Since I’ve been really exploring a lot of advertising online, I’ve been thinking a lot about who even looks at these random sites looking for books and what exactly they might be looking for. I haven’t gotten any return from them yet that I know of, so there’s something that’s missing. I know it’s not the cover; that cover is catchy as fuck, thanks to my brilliant cover artist Ingrid. It’s not a bad title, and I guess the description can be a little cheesy, but, hey, it’s actually a pretty cheesy book.
I ask myself: Would I choose Soulless out of a line-up of a lot of other books? I like to think I would. The cover would catch me, as, let’s face it, we always judge a book by its cover, and the story would intrigue me enough to justify it. The Kindle price point ain’t bad, either, though I would probably hesitate on the print version price.
I ask myself: Would other people choose Soulless out of a line-up of a lot of other books?
That’s a question I can’t really answer for myself, because, as cool as it would be to do it, I can’t get inside my reader’s head. I can ask for you to tell me what’s inside your head, though. So, tell me, dear readers, what makes you decide “I want to buy this book”? Do you often buy books from promotional sites like GoodKindles or Wall of Books? If so, how do you decide among so many? Are you more likely to try a book from these sites, or do personal blogs (like Therin Knite’s book spotlight) have much more influence?
I’d love some insite on this, anything you’d like to share at all!
L.S. Engler 
Sometimes I am interested in a book reviewed or sold by a blogger. The cover and the book blurb either pull me in or push me away. If the book is not a genre I enjoy, I usually cannot generate enough interest to read it. I probably should dabble in genres outside my favorites, but I don’t. I suppose I’m pretty close-minded that way.
I frequently visit Amazon to purchase or download books. If the book cover and the blurb is of interest, I sample a few pages if I have the option to do so. Poorly written and/or badly edited work is a deciding factor for me. I can tell fairly quickly if the writer has adequate editing skills or has enlisted the help of someone who does. I like to be drawn into the story right away, and if it drags along, I’m apt to be impatient with trying to plod through. I may give up.
I also read the customer reviews. If there are a lot of reviews, and the same comments -either positive or negative – are repeated enough for me to take notice, I am influenced and may read the book or not.
I’ve tried to give you an honest answer of how I choose a book. I hope you hear from others with some different ideas so you’ll get a good sample of responses to your question.
Reader reviews tend to be a big one for me, too, which makes me a little worried, as I’m really, really bad at soliciting them. On the other hand, I want my reviews to be natural and honest. It’s so irritating to read a bunch of reviews spouting the same thing in slightly varied terms…and it immediately instills a sense of cynicism in me. Sometimes I jump right to the bad reviews, and determine if the complaints are genuine or just bitter, lol.
And this was great insight, Joy! Thank you!
When we’re talking non-fiction, especially religious books, I tend to go off blogs and personal recommendations, especially from authors and commentators I like/respect. As for fiction, it’s hit and miss sometimes with the same author when they write differently (I like Pratchett’s adult books much more than his teen series). Fiction I tend to pick up what seems popular with people who like things I already like, and pick up second or thirdhand, or free online, before I’ll lay out serious full price money.
Occasionally something I’m linked to via Amazon or a book site will pique enough interest, but I will rarely deviate from my “find it free or cheap” route until I know I like the author’s work, and even then maybe only when they have a new release I must have and can’t find anywhere else.
I’ll admit, I stuck with “free or cheap” for a long time, too, but I’ve started branching away from it, as I either have really bad luck or the “free or cheap” ones are pretty bad. I shy away from doing that myself because I don’t feel like wading through the muck, you know? But, yeah, money is tight, so we must choose wisely.
Free or cheap for me more often means library, clearence section or friend loan…there’s a lot of free trash out there.
I’m way too much of a bibliophile to ever borrow books; I’ll never want to give them back! Clearance sections are awesome, and I’m pretty addicted to Half-Priced Books stores.
I tend to buy rather than borrow, admittedly, or borrow then buy before I finish, if I like it. The process of moving around the world with a couple of suitcases has changed my habits somewhat – I struggle with purchasing books I already own but haven’t managed to bring here yet.
As a reader I find most of the books I buy from Blog suggestions. If every book blog is raving about a book I will usually check it out. With so many options out there, it is hard to distinguish what book to buy. Hope that helps.
It does, thank you! I definitely get more excited about boos I hear about via blogs, but I think you touched on something here that may come back to be in my favor: if you see a book a lot of places, it sparks an interest. So I think it’s wise to keep just submitting to places and get it out there as much as possible.
I often buy books by authors I’ve gotten to know on Facebook or blogs. I’m big on supporting those I know, and I’ve found quite a few gems that way.
Honestly, if I didn’t know you, I probably wouldn’t have picked your book ONLY because I don’t generally like zombie books. But yours is unique enough to intrigue me, and since I knew you, I read it and loved it. Your cover and title are both great, so that’s a draw for readers. I think it’s time to do some more sharing on Facebook. 🙂
See? It’s good to take a chance on new things, lol!
But now I really want to tackle something more in your “genre,” but, for me, that means romance, and…uh…um…that will be interesting. 🙂
Yeah, that would probably mean writing love scenes. LOL
It is hard when trying to decide how to advertise.
Though I do have to say I choose most of my books based on bloggers I know. I find a personal opinion or an ad on their blog more likely one I’d click on 🙂
With so many people saying how much they like the personal touch of a blog, it makes me wonder if those List websites really do anybody any good. Someone’s got to be looking at them, though, right?
…I need to start looking into hosting some ads on my blog….that’s a whole ‘nother subject, though.
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