--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's weird - sort of not terribly wise…" description: "\"It's weird - sort of not terribly wise - to take a book that was successful and then change its cover.\" — Augusten Burroughs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b9/augusten-burroughs-603_book_it-s-weird-sort-of-not-terribly-wise-to_1795260.png" --- # It's weird - sort of not terribly wise - to take a book… ![“It's weird - sort of not terribly wise - to take a book that was successful and then change its cover.” quote by Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b9/augusten-burroughs-603_book_it-s-weird-sort-of-not-terribly-wise-to_1795260.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b9/augusten-burroughs-603_book_it-s-weird-sort-of-not-terribly-wise-to_1795260.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b9/augusten-burroughs-603_book_it-s-weird-sort-of-not-terribly-wise-to_1795260.png) > “It's weird - sort of not terribly wise - to take a book that was successful and then change its cover.” [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Changing a successful book's cover is often unnecessary and can undermine its proven appeal. **In simple terms:** Altering a winning design may be unwise. Key Takeaway Consider impact before redesign. Themes marketing design branding Mood cautious analytical Type advisory critical When to use this quote - publishing - product launch - rebranding - market testing Key Concepts consumer perception brand identity Questions to Reflect On - Is the redesign truly adding value? - How might it affect sales? A Different Perspective A new cover may alienate existing fans. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-successful-1981925/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Change Cover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-cover-1981924/) [Cover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cover/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-change-1910887/) [Weird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weird/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [To me, one of the greatest triumphs in doing a book is to tell the story as simply as possible. My aim is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-jack-keats/to-me-one-of-the-greatest-triumphs-in-doing-a-book-is-to-tell-the/) [Ezra Jack Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-jack-keats/) > [My first book was the most successful debut novel in the UK ever and every one of my books has reached number one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-reichs/my-first-book-was-the-most-successful-debut-novel-in-the-uk-ever-and/) [Kathy Reichs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-reichs/) > [Doing it your own way, not having to go exactly by the book to be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/doing-it-your-own-way-not-having-to-go-exactly-by-the-book-to-be/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [Success comes from the way you act. The way you act comes from the way you think and feel. Therefore, to become more successful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/success-comes-from-the-way-you-act-the-way-you-act-comes-from-the-way/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [People change. They get successful and change. They get unsuccessful and change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/people-change-they-get-successful-and-change-they-get-unsuccessful/) [Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/) > [No matter how successful you are, change is always good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-beane/no-matter-how-successful-you-are-change-is-always-good/) [Billy Beane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-beane/) > [When you suddenly become successful, the change is enormous, both financially and in terms of recognition and the way people treat you. I found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nesbitt/when-you-suddenly-become-successful-the-change-is-enormous-both/) [James Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nesbitt/) > [I will not change. Because if you are successful and you change, you are an idiot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/i-will-not-change-because-if-you-are-successful-and-you-change-you/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [The real secret is to build an organization that isn't afraid to make changes while it is still successful, before change becomes imperative for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-platt/the-real-secret-is-to-build-an-organization-that-isn-t-afraid-to-make/) [Lewis E. Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-platt/) > [“Want to be successful? Change your priorities!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himmilicious/want-to-be-successful-change-your-priorities/) [Himmilicious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himmilicious/) > [“No matter how successful you are, change is always good. There can never be a status quo. When you have no money you can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/no-matter-how-successful-you-are-change-is-always-good-there-can/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [I never thought I'd be on the cover of the 'Atlanta Journal' unless I killed someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-robinson/i-never-thought-i-d-be-on-the-cover-of-the-atlanta-journal-unless-i/) [Chris Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-robinson/) > [Just being in a video game is an honor, and being on the cover, I can't really describe it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-judge/just-being-in-a-video-game-is-an-honor-and-being-on-the-cover-i-can-t/) [Aaron Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-judge/) > [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [Uh, I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/uh-i-wanna-be-on-the-cover-of-forbes-magazine/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) ## More by Augusten Burroughs > [There is nothing about myself that I wouldn't reveal or write about. I don't care how horrendous or ridiculous I may appear in person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/there-is-nothing-about-myself-that-i-wouldn-t-reveal-or-write-about-i/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“We were alone together, we were an us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/we-were-alone-together-we-were-an-us/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Like every child, I adored her. Until I formed a brain and got to know her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/like-every-child-i-adored-her-until-i-formed-a-brain-and-got-to-know/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“You must hang onto the scraps of the bucking moment as if your sanity and life depended on it - because actually they do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/you-must-hang-onto-the-scraps-of-the-bucking-moment-as-if-your-sanity/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Real optimism is not the pep talk you give yourself. It is earned through the labor involved in emotional housekeeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/real-optimism-is-not-the-pep-talk-you-give-yourself-it-is-earned/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [If you hate your life, you haven't' seen enough of it. If you hate your life, it's because your life is too small and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/if-you-hate-your-life-you-haven-t-seen-enough-of-it-if-you-hate-your/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [I think writers tend to be experience junkies, and I think they also tend to want to be on the outside looking in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-think-writers-tend-to-be-experience-junkies-and-i-think-they-also/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [I think part of the reason I'm attracted to Foster is because he's such a mess. I mean, the people I have loved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-think-part-of-the-reason-i-m-attracted-to-foster-is-because-he-s/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“On typical days, (dust) is simply irritating. On Roid Rage days, it made me want to stomp down to the highway, pull drivers out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/on-typical-days-dust-is-simply-irritating-on-roid-rage-days-it-made/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [I'm like the guy who prepares your taxes or a dentist. I'm very conservative and boring in a lot of ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-m-like-the-guy-who-prepares-your-taxes-or-a-dentist-i-m-very/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“Nothing surprises me now," I tell him. I am stoic. I am Joan of Arc, with liver damage and an unused penis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/nothing-surprises-me-now-i-tell-him-i-am-stoic-i-am-joan-of-arc-with/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“It's not that I was an outright nitwit of a child.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-s-not-that-i-was-an-outright-nitwit-of-a-child/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [What I really want is to sit next to someone under an L.L. bean blanket on the beach in the fall and drink coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/what-i-really-want-is-to-sit-next-to-someone-under-an-l-l-bean/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“My worth depended on where exactly the decimal was placed among the zeroes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/my-worth-depended-on-where-exactly-the-decimal-was-placed-among-the/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“Bookman isn't a stable man. He has a lot of problems that run very, very deep." But he was really good at giving head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/bookman-isn-t-a-stable-man-he-has-a-lot-of-problems-that-run-very/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) [Explore all 448 Augusten Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's weird - sort of not terribly wise - to take a book that was successful and then change its cover.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Augusten Burroughs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-s-weird-sort-of-not-terribly-wise-to-take-a-book-that-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-s-weird-sort-of-not-terribly-wise-to-take-a-book-that-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b9/augusten-burroughs-603_book_it-s-weird-sort-of-not-terribly-wise-to_1795260.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b9/augusten-burroughs-603_book_it-s-weird-sort-of-not-terribly-wise-to_1795260.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b9/augusten-burroughs-603_book_it-s-weird-sort-of-not-terribly-wise-to_1795260.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's weird - sort of not terribly wise - to take a book that was successful and then change its cover.” — Augusten Burroughs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Augusten Burroughs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's weird - sort of not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-s-weird-sort-of-not-terribly-wise-to-take-a-book-that-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-s-weird-sort-of-not-terribly-wise-to-take-a-book-that-was/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```