Publisher VS Author, a battle of book covers

Did you know that authors could not choose their own book covers? I did not know this; when I found out, I was shocked, and angry on the authors’ part. I think that publishers are doing a great injustice to authors. Yes, I know that authors sell their books to publishers and it, in part, becomes property of that publishing house. That being said I do not think publishers truly understand just how much a cover makes a book. I am sure you can think of a time where you saw a book and thought, 'what was that author thinking choosing that cover?’ The answer was that they were not because they CANT choose.

   Covers are everything to a book. They catch your eye and draw you in. I have gotten books where the covers do not even match the story of the book. For example, there will be flowers or people on the front cover and nowhere in the book does it talk about the significance of that flower or even describe the people! A book cover should reflect the story, not the other way around.

   It also irks me when publishers decide to redesign book covers in the middle of a series. What are they thinking changing the covers right in the middle of the series when people have already gotten the first two or three books?! What purpose does it serve to change the covers?! If they didn't like the original covers then why did they use them?! It totally blows my mind honestly. These authors have written a story that they love, it is practically their baby, and these publishers take it away, put a face on it, and the authors just have to let it happen because they have no say. That is wrong to me. Yes, I know that the publishers are also being represented by that book, but why don't they give the author a choice between covers that they (the publishers) pick? That book was created by that author, which means that author should have a say in how it is displayed to the public, am I right? If a cover sucks then people aren't likely to buy it.

   I know people always say, "don't judge a book by its cover", but these people obviously haven't seen some of the book covers these publishers pick. When/if I finish my book, I WILL have a say in what the cover looks like I do not care what I would have to do. I do not know how authors feel about not having a say in the covers, but as a reader it makes me angry. What do you think about it? Should authors decided what the cover of their book it, or do publishers have the right idea? Leave your answer in the comments or talk to me on Twitter!

XOXO

Ivey