We all like to say that we pick books based on how amazing the blurb sounded, but the book has to attract your attention enough to make you read the blurb first.
I know the saying is "don't judge a book by its cover," but I can't help it. I am a very visual person so the first thing about a book that is likely to grab me is the cover. If the cover is interesting enough for me, I move on to the title.
The title of a book can tell you a lot about the novel. It isn't always helpful, but that is still the second thing I take notice of.
I then check out the author to see if it is someone I recognize. Generally this does nothing for me. If it is an author I know and have enjoyed in the past, great! If it is someone I have never heard of, doesn't matter, I will still flip it over to read the back. The only time the author's name really affects me is if it is one of the few authors I just can't stand to give my money to. Really there are only two authors I can think of off the top of my head that fits into this category (Orson Scott Card and Cassandra Clair, both for personal reasons), but it still matters to me. Only after all of this will I read the blurb.
If the blurb is interesting I will either grab the book to buy or put it on my To Read list. If it is only mildly interesting, I will still put it on my To Read list, but will check out reviews later. Of course with blurbs that don't interest me, I quietly put the book back.
What make you want to pick up a book? Do you go through a process like me?
I know the saying is "don't judge a book by its cover," but I can't help it. I am a very visual person so the first thing about a book that is likely to grab me is the cover. If the cover is interesting enough for me, I move on to the title.
The title of a book can tell you a lot about the novel. It isn't always helpful, but that is still the second thing I take notice of.
I then check out the author to see if it is someone I recognize. Generally this does nothing for me. If it is an author I know and have enjoyed in the past, great! If it is someone I have never heard of, doesn't matter, I will still flip it over to read the back. The only time the author's name really affects me is if it is one of the few authors I just can't stand to give my money to. Really there are only two authors I can think of off the top of my head that fits into this category (Orson Scott Card and Cassandra Clair, both for personal reasons), but it still matters to me. Only after all of this will I read the blurb.
If the blurb is interesting I will either grab the book to buy or put it on my To Read list. If it is only mildly interesting, I will still put it on my To Read list, but will check out reviews later. Of course with blurbs that don't interest me, I quietly put the book back.
What make you want to pick up a book? Do you go through a process like me?
Yes, same as you....the cover is the first thing to get my attention. Then the blurb. If that appeals, I'll pick a random page and read a paragraph or two to get a feel for the author's style, and that is enough to tell me whether it's for me or not.
ReplyDeleteI need to start picking a random page. That is a great way to see if the book will be appealing. It definitely would have saved me plenty of grief before.
DeleteI generally look at the author name first and then the title, assuming only the spine is showing. Otherwise, I totally judge by the cover and the title in the sense that I'm looking to see if it fits my interests, starting with genre. (I blogged on judging a book by its cover: http://shannonknight.net/?p=373) I only read the blurb if I don't know the author, but I'm more likely to judge it by its opening page, because blurbs can really misrepresent.
ReplyDeleteI can't judge too much based off an author, I have been burned too many times thinking 'Hey, this person wrote that book I like. I bet I will like this one too.' I love how everybody has their own way of picking out books to read. And I wi be l definitely check out your post on the topic.
DeleteI put a lot of stock in others' recommendations, and I am often pulled in by something I've read about a book in Publisher's Weekly. Wandering aimlessly in a bookstore, I am a sucker for a interesting cover and title; then I go for the blurb. If i see something by an author I already like, I'm immediately tempted.
ReplyDeleteI make my To Read list a lot off of other's recommendations, but I still try to narrow things down using my criteria. I know I tend not to go with the popular thing to read too much. For instance I hate Twilight and don't understand why people like it so much.
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