What is the first thing you notice about a book cover? What draws you to the book (The title, picture, colors, authors name, etc)?

I usually choose books based on what I've read in reviews or research I've already done, so it's rare that I find new books just by browsing, but occasionally I have if I spot a favorite author's name or in the case of non-fiction, a subtitle that catches my interest. Other than that, I truly don't judge a book by its cover :)

I usually look for authors I know. But, I will look at other books based on the  cover.

The book cover entices me to pull the book from the shelf and actually open it up. If I can read a page or so at random, I will read the front / back cover. If it's written in first person but comes across awkwardly written, I will push it back on the shelf.

In this me-me-me-all-about-me world, I don't need to slog through a poorly written book.

And, is it just me, but does anyone else look at the book lists in People magazine or any other publication where they list their favorites, and not recognize ANY of the books mentioned? Some titles that are mentioned seem pretty obscure to me.

First I look at the cover. Then I read the back cover to see the description of the book to see if it interests me. I prefer books that have pictures on their covers. The book I'm reading now doesn't have a picture on the cover.

Color!

I am more likely to pick up a book that screams at me. I love books that have beautiful covers. If I wrote a book, I'd hire someone to draw my cover. I need something to initially draw me in.

For me, it's the title and illustration first, then the author.  I always read the flyleaf to get a feel for the story.