What Makes You Purchase a Novel?
 

Hey everyone...I'm on my way to work, but I wanted to pose this question to all of you right quick.

Many of you may not know this, but I am a writer -- currently unpublished. I've been trying to get a literary agent for the past year and a half or so. It's tough work, but I've been learning a lot about the publishing industry through my rejections. :mad: :( ;)

I have also recently been investigating the option of self-publishing. I thought I knew a lot about marketing and promoting literature, but I figure I'd ask all of you this question:

What makes YOU purchase a novel?

Word of mouth?
Are you a member of a book club that makes monthly suggestions?
Do you come to GreekChat for suggestions?
Do you regularly browse bookstores for new titles? (reading the back covers, etc)
Do you read Black Issues Book Review or some ther literature-related magazine? How about book reviews in mainstream publications?

Just curious!

Usually the cover illustration. I am a sucker for Fabio. j/k.

I mainly depend on book club referrals because I don't have a lot of free time. Also, if there is a particular author that I like, I look out for the newest title.

I don't belong to a book club, but word of mouth definitely helps.
I also look at the book covers as well. I like light suspense (Mary Higgins Clark) and absolutely LOVE John Grisham. I've read every one of his books. I love autobiographies and usually consider purchasing them (even if I don't know the author), and generally go in search of African-American fiction.

I am a book buyer (meaning when I want to read something I usually buy it).

I rely on word of mouth, recommendations from friends and family. I've also used GC as a resource for books (GC is how I heard about The Da Vinci Code and precceed to read all of Dan Brown's books). I do like to browse through bookstores and read the descriptions of books. If one tickles my fancy then I buy it.

I enjoy browsing through bookstores, and I'll keep word-of-mouth and recommendations in mind. For me the ultimate test of whether I buy a book or not is the first paragraph. If the author doesn't catch me by the end of the first paragraph, I won't spend my money on it.

I'm a BIG browser- I can stay in the bookstore for hours. A blurb on a jacket from a writer I like does wonders. Good cover art does draw the eye as well. But when all is said and done it's the story. The story and characters have to be compelling.

My new job is in publicity for a BIG ol publishing house, so I can tell you all about it in a month or so. :D

When I like an author, I usually read all his or her books (whether I know anything about the book or not). I usually find out about new authors by browsing the bookstore or reading book reviews.

Co-sign! And it doesn't help that I am in walking distance of a Chapters bookstore! :)

Thanks for the responses everyone, keep them coming!

In general, I browse the African American fiction and African American studies sections. For fiction, I pretty much look for the authors I am already familiar with. For non-fiction, seeing the cover helps, because I'm not automatically looking for a specific topic. Like this week, I saw the concise desktop edition of Africana, but I didn't get it because I'm holding out for the unabridged edition.

I don't generally purchase mainstream fiction unless it has been highly recommended (like the Davinci Code, which I just bought). I also like science fiction, and if I like the author, I will most likely keep supporting that author until I own all their books, like Octavia Butler.

I am pretty much a bookstore browser, too. If I recognize and author and I like their past books, I will generally buy it. I always search the AA Lit, the mystery/crime and the personal improvement sections; I buy very few biographies, though.

I have to limit myself to 3 books or $50, whichever is more, per bookstore visit!

See....I can't do that. I just spent a hunned at Borders the other day. I can't just buy books, I gotta get books and either music or DVDs.

I can stay in B & N for HOURS. I ususally look in Af-Am non-fiction, but I like mysteries and novels too. I also look at what's on the NY Times bestseller list. I always read the back covers of books and see if it's about something I would want to read about. It doesn't matter what kind of book it is, I will just pick up any book and read the back of it. You find a lot of interesting books that way that you may not have picked up otherwise.

Re: What Makes You Purchase a Novel?
 

I browse bookstores and look in the African American interests.

Then I am usually buying books that are biologically- or scientifically-related.

I just started a book club at my church. So I am buying the books to participate in that event.

I frequently browse the bookstore. Also, I offer suggestions (read:give) books to my friends and relatives. I love to give the gift of literacy.

I love browsing through book stores! If the book cover looks creative or artsy I usually pick it up. I also like to read the back to see if the story line sounds interesting. (I read mostly books by black authors and inspirational books). My favorites are EJD and Terry McMillan.

Essence Magazine usually does book reviews every month and I almost always purchase the novels listed there.