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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/44887
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

It depends.

Using Amazon's book store as an example:

If your book is in an **Amazon category that has very few books** and the reader finds a poorly-done homemade cover that speaks to what they are interested in, they may click on it simply because there aren't many others to choose from.

However, if your book is in a **well-populated category** , competing with hundreds or even thousands of books in that category, your cover will be up against others that also speak to the readers interests but have far better covers. Covers so fantastic they're just crying out to be clicked on.

And the cover doesn't only act as click-bait and convey genre, it's also **a sign of quality**. When I see a poor homemade cover, I assume that if the author hasn't invested any money in their cover, they probably haven't invested any money in developmental, copy editing or proofreading either. And the cover is the first warning sign that this **may** be a poor book.

This is a very difficult question to give a definitive answer to. **If authors knew definitively what makes a reader click buy versus clicking away, book marketing would be a doddle**. But I do know many authors who have ditched their homemade covers for professional designs and watched sales increase.

In a well-populated category, these aspects probably carry equal weight. As you rightly state, you need both.

If you tied my hands behind my back and forced me to answer, I'd say I'm more likely to click on a stunning cover that doesn't quite convey genre but is in my category of choice than one that looks terrible but fits the brief... **unless** there are no other choices out there.

**BUT** every reader is different and will likely give a different answer to your question. I'm a fan of great covers. I haven't read any Stephen King in years but _End of Watch_ is now on my wish list. Why? Because I clicked on an ad with that stunning animated cover. I don't even know what the book's about! That doesn't make logical sense, I know... but I still clicked!

[End of Watch](https://www.engine-house.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ezgif.com-resize-3.gif)

But, coming back to the original point, I'd say it depends on how well populated the category is.

Original score: 16