10 reasons NOT to buy a book -

Poll: What causes you NOT to buy a book? -note that you can choose more than one option
Read others by the author
The blurb
The title
The genre
Advertising
Cover design
Forum buzz eg. KUF
First few paragraphs
Independent reviews
Price
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Streaky Steve Reading Gladiatrix by Linda Gruchy

06 Oct 2012, 04:14 PM | Post: #1

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10 reasons NOT to buy a book

This post was last modified: 06 Oct 2012 04:16 PM by Streaky Steve.

Ken Magee ran an interesting poll on what influences people to buy a book. You can see it here.

This poll is to look at what causes you NOT to buy a book. Please note that you can choose more than one of the reasons (although choosing all 10 would seem a bit pointless!)

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Susanne Reading I Woke Up This Morning by Stuart Ayris

06 Oct 2012, 04:25 PM | Post: #2

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RE: 10 reasons NOT to buy a book

I've voted, although, somehow, I seem to have more negatives on this one than when I posted on the "what makes you want to buy a book". Interesting.

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Damien J. Nash Reading Flux by Mark. R. Faulkner

06 Oct 2012, 04:26 PM | Post: #3

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RE: 10 reasons NOT to buy a book

I chose three.

Price (for example, J. K. Rowling's new novel at £11.99 for the ebook, despite me wanting to read it).

First few paragraphs (I always look at the "Look Inside" and if I have to start re-reading things due to poor grammar, or if it just bores me then I won't download it.)

Genre (there is no way on hell you'll find me reading 50SOG lol)

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l_macd

06 Oct 2012, 04:45 PM | Post: #4

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RE: 10 reasons NOT to buy a book

I chose four. The price and the blurb are the main two, if it's too expensive I won't even look at the blurb, if the blurb doesn't interest me, or if it tells you little about the book but is just full of one-liner reviews, I'll give it a miss. Things like the title and cover don't put me off a book, they might attract me to it, but the blurb is always the thing that matters most to me.

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lyndawrites Reading The Midnight Man by Paul Doherty

06 Oct 2012, 05:08 PM | Post: #5

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RE: 10 reasons NOT to buy a book

Hmm, not sure which to put. Choosing a book always comes down to a mix of variables for me and the process works in this order:

1. Title and cover - do they attract?
2. Blurb - does it draw me in?
3. Sample - is it well-written and interesting? Do I want to keep reading?

If the answer to all three is 'yes', then you have a potential customer - that's when price becomes a factor.

I'm not sure the process works in reverse order. What makes me not buy a book is any one (or a mix) of the poll options, depending on the book. For me it might have worked better if we could have ticked them in order of preference.

Sorry that's not a lot of help.

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cecilia_writer Reading Bang

06 Oct 2012, 05:48 PM | Post: #6

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RE: 10 reasons NOT to buy a book

I think the most off-putting thing for me is if I've read another book by the author and absolutely hated it! But price is almost equal to that - as others have said, no way am I paying £11.99 for an ebook.

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GWakeling Reading Duncton Wood - William Horwood

06 Oct 2012, 05:51 PM | Post: #7

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RE: 10 reasons NOT to buy a book

(06 Oct 2012 05:48 PM)cecilia_writer Wrote: I think the most off-putting thing for me is if I've read another book by the author and absolutely hated it! But price is almost equal to that - as others have said, no way am I paying £11.99 for an ebook.

I agree, Cecilia, if I've read a book that I didn't like, I'm VERY unlikely to read another novel by the author, even if everyone's raving about it.

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Chitma Reading

06 Oct 2012, 06:15 PM | Post: #8

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RE: 10 reasons NOT to buy a book

oooo one thing that this poll is screaming at me is that "genre" is quite high on the poll...

apart from the obvious ones (erotica for instance) i find that unusual cos one of the things i LOVE about kindle and ebooks is that i have diversified my reading material so much...

indeed, there are quite a few books that i have read and loved but have been genres i used to avoid. for instance, i used to steer clear of sci-fi and fantasy - but i have read several great books that have been categorised thus... i have even caught myself enjoying chic-lit and cosies and i never read them in the pre-kindle days...

interesting...

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Happy Reader Reading Blood Count by Robert Goddard

06 Oct 2012, 08:02 PM | Post: #9

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RE: 10 reasons NOT to buy a book

I voted for 4 reasons not to buy a book.

1) Price
2) Blurb
3) Read others by Author
4) First few paragraphs

I don't think these are listed in any order.

I must say I am surprised that I have not included genre or other reviews. perhaps I go by my own judgement. And from this it seems I don't look at advertising.

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LindaGruchy Reading The Chandelier Ballroom by Elizabeth Lord

06 Oct 2012, 09:12 PM | Post: #10

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RE: 10 reasons NOT to buy a book

(06 Oct 2012 05:08 PM)lyndawrites Wrote: Hmm, not sure which to put. Choosing a book always comes down to a mix of variables for me and the process works in this order:

1. Title and cover - do they attract?
2. Blurb - does it draw me in?
3. Sample - is it well-written and interesting? Do I want to keep reading?

If the answer to all three is 'yes', then you have a potential customer - that's when price becomes a factor.

I'm not sure the process works in reverse order. What makes me not buy a book is any one (or a mix) of the poll options, depending on the book. For me it might have worked better if we could have ticked them in order of preference.

Sorry that's not a lot of help.

That's how it is for me. I have pet hates in blurbs. One is if they are too long. Another is the lavish self-praise, eg, "This gripping story", or, "a thrilling twist", or "brilliant". Those are fine in reviews, but not in the blurb. I don't mind one or two excerpts from reviews where those words are used, or puffs, but not a ream of them. It's not for the author to tell me it's gripping, or suspenseful, or good; it's for me to find out.

I can generally tell within a few paragraphs if I'm going to take a chance on an unknown-to-me author. This, of course, is a false belief, because the ones I dismiss in the first few paragraphs never get read so I can't change my mind.

Price for me is a big decider. I won't bother even looking if a book is too expensive. I have far too many things to read without paying through the nose for more. I'd rather support fellow Kuffers by reading their work or that massive pile by my bed which never seems to get any smaller.

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