How Do You Buy Books?
Discussion
My mum has long been a writer all her life, but has just had her first novel published by Penguin.
This stemmed from family research and an interest in local history. It's now up on the Penguin website and so far the publishers are satisfied with the sales figures.
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1118306/the-cotton...
However, she's been looking forward to the book launch since she had a meeting with the publishers about it early last year and was given a publication date which was then over a year off. Little did she know then that it would be somewhat scuppered by a viral pandemic that's closed independent book shops and prevented the book being available through outlets it otherwise would have been. It also means no book signings or visits for talks or anything that could have otherwise taken place. So, it's been a little disheartening as a culmination of a lifetime's ambition.
This has led to me wondering just how people buy books. Especially novels.
Do people here tend to order them through Amazon or Hive?
Do you go into independent book shops and buy them?
Do you impulse buy them in the supermarket when doing other shopping?
How do you tend to buy books and how are you buying them now when you can only go out for "essential" shopping?
This stemmed from family research and an interest in local history. It's now up on the Penguin website and so far the publishers are satisfied with the sales figures.
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1118306/the-cotton...
However, she's been looking forward to the book launch since she had a meeting with the publishers about it early last year and was given a publication date which was then over a year off. Little did she know then that it would be somewhat scuppered by a viral pandemic that's closed independent book shops and prevented the book being available through outlets it otherwise would have been. It also means no book signings or visits for talks or anything that could have otherwise taken place. So, it's been a little disheartening as a culmination of a lifetime's ambition.
This has led to me wondering just how people buy books. Especially novels.
Do people here tend to order them through Amazon or Hive?
Do you go into independent book shops and buy them?
Do you impulse buy them in the supermarket when doing other shopping?
How do you tend to buy books and how are you buying them now when you can only go out for "essential" shopping?
Equus said:
Mainly Amazon, including for second-hand books from third party specialists.
I love browsing in second-hand bookshops, but I very seldom get the chance, these days.
ETA, having looked at the link to your mum's book:
Maybe just me, but for what it's worth there's nothing I hate more than a book from a new author being advertised as '...for fans of XYZ'. That alone would instantly make me click away.
If the author isn't capable of writing a book that stands on its own merit and without plagiarising someone else's style I ain't interested in reading it.
That wasn't my mum's doing though, it's something the Penguin marketing department did and the first she knew of it was seeing it on the book cover image.I love browsing in second-hand bookshops, but I very seldom get the chance, these days.
ETA, having looked at the link to your mum's book:
Maybe just me, but for what it's worth there's nothing I hate more than a book from a new author being advertised as '...for fans of XYZ'. That alone would instantly make me click away.
If the author isn't capable of writing a book that stands on its own merit and without plagiarising someone else's style I ain't interested in reading it.
Edited by Equus on Saturday 2nd May 13:38
Equus said:
Yes, I'm sure it was.
And perhaps it won't put off some readers of certain genres, but it certainly would me.
I understand what you mean and felt the same way when I saw it. It's something they seem to do with all their books, so it's an idea someone in the marketing department has had rather than a judgement of the individual books. And perhaps it won't put off some readers of certain genres, but it certainly would me.
My mum certainly didn't set out to copy anyone else and even avoids reading similar books when she's writing to avoid inadvertently copying them. She wasn't thrilled with this comparison and did worry it might do more harm than good.
I suppose they're trying to show people at a glance what sort of genre it's in and say that if they like someone else's work they should try this as well.
Edited by Blakewater on Saturday 2nd May 17:41
droopsnoot said:
I've been keeping an eye on all the FB local announcements of people putting piles of books at the end of the drive for free, but haven't seen anything worth going to get. I'm getting a bit down the pile, though.
A few people round my way did that during lockdown as they were spending their time at home having a tidy. I think people just swapped junk rather than actually tidying up properly. It's amazing what gets advertised on the community Facebook page and snapped up immediately. Gassing Station | Books and Literature | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff