What do you look for when....

[Ginger]

buying a novel?

I have one quirk that my husband and mother both find rather strange. I won't buy a book with large print. The smaller the print the better, and the more pages the better too. They tell me I'm just cheap.


Anyone else have any odd requirments when buying a novel?

[zornhau]

buying a novel?

I have one quirk that my husband and mother both find rather strange. I won't buy a book with large print. The smaller the print the better, and the more pages the better too. They tell me I'm just cheap.


Anyone else have any odd requirments when buying a novel?

White space.

[brinkett]

I won't buy a book that doesn't contain dialogue somewhere within the first two pages. If it does, I check the proportion of dialogue to narrative by flipping through the pages. If I see too many long blocks of narrative, it goes back on the shelf.

[DeadlyAccurate]

Same as brinkett, though I'll give it three pages.

[zizban]

I look for something that draws me in. If I have to work to get into, I wont buy it. I have no patience for slow starters. I used to make xceptions for my favorites authors but I dont anymore.

[Zane Curtis]

I have one quirk that my husband and mother both find rather strange. I won't buy a book with large print. The smaller the print the better, and the more pages the better too. They tell me I'm just cheap.

For many people quite the opposite applies. I loaned my copy of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell to my mother to read. She got about twenty pages in and stopped. When I asked her why, she said it's because the typeface for the footnotes is too small. She physically cannot read them. I dare say that's a problem for a great many readers over the age of 40.

Quirks of my own? Well, do you know those end caps on the shelves in bookstores that publishers pay a fortune to get their books on? I never look at them. There's never usually anything on them that interests me much, so I've never got into the habit. I go straight to the main shelves. Twice now I've almost walked out of a bookshop without the book I went there especially to buy, because it was shelved on an endcap where I didn't see it.

Even in the main sections, I almost never look at the shelf directly at eye level, because that's where they stack the cheesy best-sellers I'm generally not interested in. It's strange really. Anyone who knows about marketing in a retail space will tell you the two best positions in the store are on an endcap and on the shelf at eye level. But maybe what they're actually doing, in practice, is encourage many customers to never look at what is immediately in front of them? People are already inclined that way to start with, because advertisers have been working to place advertisements directly in their faces for years.

Are advertisers and marketing experts training a whole generation of people to ignore the centre of their field of view and focus on the periphery? How many times today have you looked at an advertising image placed in such a way that it's directly in your face, and yet you've failed to even acknowledge that it exists?

[azbikergirl]

I look for lots of dialog throughout, but I also look at the writing style. I like an easy-going style that sounds like someone telling a story. I drift away from books with fancy prose -- it smacks of an author trying to show off.

I always read the first paragraph or two. If no character is introduced, back on the shelf it goes. I want stories about people.

[Jamesaritchie]

buying a novel?

I have one quirk that my husband and mother both find rather strange. I won't buy a book with large print. The smaller the print the better, and the more pages the better too. They tell me I'm just cheap.


Anyone else have any odd requirments when buying a novel?

Good question, but one I'm not sure how to answer. I buy books in pretty much every genre, large print and small, thick and thin. It's just a matter of getting hooked, usually by the first page.

And sometimes the reason has little or nothing to do with the book. Right now I'm reading "Anne of Green Gables," and teh whole series is stacked and waiting. Why? Because I watched the mini-series and Anne, as portrayed by Megan Follows, was my idea of the perfect woman, both in beauty and personality. I fell madly in love at first sight. So it made me want to read the books.

But, seriously, if the writer is on my list of favorite writers, of which there are far too many, I just buy the book without even looking at it. For new writers, I go to the library. When checking out books there's no cash involved, so my standards are very low. I may check out two dozen books, but may read only four or five of them. Libraries are wonderful places.

But thick or thin, large print or small, has nothing to do with it. Some of my favorite novels have been very thin, some have been a foot thick. Some have had tiny print, some large print.

[triceretops]

I buy authors only, unless it's a true non-fic account of survival or disaster. Not only do I love to read my favorite authors, but they are the ones who inspire to write and try to mimick them.

Tri

[E.G. Gammon]

I always read what the book's about and the very first paragraph. If those two things don't draw me in, then I'm not buying it. I especially hate a novel that starts out with a long, descriptive sentence about a "place" - a sentence that finds 40 different words to describe a sunset over a lake. Ok, the sun is setting, we're at a lake - get on with the story!

I also look to see how many copies of the book are on the shelf. If there's more than 5, and the book or author is one I don't recognize, I don't give it a chance, well, unless the description and first paragraph are amazing.

Length is important, too. I don't want a skimpy book, but I don't want one that's over 800 pages either. 350-650, average length I prefer.

I also like books that have more than one part. Don't know why really...

OH, and I also have a few "cover" quirks. I hate it when the author's name is 4 times bigger than the title. And I hate "commercial" covers - covers that are plain looking, have regular text on them and one small image in the middle - Danielle Steel's novels come to mind (I don't read them). My mother reads them, and I saw one that only had a tiny heart that had a "crack" in it, on it. I mean, what is that? A huge name like Danielle Steel and the publisher hires cheap cover designers? I mean her covers look like they were thrown together in 5 minutes.

[Jamesaritchie]

For many people quite the opposite applies. I loaned my copy of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell to my mother to read. She got about twenty pages in and stopped. When I asked her why, she said it's because the typeface for the footnotes is too small. She physically cannot read them. I dare say that's a problem for a great many readers over the age of 40.

Quirks of my own? Well, do you know those end caps on the shelves in bookstores that publishers pay a fortune to get their books on? I never look at them. There's never usually anything on them that interests me much, so I've never got into the habit. I go straight to the main shelves. Twice now I've almost walked out of a bookshop without the book I went there especially to buy, because it was shelved on an endcap where I didn't see it.

Even in the main sections, I almost never look at the shelf directly at eye level, because that's where they stack the cheesy best-sellers I'm generally not interested in. It's strange really. Anyone who knows about marketing in a retail space will tell you the two best positions in the store are on an endcap and on the shelf at eye level. But maybe what they're actually doing, in practice, is encourage many customers to never look at what is immediately in front of them? People are already inclined that way to start with, because advertisers have been working to place advertisements directly in their faces for years.

Are advertisers and marketing experts training a whole generation of people to ignore the centre of their field of view and focus on the periphery? How many times today have you looked at an advertising image placed in such a way that it's directly in your face, and yet you've failed to even acknowledge that it exists?

I think you're missing out on some great books. Especially in the main sections. In all the bookstores I visit, books in the main section are located where they are because they're racked in alphabetical order. Being at eye level just means the writer's last name placed him there.

But for whatever reason, books placed at eye level do sell far better than books placed where the eye doesn't immediately go. I'll take that shelf space everytime.

[PattiTheWicked]

Anyone else have any odd requirments when buying a novel?

Books written in the present tense. Someone whose opinion I value recommended a new novel -- can't remember the title to save my life, I've apparently repressed it -- and I picked it up at B&N and started leafing through it.

"He walks into the kitchen and grabs a beer. He looks at her, watching as she gets up from the couch. She is wandering, aimless, and she scratches listlessly, sadly, desperately, blah de blah de blarpity blarp etc etc"

Between the "she's doing it RIGHT NOW!" structuring and the "I got my new thesaurus" use of adverbs, I got through about a paragraph and a half and decided to just buy a copy of the most recent Kinsey Millhone paperback instead.

[zizban]

Here are my Rules of Covers:

If the author's name is bigger than the title of the book, beware. It doesn't mean the book is bad but obviously they are promoting the name of the author instead of the book itself.

Watch for reviews on the book that praise the author rather than the book. "Steve Smith is one of America's finest western writers" Ya, so, is this book any good? And if know anything about the relationship authors have with each other, watch out for those, too. A good one is Mercedy Lackey; she'll praise Holly Lisle out the wazoo but they are also close friends.

[maestrowork]

Interesting premise/story, and a good voice/style. I like authors that pull me into the story immediately. I usually go for specific genres, and I'll read a few sample pages, and if the author can make me smile, laugh, nervous, etc. she's got me.

[Anatole Ghio]

I have a really strange quirk when it comes to reading a book. For some odd reason, I demand the book is written well.

I don't know why I get so foolish for a well written book, but it's almost as if I really don't care about anything except the quality of the writing.

Style, genre, book cover... all seem insignificant as long as the author has a high level of craft and exceeds any genre they are writing in.

Aren't I just crazy?!?

[Rhush]

I give it the first page and if it doesn't grab by then, I put it back.

[BlueTexas]

Wow, tough room!

I like the 'staff picks' shelves. I usually read the first couple pages, and a random one in the middle. If I'm not left wondering, I'm not buying it.

[brokenfingers]

I'm with Ray.

An interesting premise and a good, confident writing style/voice. With the right writing skills, an author can get away with a lot.

I've read all kinds of books I never expected to - based on the author's style and the premise.

I'll usually pick one up based upon title first. Then read the back. If that passes muster(intrigues me) I'll read the first page and then pick a few random pages in the first third of the book.

I figure that's enough to show me the style and a little of the story without giving too much away.

Then I'll try to stick it in my pocket and run out the door.....

[Zane Curtis]

I think you're missing out on some great books. Especially in the main sections. In all the bookstores I visit, books in the main section are located where they are because they're racked in alphabetical order. Being at eye level just means the writer's last name placed him there.

Alphabetical order is different. The Galaxy bookshop in Sydney does that, and when I go there, I usually end up looking for specific authors rather than just browsing. But most of the bookshops I visit shelve their books by marketing juju-magic. The middle shelf in the SF/Fantasy section -- the one that's at eye-level -- is almost always a wasteland of Robert Jordan and Terry Brooks. It's great that they're successful writers and all, but personally, I'm a bit over them.

Just as an aside, alphabetical order is the reason why I always choose pen names starting with C. A on a bookshelf is a bit too top left hand corner, if you know what I mean. Either it blends into the next genre category over or it gets shoved into a dusty and uninviting corner. C, on the other hand, is just far enough into the alphabet to give me a shot at the good shelves, but not so far that someone going through a list alphabetically has started to skim.

But for whatever reason, books placed at eye level do sell far better than books placed where the eye doesn't immediately go. I'll take that shelf space everytime.

What any retailer does is take the lines that are going to sell the best and put them in the most prominent positions. So which came first, the chicken or the egg?

[alanna]

I'm picky about what i buy. The title has to be interesting. Then the back of the book has to not sound like a list of cliches. Then the first couple parapraphs have to draw me in. If I can put it down, I do. If I can't, I buy it.

Of course, I'm always broke. At the library I'm much less choosey. I'll tend to walk through the aisles and pick a book at random to read- just so that i make sure i'm not stuck in one genre all the time. Then, if i really like the book and it begins to collect late fees because i can't bear to return it, I'll go out and buy a copy.

[Fillanzea]

I almost never just pick up a book off a shelf by an author I haven't heard of--not a novel, anyway.

The last half dozen books I've bought were:

"The Persian Boy," Mary Renault. I'd read another of her books and liked it, after having her recommended by someone I know.
"Murder Must Advertise," Dorothy Sayers. I'd enjoyed her nonfiction and had her Peter Wimsey mysteries recommended by several people.
"Sorcery and Cecilia," Patricia Wrede and Carolina Stevermeyer (sp?). I had to read a book for my YA class, and I'd had it recommended in a few different places.
"The Queen's Own Fool," Jane Yolen and somebody else. Had to read a historical novel for YA, and it's Jane Yolen!
"Wolf Tower," Tanith Lee. Had to read a fantasy for YA, and it's Tanith Lee!
The first book in Kate Elliott's fantasy series. I'd seen this recommended by so many people that I wanted to try it even though brick fantasy series are usually a turn-off.

Once a novel or author reaches critical mass in the places I read and the people I hear from, then the genre is the main determiner of whether I'll pick it up or not: I read mostly fantasy, but usually not epic fantasy; I'll branch out into other genres but rarely read "literary" fiction; and in the end, if the plot summary on the back seems like it'll push my buttons, that's the deciding factor.

It works. I've read four of those six I just posted above, and greatly enjoyed all of them.

[brokenfingers]

This thread made me think about my buying habits (book-wise) and it seems to me that the Title is probably the most important INITIAL factor in a book being bought.

By that I mean - what made me pick up the book for consideration in the first place.

Other than that there is author recognition or word-of-mouth (or reviews), but for new writers who don't usually have those two going for them initially - I don't think you can overstate the importance of a title for catching the eye of a reader hunting for a good book.

And for different genres - you must change the "Title" lure also...

Hmmmm.... Interesting.....

[VMcNeill]

I read the back covers to see whtat the story is about. If I find it interesting I buy it, otherwise I put it back on the shelf. No more, no less. Although this method has been known to back fire on me. I have literally dozens of books in the garage that I could only get ten pages into.

The other way I choose books is by browsing my favorite author's forums. Sometimes those forums have a section devoted to other authors. This is how I learned about R Scott Bakker's brilliant Prince of Nothing series.

[Kallahan]

I generaly look to see if Fabio is on the cover, if he isn't well then this book isn't for me.

Ok, that was just silly. I usally start in the sci-fi/fantasy section. Because thats what I enjoy. Then I look for titles, a well thought out title will grab my attention. I look at the review snippits, a plus if they are quoted from people, minus if by a magazine. Then I read the back/inside of the cover for the general premise. I usally only look for specific authors when I'm reading a series and need the next book, or was thoroughly impressed with their other work. Lastly, i read the first chapter, whole chapter, right in the bookstore. Then I make my decision.

[Ella]

My method of book hunting has changed in the past while. Since getting to know a few authors and publishers, I find myself looking for their work, or their recommended reading. A few books that I might not have picked up normally, I've enjoyed immensely and now I'm buying other works by that author.

If I'm looking at something I'm not familiar with, I read the back. If I like the premise, I'll flip to the middle of the book and read a paragraph. If it is well written, I'll take it. No first line tricks or anything - usually the first chapter or three of every book is worse than the rest.

*waiting for fallout from that one* :Ssh:

[zornhau]

I have a really strange quirk when it comes to reading a book. For some odd reason, I demand the book is written well.

I don't know why I get so foolish for a well written book, but it's almost as if I really don't care about anything except the quality of the writing.

Style, genre, book cover... all seem insignificant as long as the author has a high level of craft and exceeds any genre they are writing in.

Aren't I just crazy?!?


Not crazy - but you didn't read the original post! How do you decide which novels to buy? How do you tell if it's well written?

[Julian Black]

I resist buying books with large print, and I also am reluctant to buy books with lots of space between the lines of text. All that says to me is that the author handed in a short MS and the publisher has tried to make it look like a more substantial book by puffing it up with lots of "air." I feel like I'm being ripped off when I open a book and see that sort of thing, and while I may get around to buying a used or remaindered copy one day, I won't buy a new one.

Then again, I'm one of those people who appreciates big, fat books with smallish type--recent exemplars include Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and Charles Palliser's The Quincunx. Once I'm into a book, I like to stay there.

On another note, I won't buy books that are printed on really bright white stock--it's harsh looking, and too hard on the eyes. I also won't buy trade-size paperbacks printed on newsprint, especially when the price is the same as a book printed on better-quality stock. The worst offender I've seen in this regard was Laura Kalpakian's Cosette--a big, fat hardcover printed on the worst pulp imaginable. I tend to hang onto books I like, and am a fussy enough shopper to like most of what I buy, so cheap paper that yellows quickly will definitely turn me off.

This doesn't even address cover art, much less content, but yes, I definitely have my quirks when it comes to deciding what books to buy.

[Wendy J]

I don't like large type in books. (Ha Ha) :D

I do most of my reading from books at the library. So, the title is the first thing to grab me. I don't do crime/mystery, I don't do sci/fi, I don't do the hollywood type of story. I just look for good storytelling, usually set before 1970. I can usually tell if I am going to be into the book by reading the inside of the jacket and flipping through the first chapter. I prefer more narrative, and less dialogue.
I don't like alot of profanity. Some, sure, but if it's overboard, I'll just put the book down and return it to the library. Give the character some depth, please!

[Anatole Ghio]

Not crazy - but you didn't read the original post! How do you decide which novels to buy? How do you tell if it's well written?

Yes, I was being somewhat facetious. My point being I am not affected by anything other than the writing style of the author.

Many people have given qualifications that include casual purchases, such as qualities one considers when browsing a bookshelf: cover art, size of print, location on the shelf.

I do very little casual buying as far as fiction goes... so I can go to the bookstore and know what I'm already going to get. I have different tastes as far as other categories, but for fiction I try to stay on top of the market and already know what I'm going to buy when I make a trip to the library or the bookstore.

Things that help this determination are word of mouth, favorable reviews from other authors I like, blurbs from authors I like, new book from an author I like.

Because a book is already prescreened by these factors, I give it more leeway as far as having to grab me by the opener, and I am more open to different styles... all dialogue, no dialogue, heavy plot, picaresque; whatever. Since I have used the social proof of previous review by people I trust, I assume I will benefit from reading it, no matter what style it is written in.

So it takes more for a book to get my attention, but once I have decided to read it, I almost always finish it, no matter what.

[gena140]

I purchase based on what other's had to say about the book. I rarely will buy a book that I've haven't heard some buzz about unless I find the synopsis very appealing.

I also only read books written by African American authors. I realize to some it may seem racist, but I enjoy seeing characters that I can identify with.

[dink]

I also only read books written by African American authors. I realize to some it may seem racist, but I enjoy seeing characters that I can identify with.
I don't think it's racist, gena, but I do think it's a shame. Books can transport the reader to a different world, give them an idea of a different kind of life, and challenge their perceptions of how others live. (I'd apologise for my plural pronouns, but apparently Jane Austen used them all the time, and what's good enough for her...)

Still, each to their own. My father for example only ever reads the most grotesque horror stories, and cannot be persuaded to try anything else. Such a pity.

[firehorse]

I go by intuition - if something interests me, I'll pick it up and read. If I'm still reading two chapters later, and I can afford the book, I'll buy it. I use the same reading test for recommendations.

There are many books I'd like to read that use print too small for my eyes (I get a headache just trying to read the first page). I don't want Reader's Digest for Old People huge font, just a nice 12-point that's clear.

[SeanDSchaffer]

I generally look for something that has dragons in it -- and then I look over the story to see if it's the same old thing that dragon writers have a tendency to do. If it is, I run; if it ain't, I may think about purchasing the book.

But if the cover isn't any good, I don't care if I wrote the darned thing: I most probably will not buy the book. I think a good cover is essential to drawing a reader in; if a cover isn't any good, I might take the time to laugh at it but I assure you I won't be taking the time to consider purchasing it.

[firehorse]

I realized my last post was "How do I decide whether to buy a book," rather than "What do I look for in a book."

I'm fond of internal conflict; a protagonist battling her own demons as well as whatever the outside world has thrown at her. A psychological journey can be as satisfying to me, or more so, than a physical journey; sometimes I wonder if that's a gender-based difference.

A sense of humour is important, too. Hmm... I think I like the same things in protagonists that I like in people: self-awareness, a sense of humour and a willingness not to take things too seriously.

I enjoy dialogue, but I also can feast on a well-written narrative passage. In literary fiction, I'll often mark my favourite sentences and try to analyze them structurally: what is it about how they're written that makes them so musical or appealing?

For pure guilty pleasure, I like books that I can relate to. I loved the original Bridget Jones (even after a friend told me she thought the character was 'pathetic'), but I loathe most "chick lit," because I really don't care much for shoes or shopping or any of those gender-stereotyped things. Even though John Grisham could fill an entire course on things not to do when you write a novel, I get wrapped up in his books.

If a narrator or protagonist is coming from an angle I've never seen before, that makes me pay attention. I didn't think The Lovely Bones was a particularly well-written book, but the way in which it was told, combined with such a young narrator, fascinated me. (Two young girls in Toronto had just been murdered when I read this; that affected me, too.)

When it comes to movies, I love action-adventure. I love watching things blow up and go boom. I hate romance and most "chick flicks." But there's no way I'd ever be able to read a Clive Cussler novel. Then again, one of my all-time favourite books is Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air. But that could be because I have a fascination with Everest; also, the story is more immediate to me because it actually happened; people endured that horror.

Just my... guess this would be about seven cents.

[Julian Black]

...if a cover isn't any good, I might take the time to laugh at it but I assure you I won't be taking the time to consider purchasing it.Word-of-mouth from people I know, who know my tastes, will lead me to pick up a book with a fugly cover--but nothing else will.

I bought Katherine Dunn's Geek Love in hardcover, despite one of the most only-a-mother-could-love-it butt-ugly covers ever slapped on a book (the most recent trade paperback printing has been cursed with it). But I only did so because a friend whose judgment I trusted not only suggested it, but exhorted me to buy it. He wasn't wrong; it remains one of my favorites.

[SeanDSchaffer]

Word-of-mouth from people I know, who know my tastes, will lead me to pick up a book with a fugly cover--but nothing else will.

I bought Katherine Dunn's Geek Love in hardcover, despite one of the most only-a-mother-could-love-it butt-ugly covers ever slapped on a book (the most recent trade paperback printing has been cursed with it). But I only did so because a friend whose judgment I trusted not only suggested it, but exhorted me to buy it. He wasn't wrong; it remains one of my favorites.


Forgive me for having posted what I did about covers -- I was thinking about the cover on my PA book. If you ever thought they did bad covers before, take a look at WC sometime. It's one of the worst covers ever put on a book. I know: I drew the picture myself!

(Go ahead and laugh, too. I am. I usually am a pretty good artist and was kicking myself the day I saw the original cover that I had drawn for the book actually gracing the cover.)

[Richard]

I'm usually there to buy a book I know I want, although I don't disagree that I can be swayed either way by a good cover. The only reason I ended up buying Jennifer Government was that it had a great main image which jumped out while reading some other magazine.

Oh, and the sign of Bryce is, for me, the sign of Satan Himself.

[Fresie]

I'm pretty omnivorous as far as books go -- dialogue, no dialogue, description, action, romance, mystery, hard SF -- as long as something, anything at all, holds my interest, it's fine. But one thing I absolutely can't stand is when the writer treats the reader as an idiot. Not so much primitive writing -- I can handle that as long as the story is good -- but primitive ideas, dumb motivations, soap-opera mentality. That really sends the book flying across the room! One novel I've read, from a mega selling romance writer, had chapters two to three pages long, for the above reason -- a "story" of flat characters moving in a two-dimensional idiot world... I could have "read" a comic book with the same result. :faint: