A new epidemic is sweeping libraries and book stores nationwide: disrespectful book covers. These book covers feature women that refuse to look at you, the reader, and instead force you to stare at the back of their heads. I believe this trend started about six months ago with Stacy Schiff’s Cleopatra biography, CLEOPATRA: A LIFE.
For CLEOPATRA: A LIFE, deciding not to show the subject’s face was a clever choice. No one really knows what Cleopatra looked like, so just showing the back of her head made logical sense. Nonetheless, it appears it was this creative move that opened the floodgates. Now every week, it seems a new book hits the shelves with a cover focused on the back of a woman’s head.
Publishers, I’m ignored by enough women in real life, I don’t need my self esteem dashed further by fictional women ignoring me as well. CLEOPATRA: A LIFE only hit shelves last November, but this practice is now cliche. I understand it may be a difficult transition to return to the days where the reader could actually see the main character’s face on the cover, but it’s time to move on. It’s time these women turn around.
Blog-A-Day Challenge: Day 19
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