Thanks for weighing in!

I think prefaces are warranted for new editions of already-successful books — the author (or whatever critic has the job) can look back, reflect on old times, and explain what the book meant for them and what relevance it still seems to have for readers. So long as it doesn’t spoil the story, it’s nice to have some historical context before reading. But for new fiction, I agree — the work should speak for itself.

And I wholeheartedly agree about the cliches of book covers! Perhaps they show headless/faceless figures so the character can be better imagined by the reader. But it’s still a tired concept.