How Do Readers Pick a New Author? Part III

The infamous back cover blurb overwhelmingly had the most votes, but in second or third place, not in first. The back cover blurb wasn’t the key deciding factor for many readers. Perusing a sample chapter either clinched the sale or resulted in the reader deciding not to buy.

Readers said:

“The description on the back cover is the first test. Then, I read the first couple of pages. If I'm not hooked, I keep looking.”

“I pick the book up and flip it over to read the back cover.”

“Then I read the blurb and a sample chapter if they provide one. If not, I look for the author’s website and see if they have a sample chapter up.”

While many authors valiantly struggle to get reviews and endorsements from well known celebrities and authors, it really doesn’t hold much sway over the majority of readers. Reviews increase the visibility of an author and their books, but it isn’t the deciding factor of whether to read that particular book.

Readers told us:

“I don't go by recommendations generally...such as the pages and pages of book recommendations by newspapers, magazines, people I never heard of.”

“I only take notice of reviews from reviewers I respect, and who I've been reading regularly for some time.”

“I don't even look at the endorsements on the cover/inside the book by other authors. I once bought a book based on an endorsement by an author that I liked, and I hated the book. It left me wondering if these authors actually even read the book.”

Of course being selected by Kelly Ripa in Reading with Ripa, or by Oprah Winfrey is the exception to the rule. Carly Philips’ “The Bachelor” went to number one on amazon.com in a matter of hours after being selected by Kelly.

So it would seem that the main factors in the buy decision are:

Personal recommendations
Cover art,
Back cover blurb,
The writing itself

But there were some interesting comments that really don’t fit in any of those categories.

Readers mentioned:

"I also like to attend local author presentations my library to show support for fellow writers.”

“I rarely will even look at a book with less than 375 pages long-- unless it's a beloved author or the subject matter has influence upon something I'm writing.”

“One of the authors in the anthology had such enthusiasm in her postings about her first published novel, that I wanted to show her that at least one stranger in the whole world cares enough to buy her book. I felt good doing it, and now I find it was a darn good purchase. I love that.”

“If it is by a new author I have met online or at the book fair at I felt was nice towards me I'll buy a book from them. I know this sounds vain but I refuse to support a person who is rude to me.”

Find out more about book publishing at http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com

Dee and Brian are the authors of The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories From Authors and the Editors, Agents and Booksellers Behind Them and the novel Over Time

How do readers pick a new author to read? Part II

The cover either entices or detracts. Cover art was most often mentioned in the number one or number two spot. The importance of the cover is reflected in the enormous amount of time and effort publishers and authors devote to designing the cover, often going through dozens of variations before deciding which one is perfect (they think).

Another interesting aspect of covers is how successful ones are imitated. Just look at how many recent chick lit novels feature bright colors, highly stylized lettering and cartoon type characters.

Don’t judge a book by its cover doesn’t ring true with most readers.

They told us:

“First, I look at the cover. If it has a half-naked woman, I put it back.”

“I take my books with me to read while I'm waiting and I'd rather have a nice scene on the cover.”

“If I'm just looking through the shelves, the cover catches my eye first.”

“It's the cover that will attract me pick up the book.”

But not every reader feels this way.

“For me, the cover has no effect on choosing a book.”

“I do most of my book shopping online. I rarely buy in the store. Having said that, the cover does not sway me at all.”

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Find out more about book publishing at http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com

Dee and Brian are the authors of The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories From Authors and the Editors, Agents and Booksellers Behind Them and the novel Over Time

Dog friendly vacations - Don't leave Fido at home.

If you think of your dogs as part of your family then dog friendly vacations seems like a must. But does your dog want to come with you?

Do Dogs Like To Travel? An Interview

We interviewed a five-year-old Cocker Spaniel named Patches, who just returned from a wonderful family vacation that took him from Texas to California and back, to find out how he enjoyed the experience.

So, how was your trip, compared to the times you stayed at the kennel?

Are you kidding, pal? No comparison. Sitting alone in a cage versus seeing the country with my family? Those kennels talk a big game about letting us out for exercise, but I spent most of time sitting on a cement floor staring at a Bulldog in the next cage. And she wasn't even that pretty. Truth be told, she kind of drooled.

But you stayed at one of the expensive kennels that have a swimming pool and TV

Let me ask you, do you want to swim in a two foot deep wading pool that 50 dusty dogs have just been splashing through? Didn't think so. And having the TV on all the time became annoying after a while, and they didn't even put on my favorite show.

What is your favorite TV show?

Bones.

Did your Master pack everything you needed for the trip?

I never use the term Master. I call them my Two Legged Companions With Thumbs and Credit Cards. But, yes, they did a great job packing for the trip. They remembered my own food, my own bowls. The medications I take. Some toys to play with. Little things like this mean a lot to a Dog. I really look forward to playing with my own toys each day.

Did they forget anything that would have made you more comfortable?

My medicated shampoo and some towels from home would have been great. When we went to the beach, I got sand in my coat, which got itchy, so I had to shake the sand off when we got back to the hotel. Dogs really hate getting the hotel carpet dirty, you know. Think of the poor maid that has to come in and vacuum.

Having my own bed along would have been nice, too. I slept on the hotel bed with my Two Legged Companions and at one hotel, frankly, the bedspread smelled bad. A cat must have checked into that room recently. They really should think about having dogs-only rooms, especially considering we were paying $200 a night for that place.

Some dogs have trouble with car sickness? You traveled several hundred miles a day. Were you ever bothered with an upset stomach?

Just once. They shared a taco with me just outside of Blythe, California, and then we went a steep mountain road. The taco ended up in one of their laps. I prefer to be fed before we get in the car, or after we arrive at the hotel for the night. Or they could have brought along my favorite dog biscuits, so I could have a snack. Just outside Flagstaff, they gave me some French fries that were way too salty and I didn't have any water to drink in the back seat. I was panting all the way to the Grand Canyon.

Anything else that made you uncomfortable?

Sometimes we had to walk across hot pavement that really hurt my paw pads. They forget they have shoes with thick soles. It's better for me if I can walk in the grass. Even a sidewalk is better than blacktop.

What was the highlight of your trip?

Swimming in the Pacific Ocean. An experience like that you never forget, even when you get to be an old dog.

So where do you want to go on your next trip?

Somewhere with snow. Then we can all sit by the fireplace at night and pretend we're still wolves.

Thank you Patches, what a cuddly canine you are. If you'd like more information about dog friendly vacations and how you get the most our of yours, please visit The Dog Lover's Guide to Traveling.

So now we know that dogs indeed like to travel

*****

Find out more about Dee Power

How do readers pick a new author to read? Part I

Fans of bestselling authors make a beeline for their favorite writers at the bookstore, hardly pausing on the way from tables stacked high with the latest and greatest to the cash register. But sometimes another John Grisham, Nora Roberts, or Danielle Steel isn’t quite what you’re in the mood for.

When browsing through the stacks of novels at the local bookstore, how does a customer choose a new author? Marketing research firms spend thousands of dollars trying to determine consumer behavior and ways to manipulate that behavior.

Have you ever watched customers meandering through the aisles, picking up one book, perusing the cover, then selecting another? Why do they select any one particular book?

We conducted an unscientific survey to see if we could find out. Most readers, even when selecting a new author, will stay within their favorite genre, whether romance, mystery or thriller.

Word of mouth, or recommended by a friend was the factor most often mentioned as the number one factor. Some books are simply so memorable that readers become anxious to tell their friends about them. Publishers spend millions of dollars on advertising, book tours, etc., but one of the most powerful forces driving a book’s success is basic grass roots, one-on-one word of mouth.

Readers told us:

“Someone tells me about a book they really like, so I try it. If I like it too, then I pass on the information as well as looking for other books by the same author.”

“I buy a lot of books based on comments made on one or two online book groups where we post our reads for the month. Again, I particularly note comments from people whose tastes I know are similar to mine.”

“How do I select to read books by a new-to-me author? Almost totally from recommendations from people I know. In this case word of mouth sells. If I hear enough people raving about a new author...I will get the book.”

Find out more about book publishing at http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com

Dee and Brian are the authors of The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories From Authors and the Editors, Agents and Booksellers Behind Them and the novel Over Time

29 days to go in my 30 day challenge.

I can’t say I was pleased with today’s work. The Squidoo lenses still confuse me a bit. It took over two hours but I did manage to get the main lens up for 58 Ways to Find Money for Your Business and the two supporting lenses. Here’s the link for squidoo link.

Over Time was more of a challenge. I finally just used the blurb on the back cover and put one lens up under the sports and recreation category. I then revised the blurb to be more romance friendly and chose the arts & literature category.

I’ll add to all the lenses in the next week, but at least they’re up.

Most of the lenses I saw were loaded with products that were related to the topic. At Squidoo you can choose to receive the commission on the sale of any product you have linked or you can donate the commission to a charity. Squidoo also receives part of the commission as well.

Squidoo is supposed to help in a number of ways. A lens provides a back link to any website that is mentioned and linked in that lens. So every time I put up a new lens it’s another link. One of the categories that Search Engines rank sites on is the number of one way “back” links the site has. The more quality “back” links the better.

Another advantage is that if someone searches using a key word I’ve included in the len, the search engine may bring the lens up.

Tomorrow I will look at the key words and how they’re used in the websites themselves. Meta tags Here I come.

Dee

Dee Power and Brian Hill are the authors of 58 Ways to Find Money for Your Business, Business Plan Basics, several nonfiction books, and the novel Over Time Money, Love and Football: All the Important Things in Life. Visit their website