51 Book Covers So Bad They’re Actually Funny
Readers share the most awkward designs ever printed
People like to repeat the rule that appearances shouldn’t decide value. Online culture doesn’t follow that rule very well. When it comes to book covers, design mistakes rarely go unnoticed. In fact, some covers are so poorly executed, confusing, or unintentionally funny that they become popular for the wrong reasons.
Across social platforms, whole communities are built around collecting and showcasing these design disasters. Strange typography, awkward photo edits, mismatched visuals, and baffling layout choices turn what should be a selling point into a punchline. Instead of attracting readers, these covers raise questions - and usually a few laughs.
The appeal is simple. Bad covers are easy to spot and hard to forget. They create instant reactions and invite commentary, making them perfect for sharing. What started as criticism has turned into a lighthearted niche where people trade their funniest finds and rank the worst offenders.
There’s also a practical angle. For writers and designers, these examples work as cautionary material. A cover sets expectations before a single page is read. If the presentation looks careless or confusing, readers may assume the content is the same. First impressions carry weight, especially in crowded online marketplaces.
So while great covers sell books, terrible ones sell jokes. Either way, they get attention - just not always the kind the creator hoped for.
The Picture Of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
Turn7Boom"I Think This One Actually Might Be The Worst"
LamppostBoy"Someone Designing A Book Cover For A German War Story, Assuming It's An American Cowboy Story"
Book_1love
"Miserable Candle Man Is My Favorite Beatles Song"
Farfignewtons42
"Who Decided This Should Be The Ebook Cover For A Dostoevsky Book Haha"
reddit.com
"Found This Absolute Gem At My Neighborhood Lfl"
T-Hexx
"Terrible Frankenstein Collection"
GodAllMighty888
"Le Hobbit: I'll See Your Chonky Bilbo And Raise You Whatever The Eff This Is"
ActuariesGoneWild
1984 By George Orwell
Unfair_Umpire_3635
Bred By The Orc, Caroline Lee & Veronika Kane
silveragecollector
"But... You're A Horse By David Bussell"
FunnyErectionBunny
"Do You Feel Like God Loves You?"
Present-Room-5413
"I Wouldn't Bet On This Hobbit To Get The Ring Anywhere"
FunnyBunnyWonderland
Poirot's Early Cases By Agatha Christie (1979 Fontana Books Edition)
Ghosts_of_Bordeaux
"Bigfoot Looking Fabulous"
Dry-Impression-2403
Bilbo Le Hobbit, By J. R. R. Tolkien
nyradiophile
Spanish Edition Of The Picture Of Dorian Gray
Significant-Town-817
Rexus By Dakota Krout
NIKO-JRM
Catcher In The Rye (Japanese Edition)
toasterpedia
"Just Found This Sub, Thought You All Would Appreciate The Sodfather"
MagisterOtiosus
"Hello, My Name Is William Goldman. You Designed This Cover"
InfiniteAccount4783
"2,000 Years In The Future And This Book Is The Only Surviving Work Of Literature"
Hillbilly_Historian
"Recipes For Romance By I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!"
FightinRndTheWorld
Emma By Jane Austen
nigelghostdog
The Fireclown
a_wizard_skull
No Man Knows My Pastries
Dry-Impression-2403
The Metamorphosis, By Franz Kafka
contextproblem
I Got Both My Alien Homeboys From Another Galaxy Pregnant By Quan Millz
Bud_The_Weiser
Race Of The Century
Puppychow123
The Creation Of Human Ability By L. Ron Hubbard
GrodanHej
The Plot Against The “King” Don’t Delete Mods, It’s A Real Book
MrsGrayWolfe
Empress Theresa's Cover Is So Bad It Wraps Around To Becoming Funny
steeltheprotogen
"Fighting Fantasy Did Great Things. Terrible, But Great"
CommanderFuzzy
Orgullo Y Prejuicio By Jane Austen
Flowesque
"Jesus He’s Big"
Glum-Lavishness-4485
God Emperor Of Dune (Hebrew Version) By Frank Herbert
NIKO-JRM
"It's Bootleg But Wonderful The Only Way I'm Reading Animal Farm Is If This Is The Cover. This Needs To Be Everywhere"
Black-outbunny
A Wrinkle In Time By Madeleine L'engle
Other-Spell-342
"Found This In A Bookstore In Alabama. I Regret Not Buying It"
yeti_legs9000
"Witchcraft It Is"
BookMansion
"This Absolute Gem Of A Thriftstore Find"
avibrant_salmon_jpg
"You Come Across Some Gems Working In A Used Bookstore"
SweetCherryBee
"Seen On A Pile At The Library"
mistermajik2000
"Fun Fact: The Author Is The Father Of (And Literally Wrote The Book On) Modern Psychological Warfare"
Subliminal_Kiddo
"I Think Orwell Deserves Way Better"
BookMansion
"Hi, I'm New Here, Is Posting Hippocampus Press Books Cheating?"
Subliminal_Kiddo
"Secrets"
unklethan
"Ten Things Doctors Won't Tell You About Your Cpap Machine"
reddit.com
"Hatchet… Amazing Book, Terrible Original Cover. There’s Just Too Much Going On"
AVeryBoredApple
"Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Jew Lies"
ureathrafranklin1
"Does This Count?"
Pure-Insanity-1976
Bad book covers still manage to be useful in their own odd way. They’re good for a quick laugh and a clear lesson in how badly first impressions can miss the mark.
Poor design turns readers away in seconds, while a strong cover does the opposite and sparks curiosity. That gap is exactly why cover design matters. At minimum, the worst examples end up as entertainment for everyone else.
