Publisher/Agent Loyalty

doubt · Dec 1, 2011

Since this is not strictly about writing and I have no idea where to dump it, I'm putting it in here. Hope it has a good audience here

Do you have any sort of brand loyalty or preference towards specific agents or publishing houses?

I ask because I used to read books at random, just picking them from the library/bookstore based on how I liked the title, cover or blurb, but now I'm settling into some patterns and have noticed two particular publishers and one agent who, I think, publish or represent a lot of books/authors I really like. So I'm more inclined to follow them and check anything upcoming that they may have. Doesn't mean I don't read anything else, I just feel like I'm more likely to give them a go.

If you have any preferences, which are they?

scarletpeaches · Dec 1, 2011

I have more 'brand loyalty' when it comes to ebooks than I do with print. With print books, it's more like author loyalty in some cases, and I follow them to whichever publishing house they write for. But really, I grab any book that interests me.

With ebooks, I've stuck almost exclusively to Loose Id, Samhain and Total-e-Bound up to now. There are others, but those are the main ones. (That might change when my Kindle gets delivered.)

BigWords · Dec 1, 2011

In general, no. I really will buy anything. Well... within reason - there's no way even I can be convinced to pick up a Zac Effon poster book or something. I do have a particular liking for Faber & Faber's film books, and there is something about the old Target books which really draws me to them, but I am much more likely to make an impulse purchase based on awesome cover art than anything else.

Jess Haines · Dec 1, 2011

Nah, not really. I have a tendency to pick up anything that catches my fancy, and that's generally due to the back cover blurb and/or cover art. I rarely notice the publisher imprint, and hardly ever notice the author's agent connected to the book unless I'm feeling exceptionally bored and read the acknowledgments page or something.

BardSkye · Dec 1, 2011

Nope. Author loyalty, yes; if I liked one book I'll pick up others by the same author and can rattle off who's in my collection. Haven't a clue who most of them are published by in most cases, I'd have to go look at the book.

Mr Flibble · Dec 1, 2011

I've noticed that one agent and one publisher (though the pub redeemed itself just lately with a particular book) publish things...not to my taste. Not bad, just not my thing. Not what I want to read, even if the blurb makes it sound as if it is. So I usually avoid the pub's books,and that agent's if I notice (less likely tbh, I normally find out afterwards!).

But like I say, that pub released a book I'm hugely fond of just lately so....

FictionQuest · Dec 1, 2011

BardSkye said:
Nope. Author loyalty, yes; if I liked one book I'll pick up others by the same author and can rattle off who's in my collection. Haven't a clue who most of them are published by in most cases, I'd have to go look at the book.

Ditto for me. I go almost entirely on recommendations. If a friend tells me they read a good book I will take a look, regardless of genre, author or publisher.

KyraDune · Dec 1, 2011

Mostly I buy whatever strikes my fancy, but I am a huge Stephen King fan and I read alot of books published by TOR because they publish the kind of books I like.

msforster · Dec 1, 2011

I'm in the "recomendations" crowd too. That said, I follow a lot of agents and editors and when certain ones say they like something or if they're excited about something, I pay attention. I know from experience if they like it, it's probably awesome.

Publisher/Agent Loyalty

doubt

scarletpeaches

BigWords

Geekzilla

Jess Haines

Boldly going nowhere in particular.

BardSkye

Barbershoppin' Harmony Whore

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

FictionQuest

Small Press

KyraDune

Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces

msforster

easily startled