In anticipation of the release of Witch Blood on March 4th, I’ve sent out something like 13, 000 book marks to various bookstores, mostly in the U.S. and Australia. It’s my hope that people will pick up one of them, decide the book sounds good and buy it. I’ve bought books in my life that way. That was back when I used to peruse the bookstores in search of fodder for my TBR pile.
These days, since I live far from any bookstore, I mostly decide what to buy through word-of-mouth on the Internet, or by looking at the coming soon lists at Amazon.com (the store where I mostly buy my books).
So, tell me, how do you buy books?
Are you a reader of reviews and decide what you’ll buy from those?
Do you listen to other reader recommendations?
Do you stick pretty much to a set author’s release schedule or branch out and try new authors?
Do you browse the bookstore shelves?
Do you browse the coming soon lists at online book retailers?
Or some combination of the above?
I’d love to know. How to do you decide what books to buy?
The winner from last week’s contest is….PamK!! Congrats, Pam! Can you please drop me an email at anyabast (at) yahoo.com with your mailing address?
I buy my books online, too, so I tend to use the coming soon lists for Amazon as my tool for tracking new and familiar author releases. I also haunt my favorite author’s websites for upcoming titles and excerpts, and try new author’s from reader rec’s that I see on my favorite blogs.
Already ordered Witch Blood at Amazon!
by Cathy M January 20th, 2008 at 1:37 pmI buy most of my books online, so I use Amazon’s recommending feature a lot. I also subscribe to the blogs of my favourite authors (and some of the authors they’ve recommended on their blogs). I visit the PNR website and get hold of RT when I can (not often – I don’t want to subscribe so I just hope there’s a copy when I go to Borders.
A couple of times a year I go down to London to Forbidden Planet and Murder One (both of whom stock romance – FP recently and only if it’s paranormal/ fantasy/ SF) and Murder One sometimes have bookmarks/ cover flats on display to let you know what’s coming in the next couple of months. I keep an a-z filofax and list the authors aphabetically with what book is coming out when, so I know when to get them.
I’ll usually try something new if an author I really like has recommended it (and sounds as if they’ve read it)
by Merry January 22nd, 2008 at 12:10 pmI find new books in a couple of different ways. I browse through the library or Barnes & Noble looking at the covers for anything that catches my eye. I get recommendations from my cousin since we share the same taste in books. I’ve recently joined a Yahoo Group (Paranormal Romance Lovers) and have been getting recommendations from them, but I do read their reviews/opinions first.
I’ve been sticking to just a couple of authors, trying to catch up in their series – Laurell K. Hamilton, Sherrilyn Kenyon, JR Ward, Kim Harrison. Since I have been sitting close to those few, I started my own resolution to find 50 new authors, which is how I found Anya and thank god for that.
When I find a new author that I like, I keep a watch on their books so I can get them when they come out. I have a huge list of new releases that I try to update monthly (http://stuff.myjaxon.com/releases.xhtml)
I’ll also read novels that I see are recommended from my favorite authors. If I’m looking for something and I see a blurb on a book from one, then I’ll usually try it.
by Jackie January 25th, 2008 at 6:36 pmThanks for you answers, all. They’re always very enlightening. 🙂
by Anya Bast January 26th, 2008 at 6:12 amI have a list of my favorite authors so I track their new releases. I’ll either buy or check out from the public library.
My friends are also readers so they’ll refer books, or I’ll write down a book I’ve seen at DearAuthor or in the RT magazine.
When I’m browsing at the bookstore, covers also draw me in.
by Jana J. Hanson January 29th, 2008 at 10:23 amI continually update my list of favorite authors and I’ll keep up with new releases, I admit I shop more at amazon than at the mall. I love Paranormal, futuristic romance. I loved historical romance till it became monotonous- Size 2 girl, horrible to really sweet guy, goes off on her own, he gets hurt trying to save her…yada, yada yawn! With witches, warlock and other outer worldy creatures-you never know what’s around the bend…so very cool!!! A good cover get’s my attention, but a great story get’s my allegiance for life!
by Shelley Dayman "Belana" January 31st, 2008 at 7:22 am