What makes you buy a book?

Question

How do you make your decisions as a consumer? Do you go to a bookstore knowing what you want to purchase, or do you go to browse? Do you buy books based off of the covers? Do you buy books based on a topic you are interested in, and from there purhcase based off the description of the book, or cover? Do you read reviews and do research before you buy a book? Do you see advertisements that create an awareness of the book, and makes you intrested in learning more? Please help me.

What makes you buy a book?

Answer 1

I buy books according to my state of mind at the time, whether I feel like reading something light, funny or something philosophical, or rather an interesting biography or a good novel. I enter the bookstore, browse and check the back of the book for critical opinions(which later I find out that I may not agree with:))and I look at the beginning of the book. I also buy books by authors that I already know I like(like Huxley, a personal favorite of mine).

Answer 2

I hardly ever know exactly what I want when I get to the bookstore. The topic I choose to browse under usually depends on what other readers have suggested or by something I've seen or heard about. Like I saw the movie Marie Antoinette and now I want to buy books about her and her life.
Anyway, in the bookstore, I usually go by title first. The cover doesn't matter to me at all. If the title sounds interesting then I read the description.
Online, however, I can read title and description at the same time as well as reviews.
I found Farewell, My Queen by Chantal Thomas by reading a description and review of the book before even reading the title. I was at a site that listed a bunch of books about Marie Antoinette, so the title at that point didn't really matter. What attracted me to this particular book was that it is from the perspective of someone who knew the Queen up to the time of the French Revolution.
I don't usually see ads for books. I just go to the store and browse or I Google an interesting topic online and see what comes up.
I hope this helps.

Answer 3

I start off with the cover. That sounds bad, but usually if the cover is terrible or looks cheap, the book isn't a good read. That's not always true, so my second criteria is the genre. I select something that falls into sci-fi/fantasy or post-apocolyptic themes. I read the back cover and try to check on the Internet to see what people thought. Usually if a friend recommends a book, I buy it. Most of my friends are good at picking books I like, as they know me well enough.

Answer 4

I read many different authors, so I seem to always get there books one way or the other. People's recommendations hold a lot of weight with my decision to read a book. I am always looking for new authors and I frequently will begin a conversation with someone with a book I'm not familiar with. I am also in a couple on line book clubs who gives me ideas all the time. I also use the library all the time.

Answer 5

i am self confessed impulsive buyer.

When i buy books i do not base it on popularity or advertisement. I had read alot of novels who had been taken for granted in bookshelves but were great readings.

When i buy i read the back cover first. If its nice there then its a nice book. Though this is not really reliable but its worth it.
Sometimes i get attracted by the praises on the book. But most of the time i just grab what attarcts me and pay.

Answer 6

I have different reasons for buying books.

1. Pure love. I like books generally. All shapes and sizes, beautiful or ugly, faded or new. It is the contents of the book that i do not want wasted.

2. Need- Knowledge always change, and so does science and technology. Therefore- its need to know.

Books are a source of learning and at the end of the day, it is really the eternal student in all of us that likes books.

Answer 7

I do all of the above.I constantly search Amazon and the websites of my fav authors.When a new book by any of my fav author is released,I read the reviews.If I like the plot I will buy the book.

Once I'm in a bookstore,I check out the back cover blurbs.If I like the plot,I'll buy it.

Answer 8

What makes me buy a book? What makes me buy a book is the cover and the title of the. Plus the summary on the back of the book. I like to know what the book is about.

Answer 9

I seldom buy a book unless a friend recommends it & that includes that I know his/ her thoughts and philosophy. I will do some research on the author if it's the first time I've heard of him & his other works as well. If it grabs me, I'll certainly buy the book no matter what the price is. However, the price is too costly, I'll think twice and consider if it's worth owning it.

Answer 10

For me, it is all about the subject of interest. Once you have that accomplished you are ready to set out for a book. When doing so, ask the book store clerk what has come in recently or what they would recommend in that subject, most of the time are very helpful. I find going to these small hole in the wall book stores are more personable to your needs than the big chain stores. That is my preference.

Good Luck and Happy Ventures in your new book.