When this random book came up on my suggestions from Kindle. I looked at the title and the cover art and thought, "This looks like a good one!" The cover art is of a beautiful, sexy couple in a passionate embrace.The leading man is a Michael Angelo work come to life and the woman looks like she was created from stardust and desire, of course she's the standard model build. The problem came in when I start reading the story. From the very first description of the leading lady, the reader knows that she's a BBW.
The name of the book shall remain anonymous because I'm really vibing with the story thus far; but I would have never been able to guess from the cover art that this was a BBW romance; the cover art and the story just didn't go together. So why doesn't the cover art reflect what the story's about.
I started thinking back on all the other romance's I've read that were supposed to be from this same genre, and I realized that they all had the same short coming. I'm going to be transparent with you, I myself am an AA/BBW. I'm not going to say that I don't struggle with self image from time to time, more often that I would actually like; however, how cool would it be to see a BBW represented by the cover art on the very genre that bears her name?
Is it that publishers think that BBW don't want to see a realistic representation of themselves on their covers? Well, in my opinion as a BBW I think their wrong! Do publishers even know WHY BBW read this genre? Because they want to read about women finding love that they can identify with.
In a world that's obsessed with the notion that all women should look like they just stepped off the runway of Fashion Week, there are so many women that struggle with seeing themselves as desirable. BBW are strong, beautiful, sensual, and sexual beings. We're not just relegated to being the side-kick BFF.
To all of the authors of BBW romance, please do your demographic a favor, insist that the cover model reflects the leading lady in your book. Hopefully you decided to write this genre because you saw a need. Part of filling that need is making sure that the cover reflects what's inside.
With all that being said, the next time I pick up a story that's supposed to be from the BBW genre I hope and pray that I see a BBW on the cover along with her Cover Hottie Man! Thank you in advance for talking the time to listen to my rant.
Much Love ~
Pandora
