The Visual Power of Berkley’s Romance Novel Cover Designs Recognized by Refinery29
Refinery29 recently posted How These Instagrammable Book Covers Are Tricking People Into Reading Romance by Elena Nicolaou, an article that explores the visual power of cover design on such romance novels as Jasmine Guillory’s THE WEDDING DATE, Helen Hoang’s THE KISS QUOTIENT and Alexa Martin’s INTERCEPTED. Nicolaou notes that these books (as well as several other titles mentioned) “have three crucial elements in common. First, they’re novelized takes on cinematic rom-com, in which the lovers’ banter is just as memorable as their sex scenes. Second, they’re sold as trade paperbacks, which are physically wider and more expensive than mass market romance novels. Finally, they’re published by Berkley.”
“THE KISS QUOTIENT started me on a romance kick,” said Morgan Hoit, a 24-year-old assistant to a Broadway producer and an avid bookstagrammer. Since finishing Hoang’s book, Hoit has read three more romances (with conventional covers), and sent THE KISS QUOTIENT to two friends. Emily Feldmesser, a 24-year-old living in D.C, agrees. After reading THE KISS QUOTIENT, Feldmesser told Refinery29 she was excited to explore the genre more. “It’s a nice way to escape from the world, and it’s quite different from my usual reading choices,” Feldmesser said.
“I think the packaging is helping people who normally wouldn’t pick up a romance novel pick one up,” said Entertainment Weekly writer Maureen Lenker. “People want to be seen a certain way. We’re careful of how we are perceived. What we read is part of that.”
Erin Galloway, deputy director of publicity at Berkley, told Refinery29: “We knew THE WEDDING DATE was a contemporary romance that traditional romance readers would enjoy, but it also had qualities that we knew a reader who wouldn’t classify themselves or identify themselves as a romance reader enjoy, too. What do you do with that? You have to give it a cover that’s going to appeal to your core audience but will also say to women that wouldn’t pick up a clinch cover, this is for you, too.”
To read the complete Refinery29 article, click here.