SHOULD I DITCH MY "FINGER-ON-TRIGGER" BOOK COVER?

I like thrillers; I've written a few. But book covers with guns, finger-on-trigger, really turn me off. Enough.

This was the comment from a fellow author as a reply to a promotional tweet for my novel THE HIT-AND-RUN MAN, which featured an image of the e-book’s front cover.

    As this was the first reaction to my book covers – the current one is its second, both along a similar theme – I was somewhat disappointed that it was a negative one.  So, should I be looking to a further change?

    It’s impossible to underestimate the importance of a book cover in attracting a potential reader’s interest, but I believe it should have more of a function than that.  For me, it should also give that potential reader an indication of the book’s content.  The cover and the book’s blurb, I believe, should leave no doubt as to the general theme of the book.  An Amazon UK reviewer labelled THE HIT-AND-RUN MAN as a “tough, all-action thriller,” so anyone looking for a cosy romantic read (though there is some romance in it) with a cheerful, happy ending or a generous helping of chick-lit is in for considerable disappointment, but should be well aware of that before parting with their hard-earned pennies.

    To see if there was a general agreement with my cover critic among other authors, I paid a visit to the “Paperback Best-Sellers” section of the books shelving at my local Asda store.  First to jump out was James Patterson’s Bullseye, which not only featured the figure of a man with a gun, but two pieces of text – “Target in Sight” and “Finger on the Trigger” – both of which could just as easily fitted  on the cover of THE HIT-AND-RUN MAN.  A little further down the display the front cover of James Patterson’s Hope to Die more prominently featured a man with a gun.  Also, a number of Scott Mariani novels boasted front covers showing similar images.  In number one position was American Sniper showing an American soldier brandishing a fairly formidable-looking piece of hardware.

    Should I be thinking of a change of front cover on the back of a single negative comment?  It’s difficult to think where else I could go to give potential readers a flavour of what’s between the covers.  There is a sexual element to the novel, but the story revolves more around the consequences of surrendering to sexual temptation, rather than the sex itself. I know they say sex sells, but though there is an explicit passage, I would not be comfortable projecting a sexual theme as the main content.  

    My feeling is that, for the moment, the cover stays.  If it’s an image that is good enough for some of our best-selling authors and their publishers, I have to feel I am in good company. Obviously, if I receive more negative feedback or sense the cover is hindering rather than helping sales, I would have to reconsider.  THE HIT-AND-RUN MAN and the “finger-on-trigger” cover will continue as a team.