What is with...?

...all the shirtless men on so many book covers?

At first it didn't even occur to me that this was some kind of trend. But when I started to design the cover to KILLER OF KILLERS I examined the covers to other books, and I started to notice. Shirtless, near-naked, or even completely naked men, (although covered where it counts,) seem to dominate book covers these days.

Now, I'm no prude, but it seems that this is a double-standard to me. I mean, women's libbers waste no time protesting overexposure of women. It belittles them, they say. I remember not long ago, television cameramen couldn't even show NFL cheerleaders on TV, for fear of feminist complaints. At least that seems to have blown over. But do women readers really want to see naked men on their book covers? Does a picture of a topless man make women buy a book? I can't believe it does.

But it does lead me to believe that these books have nothing of substance to offer readers in regards to a story, a plot, or great characters. I would think that a cover should somehow depict the essence of what a book is all about. Or is it true that these books offer nothing more than a story about a woman who finds a beefcake? I haven't read them, so I don't really know.

But on almost every publisher's website, that's what you see. No, it doesn't bother me. I'm just sayin'. That's all.