I write stories about dangerous times, difficult friendships, and lives transformed by forgiveness and love. Reviews and ratings tell me both men and women enjoy these historical novels because there’s much more to the plot than the romance woven through it. But for a cover to appeal to men, it must say “historical,” not “romance,” at first glance.
I’ve investigated what might encourage a man to pick up a book to read the blurb or click to the sales page for the description. Using my own covers, I’ve found four key features. When my designer, Roseanna White, captured the tension, the covers of Forgiven and Blind Ambition naturally appealed to men. Then a comment by a male friend on the first version of the third led me to investigate what could make a man see “historical” rather than “romance” at first glance. And as we all know, that first glance is all we can count on.
Four features that invite men to check out these books:
1) A man is prominent on the cover and not in close contact with the woman.
This suggests the story won’t be entirely from the female POV. I write novels with multiple POV characters. The prominent man promises many important scenes from the POV a man naturally understands. Direct contact announces “romance,” but separation implies more to the relationship than that.
2) The woman isn’t dressed in revealing clothing or anything too feminine.
If the clothing is very feminine, she should have a body type better descripted as athletic than full-figured. This downplays the “romance” feeling of the cover. The original version (left) of The Legacy cover and the final version (right) show how subtle the difference can be between a cover that says “romance” and one that says “historical.”
3) Direct eye contact between the man and woman shouldn’t be obvious.
On romance covers, the man and woman often gaze into each other’s eyes. As a male friend who also writes Christian fiction told me, men do enjoy romance in a novel, but they don’t want the book they’re reading to look like it’s a romance. They make a distinction between a romantic historical, which appeals to men, and a historical romance, which does not.
4) Some element of the design has to suggest action.
The covers of Forgiven and Blind Ambition both feature men in uniform. The first version of Second Chances said “romance” to my male consultants until the man was given a hand ax. As soon as he held that tool, the impression switched from romance to historical.
For The Legacy and Faithful, the background scenery suggests action. The ship promises a journey, and the amphitheater hints at men in combat. The dagger hanging on the man’s belt adds to the impression of conflict as well.
There’s so much more to this, and I’ve posted a longer discussion of a survey I did at my website, carol-ashby.com. I’d love to fold in your comments there as well.
When you look at the covers, what do you see first? Does that element suggest romance or historical to you? Why?
Especially for you men: do you think the four factors have broad application outside the historical genre? Can you share anything that’s a turn-off that might keep you from checking out the book description?
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Carol Ashby has been a professional writer for most of her life, but
her articles and books were about lasers and compound semiconductors (the
electronics that make cell phones, laser pointers, and LED displays work). She
still writes about light, but her Light in the Empire series tells stories of
difficult friendships and life-changing decisions in dangerous times, where
forgiveness and love open hearts to discover their own faith in Christ. Her
fascination with the Roman Empire was born during her first middle-school Latin
class. A research career in New Mexico inspires her to get every historical
detail right so she can spin stories that make her readers feel like they’re
living under the Caesars themselves.
To connect with Carol and learn more
about her books, please visit:
Author website: (https://carol-ashby.com)
History website: Life in the Roman
Empire: Historical Fact and Fiction (https://carolashby.com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.ashby.50
About Second Chances:
Must the shadows of the past destroy the hope of the future?
In
AD 122, Cornelia Scipia, proud daughter of one of Rome's noblest families,
learns her adulterous husband plans to betroth their daughter to the vicious
son of his best friend. Over her dead body! Cornelia divorces him, reclaims her
enormous dowry, and kidnaps her own daughter. She plans to start over with
Drusilla a thousand miles away. No more husbands for her. But she didn’t count
on meeting Hector, the widowed Greek captain of the ship carrying her to her
new life.
Devastated
by the loss of his wife and daughter, Hector’s heart begins to heal as he
befriends Drusilla. Cornelia’s sacrificial love for Drusilla and her courage
and humor in the face of the unknown earn his admiration…as a friend. Is he
ready for more?
Marriage to the kind, honest sea captain would give
Drusilla the father she deserves…and Cornelia the faithful husband she’s always
longed for. But while her ex-husband hunts them to drag Drusilla back to Rome,
secrets in Hector’s past and the chasms between their social classes and
different faiths erect complicated barriers to any future together. Will God
give two lonely hearts a second chance at happiness?