A wise old Roman said, “De gustibus
non est disputandum” (Latin for "in matters of taste, there can be no disputes").
The
French version is “chacun à son gout” (to each his own taste).
In
the USA we say “whatever turns you on,” “whatever floats your boat,” “whatever
tickles your pickle” and “do your own
thing.”
While
designing and evaluating book covers it’s important to recognize that there are
great variations in personal taste.
[above] I think these two very
different book covers are very attractive—but you may hate one or both.
I
personally consider the cover at the top to be creepy, disgusting and disturbing—but
that may be exactly right for readers
of its genre.
Know your
customers.
(Adapted from my upcoming The Look of a Book: the difference between good covers and bad covers and how to make a good one)