No, they don’t. They really, really don’t.
I hear writers say all the time how great their book is, and yet, no one seems to be buying it. And they can’t figure out why?
As a writer, no matter where you are in your journey, it’s important to remember that like most consumer products, your book will be judged based upon many things. Only one of which is how entertaining a read it is.
Sad but true. It takes a lot for people to buy a book. Not only is there a financial commitment, but also, and often more importantly, there is the time expense.
Think about the last book you bought, which really should’ve been mine, but whatever…
Did you buy it because it was an author you’ve read before? Or did you buy someone new? If you bought a new author, why did you buy that particular book? Was it something you saw (i.e., the book cover) that convinced you to read the description? And once you read it, did you know you had to read the book? Or was it because someone said (word of mouth, blurb, or review) it was a good read? Did you read a sample of the first few pages?
If you’re paying attention–I wouldn’t blame you if you weren’t, as it’s too dang early (plus I ramble on and on, and on some more)–my point is, there are many things that a reader/buyer does before even reading a sample of your writing.
That means you need to care about things like the cover art (though sometimes the cover is out of the author’s hands), the description (again, sometimes beyond the author), garnering word of mouth or reviews, and those first few chapters, which must pack a punch.
Add in the fact that people have to become aware of your book, too. That means marketing and advertising. Some authors use newsletters, others blogs. Social media. Book signings. Festivals. Cons. And many, many more use whatever means they can think of.
Books don’t sell without some form of all of the above. I wish they did–it would make my life so much easier. Though I refuse to look at this as a bad thing. It’s all part of being an author, and that in itself makes it worth it.
What do you look at when making the decision to buy a book?
Was just thinking about this. And thinking about the messages I’m t-r-y-i-n-g to send out to the world, that my books exist and that they (of course) need to be read right now. Yet it’s been a long time (forever) since I bought a book because I ran across a tweet that looked intriguing or a Facebook post about an event. I read books because of my own research needs and/or personal interests and/or because I like an author but most of the time it’s recommendations from friends I trust. That’s the bottom line.
Thanks, Mark! The part I liked best about what you said, which I do love everything, was the words, “friends I trust”. So many times I’ll take a book rec from a friend, and hate the book. But from someone whose taste I know and agree with, that makes all the difference.
I look at cover art, then read the synopsis, and sometimes go completely from recommendations (friends and reviews) instead. When I wander in to the library and check out the new book shelves, it’s a book’s title and cover art that get my attention first. I also get to read books from a variety of authors just because I’ve won several giveaways on Goodreads.
First couple of pages.