I’ve selected another question from the responses I received when I asked for Bookish Question ideas!
This one is from one of my dearest friends, Tracy ~ she is a fellow bibliophile, writes fabulous reviews, blogs about life at Beyond My Picket Fence, and is a friend of the heart! A variety of this question was also asked by author Richard Mabry, and after some wonderful chats at ACFW with publishers, I know there are a lot of us who really want to know the answer to this one!
Here’s Tracy’s question:
What draws you to pick up particular books over others?
Is it the cover art, the author, the publishing house (yep, I know Iām weird on that one), the genre, something else?
October 14, 2013 at 1:36 pm
Well I can’t say your really weird about choosing a book over another due to the publishing house because I do that! I will favor another publisher over another one at times! Also cover art is a big thing for me as well as the book description!
October 17, 2013 at 11:12 am
Laura Pol Ā» Thanks Laura – Tracy will be pleased she is not alone!!
October 14, 2013 at 2:26 pm
Cover art is a huge factor for me. And as strange as this is, I rarely read the back cover copy (though I DO if I’m reviewing the book!).
October 17, 2013 at 11:11 am
Brooke @ i blog 4 books Ā» Wow – that is really interesting, Brooke. All I can say is poor publishing houses, trying to meet everyone’s differing expectations and choices – LOL!
October 14, 2013 at 2:33 pm
The cover art is one of the biggest factors for me… I confess to wanting a book to look nice as it sits on my TBR pile or even on my virtual shelves. The cover usually enhances the experience. It (hopefully) promises something, giving insight through symbolism, adding excitement through a special scene, or just being beautiful/unique enough to make me think the story itself will be, too.
The author can definitely make me want to pick up a book, if it’s someone I know (or know of), or an author whose work I know I love. (On the other hand, if I didn’t like an author’s work or had issues with it, even a good cover might not be enough to get me to try another one. Just depends!)
The blurb/genre makes a difference. I’m especially drawn to stories that promise romance and adventure. š
I don’t think the publisher plays as big of a role for me. Sometimes it can give me the extra bit of interest, if I know there’s quality behind it, I suppose! But as a self-pubbed author who reads some other self-pubbed books, the publisher isn’t the most important thing for me.
However, I will say that a friend’s recommendation, an endorsement/review from an author I admire, a bunch of good reviews or interesting online “buzz,” etc. – all of that plays a part in making me want to pick up a book. Sometimes, those things can be the catalyst to make me sit up and take interest in a book, to look it up and learn more. Being a part of the book blogging world makes things different for me than it used to be. Instead of just browsing books in a bookstore, I’m talking and hearing about books all the time, and often before the actual publishing date. It’s fun and different than it used to be. š
~Amber
October 17, 2013 at 11:11 am
Amber S. Ā» I so agree with you, Amber – being a blogger/book reviewer makes a huge difference. Knowledge is power, right!!
You know, I’d never buy a book based on the cover alone. I just don’t work like that but I know many do. It’s not that I don’t appreciate a good cover – I want to know the story is going to be good so that means author/synopsis first š
October 14, 2013 at 3:30 pm
1) If it’s an author whose past work I already love I will read the book no matter what the cover looks like, who the publisher is or what the synopsis is.
2) If it’s an author that I’m familiar with and have liked some of their books, but not all of them, I will definitely go by the synopsis and the cover to see if it’s a book I would like to read.
3)If it’s a new author’s novel the cover always catches my attention first. Next I read the synopsis to see if I think the plot and story will be interesting. If that sounds good I then usually look up the author’s website, read their bio and look at their photo albums. Next I’ll see if they have a blog and read some of their entries. I like to get a feel for the author’s personality to see if I would be on the same wavelength with this person. Sometimes I look at their Facebook page too. I also pay attention to their comments on other blogs. After all that I usually will read the first chapter of the novel if it’s available to see if it draws me in.
October 14, 2013 at 3:34 pm
One other thing. I have read a few CBA books in the last couple of years or so that were advertised as romance books. That’s what I expected. Part way reading through them the plot turned into a suspense novel. If I wanted to read a suspense novel I would have chosen one. It would be nice if they had a way of labeling the novel as Romance with a suspense thread, not straight Romance.
October 17, 2013 at 11:03 am
Sylvia M. Ā» They do use the label “romantic suspence” so it should have had that specified. I think there is always disappointment when there is misleading information, no matter how unintentional, on a book.
October 17, 2013 at 11:05 am
Sylvia M. Ā» Great process, Sylvia. It is a new world really where we can access this kind of information these days – author websites, blogs, online book reviews. I think readers are being a lot more savvy when they are selecting books now, as they have the tools to research at their disposal.
October 14, 2013 at 3:38 pm
For me, genre is the most important. I will always pick up a historical over anything else, then perhaps a cozy mystery or a fantasy/scifi. Next in importance is the cover. Those that look like a typical Christian historical novel get my attention first. After that comes author and then publisher. The more I have gotten to know about Christian fiction over the years, the more important the publisher has become to me.
October 17, 2013 at 11:00 am
Aaron McCarver Ā» Hey Aaron – genre is a big factor, I agree. But when you enjoy so many different genres like I do, other factors jump in. Cover art is lower down the scale for me – author then publishing house first.
October 14, 2013 at 5:30 pm
I should probably have a go at answering my own question!
I choose my books using the following criteria, pretty much in this order:
Author (if the author is familiar to me)
Genre
Publisher
Synopsis
If the author is unfamiliar I go to publisher and then genre.
I never look at cover art in choosing a book. At some point while reading I will look at it out of curiosity, but the cover is never something that influences me one way or the other. I’m so sorry, all the people who put so much effort into cover art! I’m glad others appreciate all the time and attention to those details.
October 17, 2013 at 10:57 am
Tracy Ā» I think you are pretty unique in covers not influencing you at all, Trac. You take “Don’t judge a book by its cover” literally!!
October 15, 2013 at 12:58 am
Right now I choose books first and foremost because they’re by an author whose past work I enjoyed. Wait a minute–that means I never read novels by new authors, right? No, I also will choose books based on recommendations from friends and even from reviews on websites. But if it’s a choice between the known and unknown, whether it’s restaurants or books, I’m going to choose a known quantity.
Cover art? Not really (although if there’s a bonnet on it, I know I don’t want to read it). Publishing house? If I know the kind of books that house publishes, that’s a factor.
Thanks for including this question. I look forward to reading the answers.
October 17, 2013 at 10:51 am
Richard Mabry Ā» Thanks for sharing your thoughs, Richard. Choosing a brand new author is a challenge, for sure. I think that is why early buzz, marketing, website, etc is so important to debut authors. Books are so pricey now readers have to be selective. It’s a tough world out there š
October 15, 2013 at 2:38 am
Fun question! Cover art is a big deal for me. If its “cheesy” and I don’t know the author, then I’m less likely to take a chance. I know…I’m even writing a blog post about how apparently I’m a book cover snob ;).
The Publishing House does help in my decision too – if I trust most of their reads, I’m likely to try something they recommend. If it’s one of my fav authors, I’ll pretty much read anything they write, even if the cover is in pencil š
October 17, 2013 at 10:49 am
Jamie Lapeyrolerie Ā» Love it, Jamie! I think many of us are book cover snobs, even if we won’t admit it – LOL! I guess e-readers are a saving grace for those who want to read certain books but hate (or are embarassed by) the covers!!
Favourite authors – yep, who cares what the cover looks like?!? That said, I’m so sad when a favourite author has a dorky cover as I know it will certainly put readers off the book.
October 15, 2013 at 4:52 am
I think all those reasons together are reasons I pick up books. I might look for a certain publishing house (Bethany House and Revell are two that I gravitate towards) but I also read the synopsis and check out the cover art before I buy. Books are SO expensive these days, that it’s not really an option to buy a book without doing a bit of research on it first LOL!
October 17, 2013 at 10:46 am
Renee C. Ā» Yes, research – and it is so readily available now, is great. I pay attention to who is loving the book and who isn’t!
October 15, 2013 at 9:53 am
Ooo, good question!
The main factor for me is genre. I love one and usually gravitate to that one, but I will read others. A really good cover captures my attention, but if the synopsis doesn’t snag me, I probably won’t choose the book if it is a new author.
I do like certain publishing houses, usually because of certain authors are with those houses.
But, the big deciding factor is the recommendations for the book. If a friend said they loved it and we have the same taste, I will jump on that book.
October 17, 2013 at 10:45 am
Kate Ā» Aren’t respected friends/bloggers’ recommendations fabulous? I agree wholeheartedly on that one. And I’m with you the synopsis, too!
October 15, 2013 at 10:05 am
Excellent question. So many factors go into this one.
The cover art plays a huge role in picking out a novel. If it looks pretty, appealing, intriguing – or whatever the right “mood” should convey, it definitely prompts me to read up on the novel. If the design is “blah,” I confess to skipping over it unless the author is familiar. That may seem “superficial” however a good conceptual design says a lot about the story.
Author’s who I trust always get a second look and like you, publishing houses do play a role! I have been discovering some good ones from Thomas Nelson (HarperCollins), always love Bethany House and Revell has an excellent suspense line up. Which then brings me to genres. Anything contemporary is on my TBR pile plus of course I love mysteries and select historicals. A good plot goes a long way – particularly if the plot sounds interesting. If authors go for the unique (making sure not to trap themselves with a “break up” or developing romance “too soon”) rather than the typical, that is the best gift they can give readers.
Recommendations or good buzz is important also. We’re proof of that! š
October 17, 2013 at 10:44 am
Rissi Ā» Great thoughts, Rissi, as always! I think you are right about publishers – there are a few that, almost without fail, put out quality books. Even if I may not like the storyline due to reading preferences the quality is always there. I love unique stories, too – they are the BEST!
And yes to the buzz!! Love making some book loving noise with you š
October 15, 2013 at 12:14 pm
All of the above. lol. Genre is important, then probably cover art if I don’t know the author. But in the past year I’ve read a lot of new authors, and I’ve read a variety of genres–read my first Amish book and loved it. But probably the main reason I buy a book is that I read the blurb at Amazon and want to read more.
October 17, 2013 at 10:42 am
Patricia Bradley Ā» Love that you’ve read your first Amish book, Patricia. I’m not a fan either but there have been a few that have caught my eye. Loved Jolina Petersheim’s The Outcast and Kelly Long’s books are great, too. Which one did you read? Or was it Jolina’s? I feel like we may have talked about it before!
I agree, the synopsis is key for me.
October 17, 2013 at 1:24 am
For me, it’s first the author and then the publishing house. Since I buy a ton of books, I have to be careful to make sure I’m going to get the most bang for my buck. This means I put a lot of faith in the author’s previous works and in the publishing company. Covers, beautiful though they may be, have burned me one time too many.
That said, reviews are probably the biggest selling point for me.
October 17, 2013 at 10:38 am
Embassie Ā» Books are expensive, aren’t they and there’s nothing worse than forking out precious dollars on a so-so book! I think the way you choose books is wise š
October 19, 2013 at 8:46 am
I must say it is a combination of things for me. I don’t take much notice of publishing houses (until I start thinking a book is a bit dodgey). It is usually a mixture of cover and blurb and author and recommendations. Every now and then I decide on a book just on the cover, and I have even decided on a book from the title alone once.