Not Your Usual Suspects: buying books

NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.

Friday, March 2, 2012

WHAT MAKES YOU BUY A BOOK? By Kathy Ivan

I'm in the midst of a book buying binge courtesy of a generous gift card my sister gave me, so I'm loading up my Kindle Fire with new books. As I've been browsing various sites, the choices and variety of books is mind-boggling. Which in turn got me thinking—what attracts me to certain books?

1. Cover. A striking cover on a book will definitely get me to take a second look. Whether I'm in a physical brick and mortar store or cruising the internet, an eye-catching cover will make me pause, just to find out what the story is all about.

2. Author name. Of course, we all have our favorites, right? Some are auto-buys. Some have certain series that we read every single book therein. Others are authors recommended by a friend or colleague or somebody that we know, a fellow reader who passes along his/her favorite writers.

3. Back cover. How many times have you picked a book for whatever reason, turned it over and the back cover blurb just riveted your attention from the first word? You immediately turn that book into your basket, knowing you have to have it. Other times you will read the back and right back onto the shelf it goes. A good, well-define and thought-provoking back cover is an important component when choosing a book.

4. Reading the first few pages. Okay, admit it, some of you (me included) will open the book right there in the bookstore and read the first couple of pages to get a feel for whether it is a good fit, something you would read. Does it hold your interest? Is the author's voice one you want to continue reading? On-line sites sometimes offer the first portion of a book as a "sample" which really does help because as a reader, I really like to check out what I'm buying before shelling out my hard-earned dollars on something that I might not finish.

5. Reviews by readers/review sites. While not my highest criteria, I do tend to look at some of the reviews, especially if I'm buying books on-line. Just saying . . .

How do you choose your books? Do you do the same things I've listed above, or do you have another way of findings books—I want to know.

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