I'd like to talk about book covers, and whether anyone else here is as influenced by covers as I am. I don't think I'd ever be stupid enough to dismiss a book whose synopsis took my fancy, just because I didn't like the cover, but I'm much more likely to devote more time to reading the synopsis and first few lines of the opening chapter if I'm attracted to the cover. Gollancz have published a massive catalogue of classic sci-fi under the Masterworks banner, but I hate the covers and find myself looking for the same book released by a different publisher whenever browsing online. I also dislike movie tie-in covers, with the film's star on the cover and that horrible 'Now a major motion picture' line across the top. I can't quite say what kind of a cover I'm drawn to, except to say I like anything that has a distressed or worn look. Some designers have taken this to the extreme and produced covers which make the book look 30 years old, complete with (artificial) creases, tears and stains, but they're for a very limited selection of titles.
Almost as a rule, I don't like book covers with photo-realistic people. That's honestly the biggest decider in what I pick up. The rest is more or less free game, though the more unimposing the cover is, the more I'll probably like it.
I own multiple copies of some books just because I love the covers they have. Pulp Classics has taken more than a couple of my dollars with their wonderfully campy art. Spoiler: For Size
@The Dapper Hooligan - I was looking for those as an example of a cover design I love, but my search results were infuriatingly inadequate. Would've helped if I'd known the name, mind.
Oh yes, I'm more likely to buy a book because the cover caught my eye than for any amount of synopsis, and in some cases have spent a lot of time and effort (and sometimes a bit if cash!) tracking down one edition - Tom Adams' covers for Christie and Chandler, the wonderful Penguin Wodehouses with art by David Hitch (and have nearly the full set!), anything by 80s SF artist Chris Foss....
