But that means I can be here with you!
Here are the results of our poll about Why You Buy a Book:
52 people voted.
1-Positive review-- 21 votes or 40%
2-Bestseller's List 5 votes or 9%
3-Attractive Cover 30 votes or 57%
4-Blog about Books 18 votes or 34%
5-Back Cover Blurb 35 votes or 67%
6-First Few Pages 16 votes or 30%
7-Subject Matter 26 votes or 50%
8-Part of a series 20 votes or 38%
9-Friend's recommendation 22 votes or 47%
10-Info from Publisher 4 votes or 7%
11-Some Stories Speak to me 13 votes or 25%
With on 52 votes, this less than random sampling (You need over 200 to qualify for that--I took statistics in college and that is the ONLY THING I RECALL).
However it looks like
Attractive Cover 57%
Back Cover Blurb 67%
Subject Matter 50%
Friend's recommendation 47%
were the most popular reasons for buying a book--in this poll.
Being human however, we left off one other MAIN REASON A READER MIGHT BUY A BOOK--The Author!
You would think that authors wouldn't forget that one. (Hanging our heads in shame.)
So the big questions today are:
1-Do you have a list of authors who you keep on your "to buy" list?
2-And if so, who are a few of those authors?
We won't be insulted if you mention other authors, who aren't part of this blog. So get real. And spill your list of authors you can't resist!
I'll go first: Kathy Herman and Jan Karon and Diane Mott Davidson. Surprised?
BTW, here's a note from our dear, Elnora!
"Ask Elnora--About Romance Readers????Lenora Worth
Hello, my lovelies. I'm off to New York City to attend the RWA conference, but while I'm gone our own Lyn Cote is going to talk to everyone about a recent poll she conducted regarding what our readers really want. Lyn will explain it much better, I'm sure. Try to behave while I'm gone. P. S. I managed to pack eight pairs of shoes!!!
Elnora :-)"
Posts
Gilbert Morris, Ginny Smith are both auto buys, Mary Connealy is another one. Cheryl Wyatt is another and now that I know them Jillian Hart, Carla Capshaw, Janet Tronstad. Lyn I have to say I love yours to although I still need to buy your last one in the texas series. Sometimes it takes longer to buy the books because there are so many books. With so many Love Inspired books I find I have to look at the books and pick a few as I can only read so many a month.
ReplyDeleteThanks for including me with such wonderful authors!
ReplyDeleteMisplaced comment--added now!
ReplyDeleteFrom Louise P. on June 20, 2011 at 5:59 am.
Yep, the author is my first determination. If I really like one, I will
buy everything that he/she writes. Other than that, I check the review on
Amazon a lot. You Craftie ladies are the only books that I know, in advance,
will contain no distasteful subject matter. Thank you for that!
My must-buys are Michelle Moran, Juliet Blackwell, and J.K. Rowlings. When the third Harry Potter came out I didn't have enough money to buy it (in hardover) so sat at the Borders store and read the whole thing in one day. I did go back and buy it when it came out in soft cover.
ReplyDeleteAlmost sight unseen and with no prior knowledge, I would pick up books by Francis Ray, Victoria Christopher Murray, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Angela Benson, Christa Allan, Steven James, Cheryl Wyatt, Linda Goodnight, Julie Lessman, Claudia Mair Burney... Oh, and I can't forget Tosca Lee.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely too many to name.
For myself, while I do get certain authors books (Beverly Lewis, Wanda Brunstetter, Melody Carlson)...I also try to get all the books in a series: Hometown Mysteries by Barbour and the "When I Fall in Love" series by Summerside. I also get all the Christmas anthologies that Barbour puts out each year and all the Amish-themed books by LI.
ReplyDeleteFor my mom...all of Debra Clopton's Mule Hollow books as well as all of the LI Historicals.
What a great discussion. I am somewhere in middle America. Thank you Lyn for running the poll. My reception is spotty but I've been listening in!! I love to read everything!!!
ReplyDeleteI to buy the christmas novella's from barbour each year. I forgot Janet Dean on my list of books.
ReplyDeletePretty much all the LI and LIH authors are on my auto buy list. In fact, I buy those first and then pick and chose where to spend the rest of my book money!
ReplyDeleteI say pretty much all because I do have to discover the new authors as they come along before they are on my auto buy.
Peace, Julie
Interesting results!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, everyone!