RSS Feed Print
What kind of thriller cover art really grabs you?
Marc Poliquin
Posted: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 9:22 PM
Joined: 1/9/2012
Posts: 67


Personally, I'm a sucker for the silhouette of a man running down a street.  There might be a briefcase clutched in his hand, there might not.  It doesn't matter.  I'll at least pick up the book and read the jacket.



Alexander Hollins
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 10:32 AM
Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 412


Agreed, I'm partial to silhouettes for my thrillers. also, masks. I've seen a few covers with pictures of a mask on it, and those often get my attention.

Alexander Hollins
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 10:33 AM
Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 412


see, and now I'm imagining a cover with a silhouette of a man in a business suit, holding a gun and a katana, with a Japanese Oni mask on (not a silhouette, the colorful mask ON the shadow)....

And a story is starting to form. Dangit, I have enough wips...


Marc Poliquin
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 10:37 AM
Joined: 1/9/2012
Posts: 67


Can we ever really have enough?

Colleen Lindsay
Posted: Monday, February 27, 2012 1:08 PM
Joined: 2/27/2011
Posts: 353


I see a lot of thrillers now going for the type-only treatment, with a foil cover, and giant sans serif BOLD AS HELL typeface. Those kind of covers confuse me because they give me zero sense of the book.

Marc Poliquin
Posted: Monday, February 27, 2012 3:55 PM
Joined: 1/9/2012
Posts: 67


Agreed, Colleen.  And I have to say I have a tendency to pass over books that have a big flag on the cover. 

Marc Poliquin
Posted: Monday, February 27, 2012 10:28 PM
Joined: 1/9/2012
Posts: 67


The Josh Kirby cover art for the Discworld books, on the other hand, make me want to lose myself in that world.

Johnny Ray
Posted: Sunday, March 18, 2012 8:18 PM
Joined: 3/12/2012
Posts: 8


First off, it has to have action, next it has to have graphics to set the mood. and finally, there has to be red on the cover.