Last week I talked about book covers that are uncannily the similar. (And so many of you said you laughed out loud, which made me ridiculously happy. Eeep! I like to make people laugh.) Then Asti @ Oh The Books mentioned how confusing book cover editions from different countries could be.
Oh yes.
Why do countries have different book cover editions?
I found a post on Pub(lishing) Crawl that talked about why. They ended up saying basically “one size doesn’t fit all”, which I understand… But why are some covers wildly similar?
Look at The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson:
They changed the font?! Well…why?! According to Pub(lishing) Crawl, covers change to fit the market. I live in Australia and I really don’t see the orange font screaming BUY ME more than the type-writer-style font.
To be honest, I actually didn’t even NOTICE these were different until I was told.
Why bother changing the covers?!
Another close one is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.
They switched the people around and put speech bubbles in the USA one…mm. Is it really worth it? (Apparently in the UK/AUS they like silence on their covers.)
But Cinder by Marissa Meyer is hugely different depending on country!
I secretly adore the Polish cover, but the others?! In Portugal it kind of looks like Dorothy falling out of Oz (no offence intended to the Portuguese of course).
The real question we need to ask is: which country makes better covers? Yes! This is an important topic for bookworms to consider. People say “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” and all that blather, but do you? Honestly? DO YOU? Because I do. But that’s totally a secret and shhhh don’t let anyone know I’m such a shallow bookworm.
So let’s have a good ol’ fashion competition and see which country scores highest!
Title: I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have To Kill You by Ally Carter
Winner: AUS! It’s so much more than a series about a boarding school (which is what I think the USA cover makes it look like).
Title: Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi
Winner: USA! THERE IS NO COMPETITION HERE. The Australian cover is so incredibly…can I be blunt and just say “lame”? Please? I don’t like to be mean, but it honestly looks like she’s asking to wash her hands.
Title: The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher
Winner: Can we play spot the difference? Seriously, it’s basically a font and light colour change. I think I’m going to vote USA cover because of the tagline. “Dangerous games are played in the dark” sounds way more freaky then “night” like in the AUS cover.
Title: The Bear by Claire Cameron
Winner: USA. I’m always for minimalistic covers, and also: on the AUS cover, there’s a doll. There is no doll in the book!! She has a toy teddy bear! That’s a weird mistake and nope, not going to let them get away with it.
Title: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender
Winner: AUS! Usually I’m for blood and guts on covers, but the story felt more like a Paris adventure with murders as a bonus. Having blood on the cover feels too gory for the chic-flick style book it was.
Title: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Winner: USA! Again, I’m always with less is more, and the AUS cover is cramming a lot of things in there (rose, planes, bombing, face, etc.).
Title: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Winner: USA! It seems more personalised instead of the generic-dude-with-a-sword that the AUS cover has. I like the fact that the crown is broken too, oooh, intrigue! Mystery! Call a blacksmith! Or whoever it is that fixes crowns…
Title: All The Truth That’s in Me by Julie Berry
Winner: I can’t decide! It looks like they’ve used the same model, actually, so why have such a different style cover? I think the AUS cover looks more historical-fiction…but I love the whiteness of the USA cover. You guys will have to help me vote on this one.
Title: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Winner: AUS! I feel there’ll be dissension on this one! But in all honesty, I didn’t “get” the fiery symbol. I just don’t. And I love the muted colours of the AUS/UK edition…and the birds symbolising Tris’ tattoos. It’s just a cover I’d love on my shelf. (Ironically enough, I own the USA edition for Divergent and the AUS edition for Allegiant. There is division on my bookshelf, I tell you.)
Cait has a serious cover-love addiction. She’s fascinated by covers. She looooves covers. She often stares at her bookshelf, just admiring the shiny array of beautiful book covers. Speaking of
droolingstaring, some of her favourite covers are Splintered and Unhinged by A.G. Howard. Let me loooove you, sweet covers.
Oh my god right?! I don't see a point. I have no idea why Aussie publishers think that some covers (*cough*IgniteMeLikeWtf?*cough*) would appeal to the Australian audience more. Even weirder when the two covers are basically the same. I guess sometimes, our covers a better! The cover for Half Bad, even though it's like exactly the same, looks so much cooler. One side's black, one side's white. I think the US one is just silver. I like the US Divergent covers better only when they're in hardback! Or else I have to agree that the Aussie ones are more unique. Loved this post so much! My feelings about international book covers wrapped up in a bow. 😀
Half Bad's cover is soooo niiiiiice. I don't even care if I love/hate the insides, I love that baby on my shelf. Yes, I do. But, yeah, I know right?! What is the point!!!??! I GET it sometimes. I mean with Divergent…those covers are very different, but Ignite Me? What. Just what.
Great post Cait! I've always wondered why publishers do this, but have never actually found out why, for some reason or another…probably distraction. Usually, I like the UK covers best…I think that the majority of Australian covers…aren't nice, to say it in the nicest way possible. I agree with Laura above, I really like the Aus cover for Half Bad, but then I also really like the UK/USA cover (only in hardback), as it's shiiiiny! And I love shiny things.I think I prefer the Australian edition of All the Truth That's in Me, there's just something that disconcerts me about the slashing across the mouth on the US edition…even if it may fit the story better.
Unfortunately, YES, I agree that Australian covers are usually the worst ones. Where is the Australian cover design talent, eh?! Though there are always exceptions…but ah thank you for picking for All the Truth. 😉 Now I don't have to. I own the Aussie cover, sooo I guess I'm more prone to like it too. XD
Making the covers sliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiightly different seems really really odd. Like, really? "Oh, no. Australian audiences won't like that font"?? *eyeroll*I usually prefer the UK/Aus covers, particularly where fantasy books are concerned. The US has a tendency to slap a half-naked man on the cover unnecessarily. And the US covers for Terry Pratchett's Discworld books are terrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible. They look like they were put together in about 10 seconds using Clip Art…
THE FONT WILL MAKE OR BREAK THE DEAL. Whaaaat. For my research on "why" this is even a thing, I didn't really come up with anything except marketing ploys. So I'm still confused. It's not like those fonts on TIKoM are really that different anyway…
I mean, I get the covers being *completely* different, because the Australian editions are often from a different publisher to the US ones. But that doesn't explain the ones that are the same but with a different font. GAH.
I'm reading The Impossible Knife of Memory at the moment. I don't like the font. Just saying. The US cover looks so much better!I have no idea why they change the covers. Maybe copyright reasons? But that's only a guess. Also, I'm so glad I'm not the only one who hates the Aus covers of Shatter Me etc. They're just not good!I also am a self-professed cover-lover. At the moment a copy of The Last Girl is staring at me and it's creepy. Splintered is like my favourite cover ever. Sometimes I stare at my TBR pile because it's just so pretty. COVERS.
Wow. Personally? I think the different covers for different countries is so ridiculous. Maybe I can see a point if they were drastically different. but colour, font simple graphics and such? Pointless. Covers should be focussed on age group, not what country the age group is from if such minor changes are going to be made. I
I've always thought that to put their own branding on the cover when a publisher wins international rights, they probably had to make a certain amount of aesthetic changes to the image to avoid artistic copywrite. It probably has nothing to do with that, but look how intelligent I seem now.
I love this post! Honestly, I don't get why different countries have to have different covers… I really don't.
I love this post. I mostly agreed with you on which covers were best, but I did like the USA Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer cover better. It's nice a gruesome 😉 Then there's the Divergent covers that are so completely different, but I like them both. Anyway, like I said, REALLY cool post.Jessica @ Rabid Reads
It IS quite gruesome. And the colours are a bit different too…they're like darker on the blood-splattered cover. Usually that's my pick in a flash, but I still kind of think it's too gruesome for the book. It was kind of a fluffy read. XD
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Aw, good on you then. 🙂
Yeah, it's kind of weird to me that so many countries use different covers, and sometimes the covers they make are worse/don't fit the theme (what the hell is that cover for Cinder, Germany??) And sometimes different editions have different covers, too… I kind of feel sorry now for those people who want to collect every cover there is of a particular book, because I know some that have so many for US alone! :|And I mostly agree with your picks! You have a good eye ;)Faye at The Social Potato Reviews
The German Cinder cover is like one of those things you stare at and it changes…it's actually little SHOES. So I get it. It does fit. But it kind of looks like a black leopard print on face value. (Oops.)
OH, I SEE! I didn't notice that. When I first saw it I didn't really see the shoe, haha.
It seems like so much extra work to make multiple covers! I have to admit I enjoy most of the US covers the best, but still!Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
Aw, you're just biased because you're American. 😉 (loool, I'm kidding. XD)
I like your picks. 🙂 The funny thing is, sometimes they'll use a cover here in the US and then that same cover (or one very similar) will be used for a DIFFERENT book in another country. I don't see the point in changing covers for different countries, except that it makes me covet international editions when they're better than ours in the US. 😛
THAT I do not understand. I mean, it can't be good for marketing, can it?? I desperately covet the US covers for the Shatter Me series. If I had money to burn (which I will when I'm rich 'n' famous someday) I'm going to buy the complete hardcover set just for looks sake.
Oh that Polish cover for Cinder – So they used this art doll artist (who I adore but can't afford to buy one of her dolls because they are thousands of dollars) – my sister makes art dolls and she was so ecstatic when she realized another country used photos of her dolls as the covers. So those dolls on all the covers REALLY DO EXIST! They aren't just digital images. Isn't that freaking amazing!!!?
OMG WHAT WHAT WHAT! That is probably the coolest thing I've ever heard…I think I recall seeing a pic of that zoomed out and it was doll-ish looking, but I never really noticed it before. That is beyond amazing…*mind is blown*
Cover changes bother me more when it is only a slight difference, like Fangirl because I just don't see the point. There's not much difference in the covers and I don't see why they needed to change it. Bigger changes still don't make sense but at least they actually changed something. Sometimes you get some really hideous cover changes and you can't understand how anyone would want that on their shelf – *cough* Crash Into You UK cover *cough*
And they don't ALWAYS change it, so I'm not sure if it's a copyright thing or not… Okay, I just looked up the Crash into You UK cover and….no. I think I would buy the US cover even if it cost more just on PRINCIPLE.
Hmm. Oddly enough, I mostly prefer the USA covers. Except for Marie Antoinette and Code Name Verity (I love that CNV cover). I guess that means their marketing ploy is working?Oh, and I really dislike the USA cover for All the Truth That's in Me. Basically, it looks like they took a photo of a girl wearing lots of makeup and a blouse that looked sort of historical fiction-y, edited it with a terrible photo filter, and put a vicious slash across it, hoping it would look intense. Ew. The AUS version is a wee bit better, but not by much.
HA. You're American-ly biased, that's all. 😉 You make the US cover-designers happy then. Eh, All the Truth That's In Me is a tricky one for me, because I feel like neither looks really historical fiction. I didn't even KNOW it was HF when I requested it…I mean, the blurb was vague and the cover didn't look it, so yeah, I was very surprised when it started off in the 16/1700s.
Then my library has, hmm, the Australian cover for Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer. No blood there…
Ooh, you're library is just awesome and loves Australia, then does it? 😉
Apparently so. But Australia is pretty cool (I've never been, but Google Maps…) and you guys have an island called Christmas. And it's probably warm outside for you guys, when it's snowing right this second…
Okay, so the font does make or break a deal. 😉 lol! I'm juuuust teasing. I absolutely did NOT notice the covers were different. The publicist actually pointed it out to me and I felt so embarrassed, because I'd used the US cover and I should have used the AUS cover. I pretty much buried myself. I thought it'd be copyright reasons too…but the posts I read about it didn't really say so. *shrugs* But, oh gosh, I have an intense love for the Splintered covers. I'm dying slowly until I see Ensnared…
Heh, I'm with you. It kind of just seems like…I don't know? The publishers banded together for a meeting and said, "Let's see how much we can confuse Cait". (Because that totally would have happened.) XD
But that makes sense…I even researched it a bit and I still don't get it. I'm always that intelligent.
Thanks, Hannah. 😉 You and me both, then, eh?!
I think I prefer the US covers most often, but some of the AUS are really great as well. I can't decide which Divergent cover I like better! But I agree, the AUS Ignite Me cover is just awful.
THEY ARE BOTH SORT OF GORGEOUS. You and I both for the Ignite Me cover. *winces*
I guess I can understand that they are serving different markets, but if that's the case then it doesn't make sense when the covers are so similar only the font makes the difference.I agree with most of your choice, except Divergent. The flames I think are supposed to symbolize the Dauntless faction. But it's mostly because, for me, the bird theme of the AUS cover gives it a Native American feel (which is why that cover is better suited for an Australian market). . . and the book has nothing to do with Native Americans. Actually it made me think of Native Americans so much, that I didn't even connect the birds to Tris' tattoos until you mentioned it (my brain is feeling stupid right now :P). I understand the AUS cover now. But, sorry, the fire is awesome. 😉
Mmm, yes, that's exactly why I'm confused! I mean, especially for The Impossible Knife, how can it be a copyright issue if all they changed was the font? And exactly what does it accomplish?Heh, I never saw the Divergent cover as sort of Native American, though I guess I can see how you got that (though, um, that doesn't make it appeal to Aussies! We don't know much about native americans after all!). I'll let you keep your fiery cover. xD
But that's why it's better suited for Australia, because you wouldn't think it to have a Native American feel, since Native Americans aren't part of your country's heritage as it is a part of the USA's. If that makes any sense. . .
For me, Aussie covers are usually the best and I detest when an Aussie book gets pub'd in the USA and they change the cover AND the title!! Grr!!
Yes I hate this, but then again if you're lucky enough to get your hands on the prettier cover that's good. What if they only made the one cover for everywhere and it was terrible?I mean if the Shatter Me books all had the aus cover worldwide I would never have found the books, it's only because of the pretty usa covers that I want it (yeah I haven't read them yet).But then again I really dislike Jessica Shirvintons usa covers and much prefer her aus covers.And yes talk about title changes next, because like above said, that is annoying. I thought Jessica Shirvington had a book I didn't know about.. silly me, cover and title change!(I also have the usa cover for my copy of Divergent)88dreamers @ Seriesly Reading
WOAH you have got to be the first person I've seen who prefers the Commonwealth cover for Divergent. Sure, the fiery symbol doesn't make sense, but it's SO PRETTEH. I definitely prefer the US ones.I think in general, US books seem to have better covers. I mean, Shatter Me AUS covers are freaking disgusting. I'm sorry, but ewwww. Also Reboot. The US ones are so nice and then there's the weird looking face for the AUS cover and it's like NYOOOO WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! The only time where I've preferred the Aussie covers are Maria V Snyder's books. The Aus ones look SO much better than the US ones.
I don't have a particular favorite country for covers. I mean, sometimes I sulk because I prefer another country's cover over the US version and then other times I want to know what on earth other countries are thinking. I mean, perhaps it is for better marketing, but in my opinion? It's either eye catching or it's not. I don't get the point of the different covers usually, but at least they provide something fun to look at and compare. Which is much less stupid than deciding if the proper way to spell a word is color or colour. Great post!
Oh ma gosh. Great post! This bugs me too, because sometimes other countries do have nicer covers and I'd love to purchase that version, only I often can't understand the language. I think they should go with one cover for all to be fair. That's just me though 🙂
I don't really think there's a point to different covers for different countries. It's just more confusion, but I guess it can be nice if another country has a prettier cover. (USA has better covers 😉 #biased)I had the same cover favorites as you for most of them except for three– If I told you, I'd Have to Kill You, Divergent (hehe), and Code Name Verity. It's weird about Code Name Verity, I usually like simpler covers too…I think it was the title font that made the decision for me. And I liked the Italian Cinder cover. Just because. Coolness. The US All the Truth That's in Me is my favorite because of the vividness/contrast of colors and because the paper is ripped out right over her mouth and I love symbolism (I also only just realized that as I read this post for the second time. I thought it'd make me look smart.)
Oh look, I helped inspire this post! Go me! haha.I definitely don't get the differences. Like, maybe the ones that are incredibly different make some sense because surely they have to have some kind of reasoning for it. Like oh, people on covers sell better than symbols here or something like that. But the ones where they're practically the same with minute differences? To me it's almost like they're changing it just to change it. To say "Hey, we don't like your cover. We're going to change it… even if it's just the font color… because yours suck!" haha. I'm sure that's not how it really is, but that's how it is in my head >.>I will say, overall I do prefer the US covers that you have above. Though they may not always accurately reflect the story, they would be enough to get me to pick up the book in the first place, which I guess is what the whole point of the cover is. I'm generally not a fan of people on covers, and it seems the AUS/UK covers almost all feature people. Interesting!
I've never really understood why they change the covers either. It seems kind of silly. I really like the US cover for All the Truth That's in Me. The way the cover is slashing across her mouth is just so creepy and dramatic. I also prefer the US for Fangirl (I love the bubble of her fanfic characters) and I'd Tell You I Love You (cute skirt over a girl's face any day). I like the AUS cover of The Bear way more. I don't think any one country always gets it right, but I have to say that I usually prefer the US covers. Probably just because they are the ones I'm used to. Great post!
They do it to drive us insane and up the wall. Perhaps a book lover's aslym for the confused covers is in store soon. o_o
Well, Christmas Island doesn't really belong to us (pity, that, I'd like presents all the time) it's kiiind of off in Oceania somewhere. I go to Paris with Google Maps because WHY NOT. It's getting cooler now, we're in Autumn, but mostly it's muggy and hot. It's about 26 celsius for us (which is about 78 fahrenheit for you?? if google serves me correct). Snow. HA. I've never seen snow. XD
OH I GET YOU NOW!! Yes that makes sense. Sorry about that. 😉 My bad. But yes, I can see what you mean, totally.
It's confusing when they change the title!! I borrowed out two Cath Crowely books and bought them home all excited…only to discover they were the SAME book. Just with different titles. Like. What. I assume one was the USA edition, but I'm not 100% sure.
Titles changes are all kinds of confusing. I don't even know WHY you'd do that, not at all. The cover titles, yes, I agree! At least you can order books depending on their covers. 😉 I can get the edition I want from book depository. Eh, I'd sooo love to have the full set of eyeball covers of the Shatter Me series. They're delicious.
That just means I get ALL THE UK EDITIONS TO MYSELF THEN. MWHAHA. *covets covers* I like the colours too. But seriously, what is it with the fiery symbol?? It looks WAY too much like The Hunger Games, for my liking. Ah, yes, I should totally have put Reboot on this list. Have you seen the one for Rebel?? If that's Callum on the cover, he looks 12 years old. -_- Not very happy.
I agree: eye catchy or NOT. But heeey yeah! Discussion topics! THAT'S why the publishers have done it…so bookworms have something to grumble about, right?? lol Oh, but colour is right. Not color. Though I guess you guys are more concise with your letters.
And then you feel like doing book surgery and sticking the english words in the cool foreign cover. YES.
Yes. THIS. I could not have explained my thoughts and frustration better. I feel like a lot of the time the US gets better covers than AUS (with some exceptions) and I'm a huge cover snob, so it frustrates me to no end. >.<
I'm a huge cover snob too. It's just cruel to my delicate taste to taunt me with gorgeous covers and then not GIVE them to me because they're in the wrong country. I get confused, too, because it's not consistent. Splintered has the same cover for all the countries.
To be honest, I didn't even know that the US spelt it color for years. . . Whenever I wanted to say that, I had five or more different ways to spell it. Color, colour. coulor, coler, couler, etc. I MEAN HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHEN ALL THE BOOKS KEPT CONFUSING ME? And if we're more concise with our letters, I don't think we're so concise with the speaking. Then again, I come from the south where we're lazy and say y'all instead of you all and I have even said hideous combinations like whatchyall doin' which apparently means what are you all doing. Or maybe it's just me. Watching British and Aussie movies/TV shows has showcased a much better demonstration of speaking. And I'm not saying that because of the accents, though those are quite nice too.
Those Cinder covers are just… weird. O_oI like the American cover for Fangirl because Levi is leaning on the title. 😀 He leans on everything!Ahaha, I have to disagree about the Divergent covers! The flames are the Dauntless symbol! And I just think it's more colorful – the purple is a bit monochromatic and wouldn't catch my eye as easily.
They are very varied…right? Some of them definitely do not appeal, but if it's due to countries taste..then who knows? Maybe they like Wizard of Oz shoes in Portugal. Buuuut, the Divergent covers look like they're ripping of the Hunger Games fiery mockingjay. I've always felt that way, and THG is my favourite still. But you are right that the purple blends in. It doesn't leap off the shelf and say, "Read me. I included cake."
I have to agree and say some cover changes are so small and pointless i just want to yell "WHY??????" But i do admit that others (ignite me i'm looking at you) are just plain old weird and urghh LAME. (Yes you had every right to use that word. no shame) I serouisly didn't get the point of that one. Although the covers for the divergent series are prettier in the UK than the US version. They seem more cryptic. Lily @ Lilysbookblog
Yes to the weird and lame (still looking at Ignite Me). And you're right…those US covers for Divergent DO look more cryptic. I guess they also reflect the harshness of the series, too? Like the UK ones do make it look a bit too dreamy.
HA YOU ARE JUST BIASED. UK/AUS has some cool covers too…some of them. *sobs* Maybe one or two? I'm SO torn on AtTTiM. Both covers have stuff going for them…Ah, le sigh, it'll just be one where I could happily own both covers and consider myself a book hoarder.
Yes, go you. So inspiring to hang around. 😉 But YES ha, that's exactly what if feels like, the total, "We'll change it because WE CAN." I mostly prefer the USA covers (I'm such a bitter little traitor) too, which is annoying. I mean, I should supposedly be more attracted to the AUS covers…but some of them are so lame.
Really? You like the AUS bear better? Mm, that's really interesting. Gosh, I LOVE getting tons of opinions on stuff like this. It's so cool to see what everyone things. XD
YES. THIS. YES.
This is an interesting post to me. Before book blogging I didn't know that different countries had different covers. Then I started to see bloggers talk about it. The cover changes that are small make no sense to me and probably just cost the company more money for no reason. I don't know which covers are better though. Sometimes US , sometimes AUS. I do think it's fun though to compare all the covers!
This is something I've been wondering too – and it also makes me really jealous when other countries get nicer covers.The Australian one for Ignite Me looks like a really amateur job! I was at an event for Sarah J. Maas back in October, and she said that her US fans pretty much petitioned for a new cover like the UK one, because the one they had didn't fit at all (the one with the photo of the blonde girl, rather than the illustration of Celaena that's on the UK one).
It's not so sinister at all – when you are buying the rights for a foreign country, you need to buy the "text" AND the cover. Sometimes the cover is so expensive that the local publishing house doesn't buy it and goes for a cheaper option, saving money for buying something else. I have heard that the US The Mortal Instruments covers were so expensive that buying one of them would equal to buying another book… well, just look how few foreign editions actually kept them. But honestly, I don't know what's the reason in buying the cover and changing the font… maybe someone just likes it better? Who knows…
I don't think I can really pick who makes the better covers, because it really depends on which book, and which cover. Sometimes Aus/UK (since we have a lot of the same) covers are simply gorgeous, but then other times the US covers are wayyyy prettier. In genera, though, I probably like the original covers (meaning the US ones), but there are definite exceptions! Wait, I am so confused. I really don't know which ones I like better. WHY IS THIS SO HARD.