bestie, all these book covers look the same

Here's why all book covers look the same. Book cover look-a-likes or cover clones. I go through a few recent book cover trends in 2021 and the past few years that I've noticed in YA / young adult such as swords, that black snake and why novels set in foreign countries (to the west) all look yellow.
These are just the tip of the icy bergy.

Have you noticed any cover trends recently?
Let me know if you like this typa content with a like/comment :)

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - intro
00:26 - why we have book cover trends
01:08 - YA cover trends throughout the years
02:15 - that black snake on every YA book cover
04:00 - murder mysteries and that woman in sunglasses
04:36 - yellow filter on 'foreign' books
05:26 - ya fantasy SWORDS
06:23 - your suggestions
06:50 - outro
07:15 - bloopers

• • • • • • • • • • •

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[haza]

I hope that snake gets her coin she's such a talented model

[buttercupetc]

did the person who uploaded that specific black snake to shutterstock know they were about to start an ERA 👏🏻

[slaykei]

Graphic designer usually don't want to pay for the unique photography or illustration. They usually find 5 images from Shutterstock and you have to use them all :D ( I try to stay away from jobs like that, because there is no creative freedom )

[taaptee]

john green crayon aesthetic was such a moment

[lyadmilo]

"The one with the sword on the cover!??" gave me flashbacks to working at a bookshop. So many angry customers yelling at me because I couldn't find the blue book they wanted. One lady actually came in, looked at the CURRENT Bestseller table, and got in my face because the book with a cat wasn't there anymore and she wanted it. When did she see it there? 3 years ago.

[alisonczech]

The G stands for “GIVING US THE CONTENT WE’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR”

[valemedina]

OMG you talked about the Sepia filter every american movie uses when they do something in latín América or México lol they always use it, is a whole joke here in latam at this point

[Zee-solu]

Can you also talk about book titles? Sometimes they really are a turn off before anything 😭

[siouxsbanshee]

the girlies are fighting for their lives omg they just keep going into the ocean like BESTIE YOU CAN'T SWIM STOP THIS

[marsmagari]

my favourite ya book covers of all time are the og mortal instruments covers. i love how overdesigned and ugly they are it's like lens flares!!! cityscapes!!!! reD truly iconic

[tanvi]

The snake on the cover of "The Queen of Nothing" is actually the main love interest so that just makes it funnier

[thylionheart]

can we talk about the Action Fantasy Girl YA covers that look like the author just made her OC on DollDivine or RinmaruGames, a la Throne of Glass

[matthewparker]

Two other book cover tropes I've noticed, particularly in YA:
"It's a book TM" usually a paperback printed to look like a leather bound book with fancy brass reinforcements, probably mimicking some book from the world.
And my favourite, which is sihlloettes. Can be stylistic, solid mask, or photorealistic, but orders some room for creativity and can even be somewhat related to the story. Pairs well with a bright cover colour.

[may]

speaking of YA book covers, I’ve been seeing the trend of fully detailed illustrations of the characters for YA fantasy books (bone crier’s moon, these hollow vows, a sorcery of thorns) and i personally think they’re beautiful but then someone pointed out that the two people (who are most likely love interests) on the cover of bone crier’s moon look like siblings and now i can’t unsee it lmao

[tathoiclassicalindianbollywood]

My bengali heart sang when you spoke about the turmeric filter. I watched Extraction with my family and none of us got over the curry-powder colouring

[cueintensemusic]

girl I would love to see you make a good book cover that has snakes, swords, glasses, and jaundice 🤣

edit: plus drowning women in ball gowns omg

[RubyDianArts]

As someone interested in illustrating book covers, these vids on covers is very interesting and fun to look at. I'd love it if you made more.

[itsdivyag]

trying to get into design with my lazy eye u know.
Hi besties, what cover trends do you like/dislike or have noticed recently? I'm gonna make this a series cause there's a lot. I'm glad YA cover makers are looking good these days and aren't being paid in coochie hairs anymore - bravo!

pls make sure to like the video so i can afford teeth whitening treatments

[doodlemunchkin]

How do you make a quality book cover that will catch the eyes of those local Ross and Marshall’s shoppers? Easy. You would need some of the essentials like:
•snakes
•crown of some kind
•maybe some blood or liquid gold for extra flare
•flowers/leafy things
•daggër
• a bare chested caucasian man framed from the jaw down &/or the bare back of a skinny caucasian woman, preferably with a darker hair color—usually not in the blonde tones
•back of mysterious caucasian lady in flowing dress running, or hair obscuring her face
•minimal or muted colors
•cursive/cursive-like title
•prolly paperback

[scarletstarlet]

This made me think of how funny it would be if you turned classic book covers into those styles, for example the sunglasses trend for Crime and Punishment