Discussion: How do we feel about movie tie-in covers? The pros and cons.

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I’ve seen some mixed feelings about movie tie-in covers. Some people love ’em, some people hate ’em, and some people just don’t care.

I’ve decided to list a few pros and cons of movie/TV tie-in covers. Also, I’d love to hear your thoughts too, so don’t forget to comment!!

The Pros:

1. They can look super awesome.

Like sometimes even better than the original cover *collective gasp*. But seriously. Take Nerve for example. The movie tie-in cover is so much better. Have you seen the original cover? I was actually so surprised by it because it looked so bad (I’m not trying to offend anyone here, I’m just sharing my honest opinion). I never would have picked it up if not for the movie tie-in cover (or if I hadn’t seen the movie before hand tbh).

Here is a side by side comparison so you can see what I’m talking about:

https://keystrokeblog.com/2017/01/13/book-review-nerve/

I mean really, which cover would you be more likely to pick up?

2. They can get people to read a book who might not usually want to read a book.

Sometimes when I drag my not-bookish friends into the book store, they see a movie tie-in cover. Then the conversation goes something like this:

Friend: Hey! I didn’t know they were writing a book about that movie?!

Me: Ummm, you know the movie is based off the book, right?

Friend: Uh, yeah, yeah, what you said. But that movie was awesome! Do you think I should read the book version?

Me: mmmm

Me: yessssssssssss

Friend: You’re right! I should totally read more! I think I’m gonna get it.

3. Sometimes you find out there is an adaptation coming because you spot the tie-in cover.22851100

This tends to happen when you pay more attention to new books coming out rather than new movies and shows.

Take The Giver for example. I probably never would have heard about the movie version (when I did) if I didn’t see the movie-tie in cover.

4. They can feature some of your favorite actors and actresses!33940357

For example: I love Nick Robinson. He is on the movie tie-in cover of Everything, Everything. Guess which edition I bought.

You guessed it! The movie tie-in version.

Although I really didn’t like the book… or the movie… so maybe that’s not the best example?

5. Sometimes they have some pictures from the movie in the middle.

I’m not really sure if this counts as a pro or a con… I guess it depends on how terrible the movie is and how much the actors actually look like the characters.

But still, I always have fun flipping through the pictures, regardless of whether I have/will read the book or watch the movie.

nnnn

The Cons:

1. They can look super terrible.

My first pro was that they can look awesome, so naturally my first con is that they can be a complete train wreck.

llll

For example: when they shove ever single actor in the movie onto the cover. Especially in that weird fade/layover style. Seriously?! Who designs these things?! Who thinks that that is appealing?!

Or when the tie-in cover is so far off from the feel of the book.

Great example of both of these things? The Great Gatsby tie-in cover.

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Now don’t get me wrong, I love me some Leo DiCaprio, but can you honestly tell me that this cover looks appealing? It’s certainly a cool movie poster, but it doesn’t quite cut it as a book cover for me.

2. They can feature an actor that looks NOTHING like what the character is supposed to look like.

Sometimes there are just minor differences, like the characters hair length is wrong (see: Everything, Everything’s Ollie) or they aren’t the right height.

But sometimes the differences are much worse than this. Like the (almost) entire cast of The Hunger Games. Or Cara Delevingne’s role as Margo in Paper Towns (disclaimer: I’ve seen the movie but I haven’t read the book. That being said, I still know about this and it annoys me).

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Not: Short or curvy 

 

3. They can remind you of a painfully terrible movie/show that never should have existed in the first place.

LIKE THE SHADOWHUNTERS TV SHOW UGHGHGHGHGHGH

31342081Okay so I didn’t like the books, but I liked the movie (yeah, yeah, yell at me all you want. But that’s how I feel). So I figured that maybe the TV show would be more my speed too.

I WAS SOOOOO WRONG. I made it through mayyyybe one episode (I think I finished the episode?). But it was too painful and now every time I see the tie-in cover it makes my blood boil and stops me from trying to pick up the Mortal Instruments series again.

4. They can cause a book store to not carry THE REGULAR COVER THAT YOU NEED SO YOU DON’T STARE AT ACTORS YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT/LIKE WHILE READING THE BOOK

dfdfdf

I think the title of this one says it all.

5. The book is better than the movie. Why would you want to walk around looking at the movie cover rather than the book one?

The book is better than the movie with very few exceptions. So why would you want to be staring at not-the-actual-book-cover?

Also it annoys me so much when the movie is literally nothing like the book AT ALL and would literally never be associated with the book if not for the name of the movie and then there is still a tie-in cover.

jh

One good example: The Duff by Kody Keplinger.  I loved both the book and the movie (obviously the book was better though) but they were so different that I don’t really think there should be a tie-in cover.

So do we like tie-in covers?

I personally can go either way. Sometimes I love them and sometimes I hate them. There really isn’t an in between.

How do you feel about them? What are your pros and cons? Let me know in the comments!!

Thanks for reading!

45 thoughts on “Discussion: How do we feel about movie tie-in covers? The pros and cons.”

  1. I agree with literally everything you said in this post. I laughed so hard when I was you mentioned Shadowhunters in the context of a show that never should’ve existed! I’m ashamed to admit that I watched 5-6 episodes of it instead of giving up after the first one (I guess I hoped it would get better).
    Personally, for the most part I’m not the fan of movie tie-in covers but there are a few (like Nerve and The Maze Runner) that I prefer over original.
    Great discussion topic!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah I’m usually not a huge fan of tie in covers usually, but the Nerve one and a few others are better than the original IMO.
      Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts!!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • It’s definitely a marketing technique! I like original covers too! But sometimes I can’t help myself (or don’t feel like hunting down the original cover) then I just go for the tie-in cover.

      Liked by 1 person

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  5. I only really buy original book covers because I just prefer them more, but I totally agree with your points! Film adaptations often point me in the direction of new books, so if they can help a book blogger, they’ll definitely help others to read more too!

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    • I try to buy original book covers when I can (unless I like the tie-in cover more for some reason). But I definitely agree with finding out about books through their movies! Sometimes I see a movie and find out that it was based off a book afterwards (that’s what happened to me with Nerve and The Martian).

      Liked by 1 person

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      • I tend to be put off covers that just have an actors face on it (although I understand why they do it), but Nerve was a good example you used and seems to fit what I know about the book better. That probably happens to me more than I should admit, but at least it means a good book is getting exposure!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Yeah I don’t really love parading around with a book covered in actors faces, but sometimes if I looks good enough then I don’t mind.

        Like

  7. Great post! I pretty much agree with everything said here. I don’t usually like models on original covers but I like movie tie-ins, and that’s probably because I actually know who is on the cover?

    The first movie tie-in edition I bought was Room because I watched the movie first and wanted Brie and Jacob’s face on my book. Otherwise, I don’t really buy them because I always read the book, in advance, beforehand!

    Also, indie movies tend to have the nicer covers. Franchises, especially the young adult kind, are awful i.e. The Hunger Games, Divergent, City Of Bones, The 5th Wave, and this is coming from someone who actually loves some of the cast in these movies. 🤷‍♀️

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yessss those franchise covers are just terrible!! I don’t know what the designers/publicists were thinking. It’s like they hold a competition for the biggest cringe-factor.
      I actually got Room with the tie-in cover (because that’s the only one B&N had) but it’s one that I don’t mind. And I did love the movie. I still need to read the book though!

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  10. I’m not usually a fan of movie tie in covers and hardly ever buy them, but you’re right that they might look better and it’s a good way to inform people that a movie is coming out!

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  14. Oh, God, I feel this! There are some movie tie-in covers that are nice to look at – I think my favorite two are probably The Fault In Our Stars and If I Stay (WHICH IS STUNNING, and I’d say is better than the original cover). There are some that just look meh, and I think that’s because the plaster the meh movie poster on the book and call it a day. Like, the Paper Towns movie tie-in cover makes no sense with what the book is about, while the original cover is really pretty. I mean, I know that the entire point of them is just to boost sales and advertising before the movie comes out, but I hate it nine times out of ten.

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  15. It makes since that you didn’t like the TV show to the mortal instruments and you also didn’t like the books. I feel that they go nearly hand in hand with each other. You said that you enjoyed the movie and it was very different from the book.

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  16. Great post! I’m not sure I have particularly strong feelings about it, although I do tend to stick with original covers. I’m funny with covers in general though, if a book is part of a series I get upset if they don’t all match, which probably goes some way to explaining why I wouldn’t pick up a movie / TV tie in cover, you never though if they’ll actually make them all!

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  17. Trying not to get butthurt over the “not Jewish looking?” Comment you put on here. My great grandmother was Jewish, spoke Hebrew, etc. And you wouldn’t know we were Jewish by looking at my family..

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I didn’t mean to be offensive by that… I’m actually Jewish on both sides of my family and you wouldn’t know it by looking at me. But from what I understand about the book, Margot is supposed to “look Jewish”, which Delevingne doesn’t… at least to me?

      Like

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