 No, it isn’t a cheesy pick-up line. I’m talking about romance novel cover models. I’m starting to see the same faces on the romance novels I’m reading over and over again. Now, I’m not unsympathetic to the plight of indie romance authors. I realize that there are only so many stock photos and cover models in the world, and that sharing models is often necessary. A truly “exclusive” image of a hot dude that hasn’t been on a million other covers is tough to come by. But...is it getting out of hand? For example, there’s THIS guy…
And there’s also THIS guy…
And those are just a few of the familiar faces I’m seeing. (Also please note that I only included a smattering of the covers I’ve seen these gentleman gracing. There are more.) Now, don’t get me wrong. I really like these guys. (Especially that second guy. Yum.) And I can’t say that seeing them pop up on romance novels covers is a bad thing. But what I really want to know is, for those of you out there who, like me, read 4 or more romance novels a week, does it bother you to see the same cover models popping up again and again?
7 Comments
Sharon
8/20/2018 11:16:49 am
I have no problem with the same model on multiple covers. In fact, Josh Mario John being on a cover will cause me to buy the book. ☺
Jennifer, Romance Rehab
8/20/2018 11:40:20 am
Totally understand, Sharon. (And now I'm off to Google Josh Mario John...)
hng23
8/20/2018 07:40:44 pm
I don't really mind seeing the same guy on different covers. He's hot, he's popular, what's not to like? What really really bugs me is seeing the *same photo* on different books.
Jennifer, Romance Rehab
8/20/2018 07:44:10 pm
That makes perfect sense. I have seen the exact same photo used multiple times, now that you mention it. 8/25/2018 10:31:17 pm
I can't say I'm "suffering" from this but I had noticed that a lot of covers feature the same models. I suppose, a man's gotta eat. I can't imagine one cover would pay for them to retire LOL. I had also noticed stock images. You read a book and a few months later, see the same cover with a different title. It's why I'm set on getting custom artwork created for my books. Great post!
Jennifer, Romance Rehab
8/27/2018 11:15:29 am
Thanks, Megan! I totally don't blame the models. I'd book as many jobs as they'd let me if I looked like those guys. And I get that the stock photo sites only have so much new content. But some variations in cover design can probably make a huge difference! 5/29/2023 07:31:20 pm
This may be a good moment to mention Fabio. Wasn't he on half the old-skool covers from the 80s? (OK, I was far too young to read romance back in the 1980s, but you get my drift). Leave a Reply. |
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