Topic: What Makes You Choose a Book?

[thunderingelephants]

I have a related question: what would make you want to pick one of your own books from the shelves?

[Shannywriter]

I think the same thing as anyone else's, cover interest and reading the inside flap or back cover.

[Lea]

Great questions! What influences me:

1. Genre of my current WIP (mg these days).
2. Recommendations from a couple of writing buddies with similar taste in books.
3. Authors I've already read and loved.
4. Jacketflap and first pages.


Covers don't matter to me. Slick covers sometimes signal the worst books for me! But I'm guessing it's a matter of personal taste, like all artwork is.

[Aimee W.]

I'm a tool. The cover hooks me and the jacket copy reels me in.

[Patrick]

I'm a tool. The cover hooks me and the jacket copy reels me in.

Me too!
Other considerations: I like new releases and I like seeing an award medal on the cover.

For PBs, the title and art must convince me that they are about real alternate worlds that exist whether I read the book or not. Then, I want to read the book to see what those worlds are like.

Kind of like how I know these guys are real somewhere: 

[SB]

I, too, am a marketing dupe -- I will totally pick up a book if I like the cover, even faster if the title's good, and give the jacket copy a look to see if it's a story I think I'd like.  (I don't pay as much attention to the cover if I've already been hooked by word-of-mouth, and probably no attention at all if I'm familiar with the author's work and have liked those other books.)

[nhatch]

I'm drawn to titles first, read jacket copy second and then the first pages. If I am familiar with an author, I'll probably buy the book. I pretty much stick to my genre, but if the writing and plot are interesting, I'll try it. I can appreciate a good cover, won't judge a book by it

[Diane]

So much of my reading these days is either by recommendation or because I know about the book in some other way, so that's probably what I go by first. However, I was in  Borders the other day, and I find I am attracted to a good cover (or more likely, turned away by one I don't like) and I love quirky titles. Next I go with jacket copy and reviews. I actually don't usually read much of the book itself before choosing it, if any. So I guess I'm hooked more by story than by voice, although I'm disappointed if the voice doesn't deliver. Of course, many books use excerpts on the jacket copy, so those will get me through voice. I just tend to look at story first.

[thunderingelephants]

If I'm getting bored in the first page or two .. . I'll probably skim the end .. and if the end is interesting .. I'll go read the middle.

Doesn't skimming to the conclusion/end not spoil it for you?  I doubt I could do that and get distracted by the fact that I know exactly what will happen.

[Katrina S. Forest]

I trust my friends to give me good recommendations. I'll also keep an eye on what books have won major awards.

[Ambition]

I am a marketer's dream shopper - seriously! If I see a book cover that is unique I ALWAYS pick it up and read the jacket flap. If the story concept seems interesting I move to the first page and if that is good I usually buy it. I do pick a lot of my books based on recommendations and authors I've met from this board too. I don't always stick to my genre so it really is what cover catches my eye. I know I should be ashamed - sorry.

[thunderingelephants]

I'm drawn to titles first, read jacket copy second and then the first pages. If I am familiar with an author, I'll probably buy the book. I pretty much stick to my genre, but if the writing and plot are interesting, I'll try it. I can appreciate a good cover, won't judge a book by it

I am kind of like that.  The cover doesn't really bother me, but the title would.  Especially since I tend to choose in my own work that I hope would want to lure someone to want to read more.  Also I like think I could relate to the character by reading the blurb.

[KCHWriter]

Back cover copy, mostly!  Though lately I've been mostly reading on my Kindle, which has really changed my buying habits.  Now, I'm more likely to head to Amazon, browse the latest YA releases, and download a sample chapter from a half-dozen at a time (choosing from the blurbs that interest me).  If I'm enjoying the sample chapter, I buy the book; if I'm not interested after reading the sample, then I don't.  Interestingly enough, since I started reading/buying on my Kindle, I'd say I buy/read two to three times more books than I did before.  The Kindle (and similar e-readers) are *very* dangerous for impulse buyers like me who suddenly find themselves with nothing to read at 10 p.m. at night. 

[C. Lee McKenzie]

The cover has a lot to do with whether or not I pick up a book, well, that and if I know the author. The opening has to catch my interest, but even if it doesn't I usually give the book more time and read the blurbs or skim a few chapters to get a sense of the style.

[MaryWitzl]

I was an art major and I love good covers, but I don't think I've ever picked a book because of the cover. I tend to pulled in by the first page. If I like the writing on the first page, I'm in. If I've heard raves about the book but don't find myself drawn in by the cover, I'll flip to a few random pages, skim, then decide to buy or not to buy. And sometimes there will be such a fantastic review (from a really good reviewer), I'll buy just because of that. But that's usually when I'm in a hurry and really desperate.