Following on from Adrian's question, is there anything on a cover that will make you pick it up or walk on by? For me it's pastels. I may like to read romantic fiction but doesn't mean I'm going to let the publisher make fun of me for it! My reading list is cut most frequently by unacceptably pink and frilly covers. (Not literally frilly, but you know what I mean. Cartoon ribbons and bows are as bad as the real thing, if you ask me.)
On the other hand, you also won't catch me picking any of those grey books. You know the ones I mean - 20 shades of 'let's all get on this bandwagon'.
What, on a cover, will make you tut and look the other way?
Oddly, I do not like to see pictures on covers of novels, by which I mean, actual pictures as opposed to illustrations. It strikes me as rather like a successful film adaption which colours your imagination if you read the book again. Of course, some books, autobiographies and such like, will need a picture.
Unfortunately for me my favourite kind of cover can be found less and less often on the charity shelves - that is the 1900-1960s (even 1970s) hard cover that was hidden by the dust jacket. Generations of these covers were very dull in colour with nothing on the front or back and a tiny panel with minute script on the spine - but there were many fascinating books hiding inside these very discreet shells. The trick is to spot them... I suppose that this puts me into the category of people who look initially at the title words and the author's name.
Two things that put me off - "must read" (no I mustn't) and "World Best Seller". Just how many books does the world read anyway? Apart from that I understand that the world's two best sellers are still the Qran and the Bible - so any other book making this claim is false.
Oh - and any combination of the words "Potter" and "Harry" will make me walk on...
David
I am drawn by authors whose work I greatly admire when I browse charity shops. The covers and blurbs are inconsequential, because I know the books will not disappoint.