Are publishers undermining female authors with 'girly' book covers?

[ShadeMumsnet]

Author Maureen Johnson has called for an end to gendered book covers. She argues that "girly" book jackets homogenise the appearance of books by women, undermine the diversity of subject matter and put men off reading female authors.

Johnson took to Twitter to issue a 'Coverflip' challenge asking followers to take a well-known book, imagine its author as the opposite sex, then redesign the cover according to the current marketing norms of mainstream publishers. See the responses here.

Do you agree there is a problem with the marketing of books written by female authors? Have you seen a book jacket that completely misrepresented the content of the book? If there is a problem, how do we solve it?

also - do NOT underestimate the power of the buyers. If Tesco's don't like a cover they will pretty much oblige the publisher to change it, or pull their enormous order.

When I asked my DD's english teacher for reading materials in 3rd year, she said anything that doesn't have a pastel coloured cover. They are pish. I cannot finish one unless it is written by Maeve Binchy.

I think Marian Keyes is probably done a disservice by the chcklit marketing. Certainly to me her books are a little darker and funnier than say, that "one day" book or some of nick Hornby's stuff and yet because those are male authors her books seem automatically to be considered of less worth.

Agree it's crap - and books by male authors who write what is essentially chic-lit seem to be exempt from the pink girly fluffy covers. eg One Day by David Nicholls.

Earlier I asked

Are there any male authors who write chick lit? Perhaps there are some masquerading behind girly noms-de-plume

Anyone know of an example?

i think girly covers sell books. men and women do tend to like different authors, and publishers naturally want covers that are going to appeal to the sex that are most likely to buy them. to suppose that men and women have identifical literary tastes is to deny reality.

I've never read any Marian Keyes, so reading the above, thought I'd take a look. Her own website ... okay. Amazon page. Ulp. Lovely, but very girlie, photo of her. And SO much pink. Not my thing. Selected This Charming Man to take a look at, on the basis that a book named after a Smiths song just can't be that pink and fluffy, can it? Blurb - yada yada, 'dark secrets'. Yeah, right. But the reviews ... more interesting. This isn't a book I'd go out of my way for, but rather than running in the opposite direction (as implied by her website, the Amazon page, the cover, the blurb) ... I might well pick up in the library, or read if lent it by someone.

So, are you reading it, DontCallMe?
I found it quite a difficult one re subject matter - not something that lends itself to her usual gallow's humour and laughing in the face of adversity.

I don't want to spoil it for you. 'Tis good.

I actually really object to people saying the girly covers help them avoid the crap. It's incredibly dismissive and also ignores that there is PLENTY of drivel written which have vairy haigh brow covers.

The point is, you don't judge a book by its cover! Duh.

What kind of cover would Emily Bronte get these days I wonder?

Pacific - I may well do, eventually. Right now I have a stash of library books and the aftermath of spending a £50 Kindle voucher in the Xmas sale to work through AND DH is making me clear out books, which just leads to me rereading stuff ...

I believe Mary Jane Staples is a man. (Writes Catherine Cookson style with similar covers).