How important is the book cover to you?

Look, I’ll admit it. I judge a book by its cover. Which is why I got nervous last year when I knew I was opening an email that would show me the cover for my debut novel, Dear Henry, Love Edith.

What if I don’t like it? What if it’s not cute? I’m a rom-com writer. I need a cute cover. My publisher knows I need a cute cover, right? They better have given me a cute cover. I don’t know that I can promote a book in good faith if it doesn’t have a cute cover. Not even my own book. Especially not my own book. I have my dignity to maintain after all. Please be cute, please be cute . . .

I opened the email and covered my eyes. I wasn’t ready to look. Except part of me was also dying to look. So I let that part peek through my fingers.

My first thought—It’s yellow! Do I like yellow?

I spread my fingers a little wider. Maybe I like yellow. Yellow’s happy. I definitely like the blue toaster. Why exactly is there a blue toaster? Oh, it’s popping out letters. Love letters. Oh look, there’s hearts. I love the little hearts. This is adorable. This is perfect. This is cute. I love this cover!

Dear Henry, Love Edith released earlier this year, and you know what—I still love this cover. Which is why I didn’t have any anxiety opening up the email showing me the cover for my second book, Love in Tandem.

“Just work the same magic you did for my first book,” I’d essentially told the design team when I filled out the cover design form. This is a form where I briefly describe what the story is about. If there’s any important themes or ideas they might want to incorporate into the cover. If there’s anything I absolutely don’t want to see on a cover. If I have some examples of other covers I like. (I showed them a picture of Dear Henry, Love Edith. I’m sure that was very helpful.)

When I opened the email for Love in Tandem, I didn’t have to hide behind my fingers. I knew I was going to love it. Early in the process they showed me a mock-up of the design, so I was already head over heels for the smokey heart coming up from the campfire. But seeing it in color for the first time made me love it even more.

What about you? Are you a cover snob? Have you ever been fooled by a cover? Tell me all about it. And let me know what you think about this cover while you’re at it.