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It has been said that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But there’s an online community that’s calling utter BS on that. r/TerribleCovers has 79,000 members who all gather on a daily basis, to laugh and cry at badly dressed books. These guys have the inside scoop on all the hilarious and hideous book cover fails. And they aren’t afraid to share, or shame.

From cringe old classics, to kitsch self-help books, and confusing romance novels, there’s no shortage of paperbacks and hardbacks lining up to take part in the next edition of Extreme Makeover. Or at the very least, get their pages on a better fitting jacket.

Bored Panda has put together a library of our personal favorites (or worsts) from the page. Grab your reading glasses and keep scrolling. Don’t forget to upvote your top contestants.

#1 I Don’t Know What’s Worse, The Spelling Mistake Or The Cover Design

Image credits: MsPaganPoetry

#2 These Might Be The Worst Covers I’ve Seen In A Reputable Bookstore Yet

Image credits: ChromaticRainbow12

#3 Found This Beaut On Goodreads

Image credits: Big_Bag_4562

We’re often taught not to judge a book by its cover. After all, you never know what beauty and magic could be hidden within. But this doesn’t stop people from doing so anyway. When it comes to the human beings we meet or the actual, literal books we encounter in shops, on shelves or online.

One survey found that 57% of Americans buy books (and 80% avoid books) solely based on their covers. And therefore, bad cover design is one of the most common reasons for low book sales.

#4 This Is A Sensitive Topic

Image credits: GodAllMighty888

#5 I Think We Can All Agree The Animorphs Covers Are All Deeply Disturbing

Image credits: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHEH

#6 Why God, Why?

Image credits: BookMansion

“Humans are visual creatures,” explains best-selling author Tucker Max. “We see our way through the world, and vision is our defining sense. Humans can be immediately reached, engaged, and moved by color and shape because these images enter the brain literally at light speed. This is the power of design.”

Max says that book covers exist to give visual form to written content. “A great cover makes someone in your intended audience say ‘I need to read that,’ by showing them why the book matters to them in a way they can immediately grasp (or at least raising their interest enough to want to learn more). It should help your audience realize that they should be reading your book.”

#7 Hello, My Name Is William Goldman. You Designed This Cover. Prepare To Die

Image credits: InfiniteAccount4783

#8 Wow. Just. Wow

Image credits: EasyCZ75

#9 Just Found This Sub, Thought You All Would Appreciate The Sodfather

Image credits: MagisterOtiosus

However, some argue that the cover isn’t the first, or only, thing someone judges before buying a book. Writing Cooperative notes that nowadays, books aren’t only bought in physical stores anymore.

“Most books are now discovered either by in-person word of mouth or online, and in both cases, what is the first piece of information they receive? The title,” reads their site.

The experts say while a good title won’t necessarily ensure your book flies off the shelves, a bad title “will almost certainly prevent it from doing well.” As the Cooperative puts it, many potential readers stop considering buying the book once they have heard the title, and nothing else.

#10 Kids, Please Don’t Do This Bada** Thing

Image credits: Cynewulfunraed

#11 Mammoths Hunters 🫠

Image credits: Kwildarenis

#12 This Sure Is Something

Image credits: Boisebassdude

A study published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services found that around a third of books are bought as gifts, women buy and read more books than men, and that higher-educated and older consumers tend to read and buy more books.

The same study found when deciding on whether to buy a book, the top factors noted by those surveyed were the “Title”, “Synopsis”, “Subject covered in book”, “Recommendation of family and friends” and “Books with discount/on sale”.

#13 These Awful Persian / Farsi Translation Harry Potter Covers

Image credits: SellWhenYouCan

#14 Terrible Way To Be Summoned

Image credits: BookMansion

#15 Found At An Antique Store

Image credits: 02K30C1

According to the Writing Cooperative, “almost every potential reader will judge whether or not to buy and read your book before they have read one single word inside the book.”

They also say that often, readers aren’t even aware of their thought process when browsing a book store. But that it takes less than a minute for someone to give the book a thumbs up or a big fat “no” before they either head to the till to pay or put the book down and move on.

#16 I Am Haunted

Image credits: FedExorcism

#17 Interested In Initiation?

Image credits: BookMansion

#18 Literary Horror Classic

Image credits: blue_boy_robot

“These buying decisions are a series of instantaneous and mostly unconscious judgments. They are made in less than 60 seconds, and they are made together, each influencing the other, not individually,” notes the site. “These judgments are real and substantive; in most cases, they are the main evaluation and purchase triggers.”