Authors, Writers, Publishers, and Book Readers

First impressions: What influences you about a book at first glance?

Assuming the book is in a genre you like, would it being written by a famous author alone make you buy or is that not enough? Front book covers don't attract me at all. I go by the back cover. Out of everything, a clever title will make me pluck it from the shelf more than anything.

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Permalink Reply by Viviana Arteaga on September 25, 2009 at 2:37am

I'm actually a little embarrassed to say that I look at covers first. But then I look at the titles next, sometimes I look for a specific author and then I look for one that I haven't read from. I'm gonna admit I'm a little lazy or too much in a rush to read the back so I look at covers titles or authors. I buy so many books that my mom gets mad at me for buying too many and not finishing some of them. I actually have to push my mom that way or sneak off to see if any new books came in to wal mart. But the gist of my ramblings is I look at covers first. lol (Our town lost waldens because the mall and their contracts didn't meet)

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Permalink Reply by Sandra Kitchen on September 25, 2009 at 6:50am

If it is an author I read, yes I would pick this book up. If it is not an author I read then I would need to flip through the book to check and see if I like the style in a few places. What would make me pick the book up in the first place would be the title.

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Permalink Reply by Kay Elizabeth on September 25, 2009 at 5:40pm

Viviana, I used to go by covers initially until I got the same book twice once! It was an anniversary edition and I didn't bother to read the back or I might have recognized it. I was a few chapters into it when I thought "this sounds familiar." Silly me. :)

Viviana Arteaga said:

I'm actually a little embarrassed to say that I look at covers first. But then I look at the titles next, sometimes I look for a specific author and then I look for one that I haven't read from. I'm gonna admit I'm a little lazy or too much in a rush to read the back so I look at covers titles or authors. I buy so many books that my mom gets mad at me for buying too many and not finishing some of them. I actually have to push my mom that way or sneak off to see if any new books came in to wal mart. But the gist of my ramblings is I look at covers first. lol (Our town lost waldens because the mall and their contracts didn't meet)

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Permalink Reply by Kay Elizabeth on September 25, 2009 at 5:45pm

I tend to be loyal to an author I like as well. When I discover an author I'm keen on, I'll buy their new book before an unknown (or even unknown to me). No wonder it's so tough to break into the writing world! For unknowns, I do the flipping thing too. Their cover attracts me first though.

Sandra Kitchen said:

If it is an author I read, yes I would pick this book up. If it is not an author I read then I would need to flip through the book to check and see if I like the style in a few places. What would make me pick the book up in the first place would be the title.