Today's question: what makes you buy a book?
It just keeps getting busier and crazier around here, so this is going to be a very quick and (hopefully) efficient post today.
1. Many thanks to the awesome staff of the Chanute, Kansas public library for hosting a signing for me yesterday. For those of you who weren't able to make it, they have a supply of autographed books on-hand (Solitaire, Love You Kill You, and Gin) and if you'd like to order one and have it shipped to you, please email swillis(at sign)chanute(dot)org .
2. Also, I should share that I'll be doing at signing at the Locust Grove, Oklahoma public library this coming Saturday, Dec. 16. And another at the Park City, Kansas Public library on February 8th.
3. Other than that I have no tour dates planned. If/when that changes, I'll post it here pronto!
4. I don't know exactly when CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY will be in stores. Fall 2007 is all I know, but again, as soon as I have more info I'll pass it along.
5. I've also gotten a lot of requests lately for information about me and my books for people writing school reports. Wow. I am a school report topic. That's surreal. Maybe sometime after GG2 wraps I'll update my website with useful info on that front. In the meantime, though, I just have to say are you SURE you want to do a report about ME? I'm probably the most monumentally boring person on the planet, just so you know.
6. I really have a lot of non-book business to accomplish today. Busy, busy times--what with there being presents to buy, year-end reports to complete, and tax deductions to track down.
And speaking of taxes, Sarah Dessen blogged a few days ago about when you know you're a grown-up--well, for me, I never feel older than when I have to pay my property taxes (which I also have to do today). Seriously, is there a more grown-up tax than property tax? I think not.
7. And finally, when I get a few minutes or simply need a break, I'll check one of the many online writers groups to which I belong. Lately it seems the big debate is over what an author can/should do to promote his/her work and whether a writer should focus their efforts on selling their current books or writing the book that will come next.
Which brings us to today's discussion topic:
What makes readers buy a book? And the next one? And tell their friends about it?
Is it a catchy cover, good placement in the store, word or mouth, seeing it on MySpace...what? Seriously, folks. I'm asking.
Also, don't forget to scroll down to the previous post and vote on the best non-title for GG2--the ones you, the readers, came up with.
-Ally
1. Many thanks to the awesome staff of the Chanute, Kansas public library for hosting a signing for me yesterday. For those of you who weren't able to make it, they have a supply of autographed books on-hand (Solitaire, Love You Kill You, and Gin) and if you'd like to order one and have it shipped to you, please email swillis(at sign)chanute(dot)org .
2. Also, I should share that I'll be doing at signing at the Locust Grove, Oklahoma public library this coming Saturday, Dec. 16. And another at the Park City, Kansas Public library on February 8th.
3. Other than that I have no tour dates planned. If/when that changes, I'll post it here pronto!
4. I don't know exactly when CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY will be in stores. Fall 2007 is all I know, but again, as soon as I have more info I'll pass it along.
5. I've also gotten a lot of requests lately for information about me and my books for people writing school reports. Wow. I am a school report topic. That's surreal. Maybe sometime after GG2 wraps I'll update my website with useful info on that front. In the meantime, though, I just have to say are you SURE you want to do a report about ME? I'm probably the most monumentally boring person on the planet, just so you know.
6. I really have a lot of non-book business to accomplish today. Busy, busy times--what with there being presents to buy, year-end reports to complete, and tax deductions to track down.
And speaking of taxes, Sarah Dessen blogged a few days ago about when you know you're a grown-up--well, for me, I never feel older than when I have to pay my property taxes (which I also have to do today). Seriously, is there a more grown-up tax than property tax? I think not.
7. And finally, when I get a few minutes or simply need a break, I'll check one of the many online writers groups to which I belong. Lately it seems the big debate is over what an author can/should do to promote his/her work and whether a writer should focus their efforts on selling their current books or writing the book that will come next.
Which brings us to today's discussion topic:
What makes readers buy a book? And the next one? And tell their friends about it?
Is it a catchy cover, good placement in the store, word or mouth, seeing it on MySpace...what? Seriously, folks. I'm asking.
Also, don't forget to scroll down to the previous post and vote on the best non-title for GG2--the ones you, the readers, came up with.
-Ally
posted by Ally Carter at Monday, December 11, 2006
20 Comments:
I may be a new author's worst nightmare because I choose books based on my faves first. From there, I choose authors that are very similiar to those authors - which opens the door to new names.
Since joining the online writing community, I have now broadened what I purchase - but it's still somewhat of a good ol' girls network, as now I primarily buy the books of authors I've met within these forums.
So that's to say, I've never been the type to walk into a bookstore without knowing what I was looking for.
The question I'm unable to answer is - how did I get interested in the authors who serve as my base. I don't know because I've been reading them for too long!
I'll venture a guess and say because I'm a big fan of horror and mystery - it started there and somehow I was turned on to the authors I now purchase regularly.
For my YA purchases, I have been known to flip through the book to see if it engages me. But can only think of one book I purchased that way.
Geez, did I answer the question?!
i look 4 a catchy title and cover that saying but whatever i also read books if i like that author or if i see it in a magazine
Because I'm a Graphic Designer, it's always the cover that gets me. Something smart... something that's sexy, sassy or sophisticated... That's usually what makes me buy a book.
If the cover doesn't yell "BUY ME I'M A SEXY COVER!" ... if I've heard good things about it on book blogs, then I'm more likely to buy it than if I stumble upon it on my own.
I buy books more for the authors than the book itself. Which is why, I usually only buy books from my favorite authors. But that list keeps growing and growing...
Occasionally, I'll buy from a used book store in town. And then, I can't help but to be influenced by the cover and title. I'm cover-biased, I know. But it usually never sways me wrong.
But considering I work in a library, I try to keep my reading material to them.
And I'm very tempted by authors on MySpace or other writing groups I belong to who are really nice and seem to have a cool book. I've started buying several of them (your's included) before reading at least one of their books, which is very unusual for me. Got to love MySpace :-)
Emily
I look for intersting covers and titles!
the cover first catches my eye then if the summary sounds like it would be funny and adventureous i'll get it.
i always choose a book by its cover title or author if there is an author i really like ill go back and read every book they have ever written or published
I look for a catchy title. LYKY's title is what made me buy it. I walked by the shelf and the title jumped out at me.
I'll read one book by an author, and if I like it, I'll read pretty much everything else I can find by them. I loved LYKY so I bought Solitare and am begging for Gin since I am broke.
I know what kind of books my friends like to read and they know what I like to read. Sometimes I'll read a book and say "Hey, so-and-so would probably love this!" Then, I'll recomend the book to so-and-so. My friends do the same for me.
Whether or not I'll read a sequal to a book depends on how much I like the characters. For example, I get Cammie. That whole being invisible thing applies to me. I also love Julia. Therefore, I am willing to read more books about those characters. However, if Catcher in the Rye had a sequel, I would not read it because Holden annoys me and made me want to throw the book across the room. (No offense to J.D. Salinger, of course, it just wasn't my kind of book.)
When I go to the book store, I'll look for books that are in the same genre as the books I've liked. I love mysteries, so the first place I'll look is in the mystery section and then the YA section.
I think placement often helps, too. I'm more likley to buy a book that is next to books by one of my favorite author than I am one that is in the middle of a bunch I've never heard of. (Did that make sense?)
Finally, I spend a lot of time at the library. The librarians know me. Often, I will ask the librarian for a recommendation. I've found a few good books that way.
Another way I find new books is by going to the website of a book store, like Barnes and Noble. I'll type in the name of a book I liked and look at the books on the Customers who Bought This Book Also Bought list. Then, I'll check some of those out.
Now I have to stop procrastinating and go study for my midterms. Tootles!
~Cat
I tend to be rather author loyal, if I like what the author has written and is writing. Or maybe I'm more book loyal, if an author only has one or a few books I like, but most of the time, if I like the way an author writes, he or she ends up on my auto-buy, for which I have several categories that are subject to change at whim: buy no matter what (including searching for OOP or more expensive books), buy in HC, buy in PB, buy regardless of switching narrator/series or genre (which doesn't generally bother me at all, except if the author's "voice" changes rather drastically, not that I want different narrators to sound the same; as an example, I love Laurie R King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series (HC auto-buy), but I cannot get into any of her other books, while I like both of Dana Stabenow's mystery serieses)... I'll also usually buy the author's back list if I like what I've read of his or her book(s).
For new (to me) authors, I tend to go mostly by reader recommendations and excerpts. I've also had people give me books (usually as gifts, and interestingly enough, mostly from non-readers -- I'm guessing they had recommendations from booksellers) that I've absolutely loved (e.g., Jennifer Donnelly's A Northern Light was a rather recent gift, and from a while ago, I received one of Sarah Dessen's for my birthday, I believe - they're both on my auto-buy/list of authors to watch for new books).
I try to stay away from reviews, especially Amazon ones, unless they're from (reader) blogs I'm familiar with. If I'm browsing in a bookstore (which I also like to do, even if I have specific titles I'm looking for), I can be persuaded to at least pick up the book if it has an interesting or gorgeous cover. Then I usually flip to the back cover blurb or a random page and start reading.
I also usually pick up new-to-me authors or books at libraries or UBS because it's less of a financial risk (limited budget), which makes me more willing to explore and expand my reading list. And if I like the book, I'll probably end up buying it and more of the author's books new because I don't like giving books back to the library. I also buy multiple editions of books that I love, if it comes in different and pretty covers (I like my books to match), which doesn't really help the budget, but oh well...
I found out about Cheating at Solitaire through Agent Kristin's blog (I'm pretty sure it was the post about the different (international?) covers which lead me to click on the author website/blog link and then read an excerpt), which I'd heard about from Miss Snark, which I came across a few weeks earlier through the Compuserve Books and Writers Forum (formerly the Lit Forum), which I started lurking on because of Diana Gabaldon, one of whose books (Drums of Autumn) I picked up at my library several years ago because I was looking for something new to read and it looked interesting and thick (meaning it would last a little longer than a few hours). *g*
I've begun to learn that I cannot Judge a book by it's cover, I know I should have known that all along, but I usually picked books that had cute covers. But now I know that it doesn't matter, it's what's inside that counts. Jeez, cheesy!!! There's been a few books I've gotten and the cover looks so interesting and I can't even finish the book! I hate it when that happens!!!
A good blurb...about a topic I'm interested in. And word of mouth...sometimes, but normally if it isn't something I plan on reading I just end up finding the synopsis instead of reading it.
For me, picking out and buying a book is a weird process. first I look at the covers. If I find a cover that interests me, i'll read the title of that book (a book has to have a REALLY good/cool title... like Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy!). Then finaly, i'll look on the back of the book and read the summary. Then if i like what I read i'll buy it! I know...LONG process. lol.
For me, it's all about the plot and the writing. I read the beginning to get a feel for both, because, as we all know, jacket summaries can be wrong and/or skewed.
For others, it's a mix of:
title
cover art
placement
overall appearance (size, etc)
author
genre
plot
subject matter
writing
price
recommendations (friends, parents, teachers, spouses, librarians, booksellers)
recognition (author name, etc)
requirements (school, book clubs)
word-of-mouth
I could go on for days...
An eye-popping cover first grabs my attention. Then I tell all my friends about it, IF IT WAS A GOOD BOOK...and I did Love You Kill You for an oral report in school! I swear, I've got everyone hooked on it!
umm..well. Word of mouth is one of the ways i find good books. Me and my friends are all book junkies and if we read something good we pass it on, or if you are me you buy it because i have to own all the books i like. Also on Amazon if you order a book they give you recommmendations which are usually worth looking into.
as for when i'm just browsing through the bookstore i look for a cool cover, an interesting title (those catch your eye) and then i read the back cover to see if it sounds interesting.
well there you go
best wishes,
Nicole
Well, I'm probably a little late on this one, but I'll try to help you out.
When I'm looking for a good book to read, first I look at the title. If it's catchy or sounds interesting, I'll check out the book cover. Bright colors always catch my eye. If the cover has weird stuff (like crossbones or something) I'll put it down. Then I read the back cover to see if it's something I want to read.
If it sounds like a good book, then I'll read the first page to see if I like the author's style of writing. Some authors write kind of choppy so I always have to check that out.
Those are my directions to buying a good book. I hope that helped. =]
lets see
if im at the bookstore looking for a book:
i buy a book first by what i see-the title and the cover
then i look to see what it is about
if it sounds good i buy it or put it on my list of books to buy which is way too long
if im looking online for books:
im normally at amazon and type in the title of a book i enjoyed
i then scroll down to where it says people who viewed this item usually viewed and gives a list or something like that
then i click on the one with the most interesting title and read what it is about
again if it sounds good-onto the list it goes
thats normally how i pick
sometimes its a recomendation or something
for LYKY
it was the title and the cover that automatically caught my eye
the title was great and everything and i saw the cover that had a picture of a girl in a uniform-now i've gone to a private school all my life and the skirt on the cover was the same plaid that i had to wear for 8 years
these things caught my eye and i was going to buy it before i even knew what it was about
when i read what it was about i was hooked and i think it was the very next book i bought
1. i've heard about them from the websites of my fave authors
2. my friends told me to read them
3. my sisters told me to read them
4. it sounds interesting in as i read the flap and i don't want to walk out emptyhanded
5. i just want to read a book that i haven't read before
(you fall under category 2)
What makes me want to buy a book:
cover
back cover description
first chapter
voice that it's told in
already knowing that previous books were awesome! (can't wait for GG3 and GG4 and whenever it stops!)
I also really like books about girl spies now because of you, so if I come across a book about girl spies, I'll grab it and go!
Post a Comment
<< Home