There are, but like Laura Vivanco has pointed out, how many of them can actually pose as romance cover models? When you look at the male models on covers of every book genre, not just romance novels, you can hardly remember 2 or 3 faces. Most guys lack this little something that would make you linger on the book — and 1 or 2 seconds more of lingering can trigger your decision to purchase the book — or aren’t as attractrive to a majority of ladies than the most popular cover models.

I remember when I was researching about Fabio that because he was gracing the cover of a romance, be it from an unknown author or a best-selling writer, the publisher could expect the sales to increase by 30% compared to a no-Fabio cover.

I believe when John de Salvo was the top romance cover model, it was the same situation and so it must be true also for Nathan Kamp.

It’s about identifying the model to the genre so that the readers know immediately what they are buying without even needing to know what the story is about or who’s the author. Publishers don’t really care for non-romance readers. They can be occasional readers but won’t necessarily come back for more. With a romance reader, romance books are an addiction so they are the ones buying massively. So the publishers need first to attract those readers.

pam wrote:
I tell you what.. I love Nathan Kamp and if I’m going to buy a novel, might as well be him on the cover…. Thats all I have to say about that!
LOL! Tell us how you really feel! Clearly he has major appeal to folks like you and @ Lola!
I hope you enjoy him while he lasts as the reigning cover guy!

What’s there not to love about Nathan? He’s gorgeous, your typical tall, dark and handsome Adonis. He looks a lot like many of the heroes described in the books he graces the covers. Besides, in the world of Romance Readers, one really can’t afford to be pretentious about quality covers. Let’s be honest here, we are all shallow and live vicariously through many of our favorite characters. That’s why we keep reading

I tell you what.. I love Nathan Kamp and if I’m going to buy a novel, might as well be him on the cover…. Thats all I have to say about that!

LOL! Tell us how you really feel! Clearly he has major appeal to folks like you and @ Lola!

I hope you enjoy him while he lasts as the reigning cover guy!

The Smart Bitches included an interview with John DeSalvo in Beyond Heaving Bosoms and he explained that “Arlene and Bob Osonitsch [...] took me in like a son and I worked with them more than any other photographer, for over ten years. Even if they needed just a shot of a torso, an arm, or a back, they called me” (182) and

John Ennis [...] For several years he pretty much worked with me exclusively, and I remember him catching flack from a group of women for it. He went on to tell them in an interview: “You might think that we [cover artists] have a lot to choose from, but in fact, it is very hard to find someone who is good-looking, muscular, and extremely talented, and John is all three. He appears on many of my covers because the alternative is to use a model who is lacking in at least one of those three qualities.” I’ll always remember that … thanks, John! (182-83)

So that suggests that the photographers have their own criteria for choosing models and those can include their personal relationships with them (i.e. is the model someone they can work well with and rely on), but are also about the talent and appearance of the models. Although the expressions of cover models quite often get snarked, they are often having to pretend to feel immense passion while striking silly poses and, presumably, holding themselves in those positions for a significant length of time. I’m not sure how many people would actually be capable of doing that well.