Why do I pick up a book and what makes me buy it?
What makes a person pick up a book and want to buy it? Well for me I’m first drawn in by the books cover. Now I know they say don’t judge a book by its cover but let’s be honest, the first thirty seconds oh judgment is done with our eyes, therefore, we are judging the cover of the book. So what makes a good cover? Colour, Text, Images? I like a cover that tells you about the book before you’ve read the blurb, I use the cover as an insight into what the book is about. So I thought I would show you some examples of book covers that I like and some that I don’t like.
Covers I Like:
These are two examples of great book covers, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. The cover shows you the Hogwarts Express and Harry Potter himself, showing his scar. A great cover full of information about the storyline and plot of the book. The second book, Felix the Railway Cat, Shows a railway and a very cute black and white cat wearing a conductors hat. This tells you where the cat lives, the cats name and draws you in because the cat is so cute (at least it did for me)
Covers I didn’t like:
The first book, Bookclub, although this cover is very colourful and appealing to the eye with nice writing for the title. A butterfly with a person in the middle does nothing to explain what the book is about and for me doesn’t link into the title. The second book, Fix Me again is colourful, however, for me having the title the same colour as the background take away from the title’s importance and I feel the title is another very important feature of a book. Again this book cover to me does not tell me anything about the book, about what the book is going to be about.
After being drawn to a books cover we then go to the blurb. I personally like a short but to the point blurb with snappy sentences which draw me in. I also like to see quotes from other authors who have read the book and voiced their opinions. This tells me if another author has read the book, especially an author I know and like then there is a good chance that I too will enjoy the book.
The other thing I tend to do is go straight to my favourite authors to check if they have anything new out, this is of course now made a lot easier with the ability to pre-order. Pre-ordering is fantastic, I love being able to pre-order a book, so I know that as soon as it is published it will be delivered to either my Kindle or my home. The excitement of putting on the calendar when the book is due out and due to arrive, the excitement of waiting for it to arrive. I love the build-up to a new book being released by one of my favourite authors (I have a list)
So, that is my process of choosing and buying a new book. How do you choose which books to buy? What draws you in? I’d love to hear your thoughts on what makes you pick a book up.
Keep your eye out for my post of Kindle V’s Books. The ever growing argument, I’d love to hear your views on that too.
Lu's Reviews 