Do E-Book Readers Still Judge a Book by Its Cover?

I bought my first e-reader, a Nook, earlier this year. I didn’t enter into an e-reader relationship lightly. I was one of the early e-reader naysayers. “I like the physicality of holding a book,” I argued. “I don’t want to look at a computer screen at night when I’m reading after looking at one all day for work,” I offered up as an explanation of why I wouldn’t adopt the new IT technology. (And that’s “it,” not I.T.)

And then I caved. I was running out of room on the limited bookshelves in my townhouse and didn’t have any easy way to add to the space. I liked the idea of being able to take multiple books on vacation without having to lug all those physical books, especially with carry-on bag space being at such a premium. And facing a cross country flight to California with an almost two-year-old, I heard stories of how wonderful these e-readers could be for keeping my daughter busy. So I did it. I caved. And the truth is, I haven’t looked back.

What does all this have to do with my headline up there about covers? I read an NPR piece today in which publishing industry veteran Chip Kidd talks about how, in the online marketplace, a beautifully designed cover can only get you so far. He’s quoted as saying: “People don’t buy a book on the Web because of the cover. They’ll buy a book on the Web because they’ve read a review or it’s word of mouth or some combination of the two.”

Let me be the first to say: I disagree. I may not have Chip’s industry experience, but I do have my own. One of my recent purchasing processes went like this: I tweeted and FB’ed asking for next read recommendations. Received a few. Went online to check them out. But I couldn’t decide if any of them excited me, so I started browsing books in different categories. Two things made me click to get more information about a book, especially one where I’d never heard of the author: the book’s title and its cover.

So, Chip, let me be one to say that I don’t think your job is in jeopardy. Even in the online world, aesthetics matter. And even in the online world, people still browse like they would in a bookstore. Oh, and one more thing: Don’t judge this post by its aesthetics. I didn’t have time to find a pretty picture to accompany it so you’d want to read it! 🙂

Do you agree? Disagree? Weigh in below…