What Happens When You Change The Sex Of The Author On A Book Cover?
I think Maureen Johnson has a point -- how female authors get the dummed-down, sappy covers. (Scroll down to the slideshow at the bottom here.)

But, I think all authors need to understand that they need to stand up for their work. I conceived the cover on I See Rude People and Gregg shot the photo on my porch. (He didn't strip in the little people.) I also had input on a lot of it. The art director wanted to use very fruity serif type in very fruity colors -- two colors. It looked very chick-flick and I fought for it to be what it is. All and all, it looks very much like my original design.

Not every publisher will let an author do that, but many authors don't ask for input and don't have their agents push for it when they're denied it.

To do what it takes to write a book that's readable, and then to just sit back and let yourself be given any old cover or a dumbed down one...well, it just seems unimaginable to me.

Stand up for your work, scribes!