The lake and the sky have chosen to be the exact same shade of blue today. The sun is straight up, casting shadows only in circles at the base of the trees between me and the lake. I'm finishing the last line edits today on "The Consequence of Desire," if possible. I hope to also make it to the bait shop and spend an hour fishing with live shiners right at sundown this evening. Right now, I thought I'd spend five minutes on the blog for something on my mind, and then tackle the edits.
I'm curious. How do you make most of you book buying decisions? PLEASE COMMENT AND LET ME HEAR FROM YOU. I'm meeting with my publisher by phone around November 1 to put together the final marketing plans for the April launch, and I'm interested in hearing from you on how you make buying decisions.
For myself, it works this way usually. First, I get a great book each month from the Lemuria First Editions club (http://www.lemuriabooks.com/). They select and mail me a signed first edition, and ding my credit card. A wonderful program you should join if you are not in something similar. When a really good book is coming out, you can call and tell them to send extra copies and make your Christmas or graduation or birthday shopping easier. Those books I keep together in the library and when I am headed to the airport, spending a weekend on the island or simply have an hour to read I can grab any book and know it has a good chance of being something I will enjoy.
Second, I listen to other writers and try to read at least one book by the folks they seem to be talking about. There's nothing worse than making it to a writers conference or a reading or someone's book signing and hear a discussion about someone you never heard of or read...and of course feel like everyone else there has read the person extensively. Does that happen to you?
Third, I browse the book stores at airports, where I know I will find only the absolutely most popular fiction. I try to pick up a paperback while traveling at least four hours in a plane and finish it on the trip. That helps me stay in touch with what the masses like. I trust the masses. They may not often know the fabulous writers publishing literary fiction at smaller presses without the same kind of national distribution, but they will weed out the frauds (usually) and indicate at least what work is fun to read from the popular fiction shelf.
So how does a book make it to your bedside?
Thanks,
Philip
PS Please forward this blog link to your friends.
2 comments:
I was amazed at how you find good reads..I suppose I am more simple than that..I go to a book store, read the first five pages, pick 5 out of the middle, and a couple toward the end (3/4 way thru). Also, I ask other people who read what they like. Oh, I like to go to used book stores and see how many of a certain title are there..I figure if 15 copies of a book are there, it must be a good read. That is how a book makes it to my bedisde, or the couch or in my purse.
I review the New York Times Bestseller lists, the books listed every week in Entertainment magazine, read the New York Times book review every Sunday - check the book sections of my local paper (not usually helpful) and the Chicago Tribune (somewhat helpful). I recently found these book blogs:
http://papercuts.blogs.nytimes.com/
http://www.bookgasm.com/
and, since I do enjoy a good business book - how sick is that? I check this blog: http://800ceoread.com/blog/
I have been known to peruse the Amazon top sellers too, and of course - recommendations from friends.
I wasn't aware of Lemuria books until this blog, and now I am also a member of the first edition club.
Thanks for the info Philip.
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