Easiest example would be the covers of Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series. 
It is such a simple design. An upside down crown dripping blood. Yet it made me pick it up repeatedly. If I had only read the summary and not seen the book, I likely would have never read it.
It is such a simple design. An upside down crown dripping blood. Yet it made me pick it up repeatedly. If I had only read the summary and not seen the book, I likely would have never read it.
Some readers (generally ones in the romance genre) appreciate people on the covers.
So here are a few tips for covers, granted most of these tips fall under the writing in general:
- Know your genre. If you are writing a scifi novel that involves reptilian astronauts trying to communicate with humans on the moon for help fixing their ant-shaped space craft that can speak fluent french, I'd recommend not having the cover be a lush green field with a couple cuddling in the center with a large Scottish castle in the background. It might send mixed signals.
- Know your audience. Some audiences need bright and sparkly covers where the more glitter, the better. Others need large block, easily readable letters.
- Proofread. If your cover has a typo on it then that is difficult and expensive to fix. So before you send it to the printer, be sure it has been carefully edited and proofread. You you use the correct version of they're (or should it be there or their?) and are commas used properly?
- Play around with it. Your first attempt isn't required to be your last attempt.
- If you can't get it to work, ask for help. There is nothing wrong with asking for help.
What kind of book covers do you prefer? Comment below!
Until next time,
Shelby Hild
