Poll Results: How Do You Discover Books?

Last month, I sent out a poll to various friends, family, and acquaintances to ask them how they discovered books and what made them choose to buy them.  I received 15 replies, 14 of whom were female, ranging in age from early 20s to retired.  Many are writers and many are involved in education.

If more surveys trickle in, I may update this.  But for now, may I present the results of research.

1. How many fiction books/ novellas do you read each year?

Average (Mean): 33 books a year
Lowest: 2 books a year
Highest: 200 books a year

2.  How do you find new books?

"My favorite way to find a new book is on amazon.com because after having rated some books, the website will give me personalized recommendations.  This is less overwhelming than walking into a bookstore with no idea what I'm looking for."

"Sometimes I browse the used bookstores and just pick up something that looks interesting or was recommended by one of their store employees.  Another minor way I've read a few books was through goodreads.com.  [...] Honestly, though, I've read all the books I've discovered this way, but haven't fallen in love with any of the authors.  Really, my biggest way of finding new books is asking my friends what they like, then sticking with the authors I like."

60% (9/15) of those polled cited Friends/ Word of Mouth as a way to find new books.
53% (8/15) of those polled cited Browsing at bookstores, libraries, or used bookstores.
47% (7/15) of those polled cited Amazon.com, using recommendations, email alerts, discussions, reviews, and freebies.
27% (4/15) of those polled cited Barnesandnoble.com, using recommendations and email alerts.
27% (4/15) of those polled cited Other Websites, including Goodreads, Reddit, Pinterest, and Bookseller's Digest.
13% (2/15) of those polled cited Newspapers.
13% (2/15) of those polled cited Movies.
40% (6/15) of those polled cited Miscellaneous, including anthologies, radio, bookseller's lists, online reviews, favorite authors, and literary classes.

3.  How does a book first catch your eye?

"The first page/ hook is important--that's where I see if I like the writing style, story, and character--given the limited time that I have, do I want to be involved in the story?"

"I'll pick up something that catches my eye based on the cover (oddly enough) or title.  I'll then pick it up, read the back, and take a peek inside.  If I find that the first few pages has sucked me in, I'll take the book home with me."

47% (7/15) of those polled cited the Title.
40% (6/15) of those polled cited the Cover, looking at the color, if it jumps out, birds, strong female character, and if it looks funny.
33% (5/15) of those polled cited the Author's Name.
27% (4/15) of those polled cited the Summary/ Description on Back.
27% (4/15) of those polled cited the First Page(s), looking at the writing style, the story, the characters, and the theme.
13% (2/15) of those polled cited Genre.
7% (1/15) of those polled cited Bookstore Employee Recommendation Signs.
7% (1/15) of those polled cited Reviews.

4.  After getting your attention, what makes you decide to buy/ read a book?

"Hooked after the first chapter/ few pages.  Usually the summary 'sells me' in addition to online recommendations/ reviews."

"Right now, it has to be very inexpensive or free.  I'll read just about anything Michelle Knowlden recommends.  If it's a new book in a series I'm already reading."

60% (9/15) of those polled cited Summary and Description, with one person being sold on murder and another considering blurbs.
47% (7/15) of those polled cited First Page(s), with one person looking at style.
27% (4/15) of those polled cited Price, with one person not buying a book over $10.00 and another wanting the book to be inexpensive or free.
13% (2/15) of those polled cited Good Reviews.
13% (2/15) of those polled cited Next in a Series.
13% (2/15) of those polled cited Recommendations.

5.  Is feeling like you know the author important? 

"Through their writing, tells a lot about the author.  The author pours themselves into whatever they're writing."

"I don't go out looking for facts about any author.  The only thing I want to know is what to expect from them through their writing.  I've noticed that when I like one book from an author, I tend to like all of their books, because the writing style and type of plot doesn't change."

53% (8/15) of those polled said Yes.
5 people said, "I learn about them through their writing."
1 person said, "I like supporting local authors."
2 people read the Author's Biography.
2 people check the Author's Website.

33% (5/15) of those polled said No.
2 people said "All I care about is their writing."
2 people said "But knowing the author is a nice bonus."
1 person said, "Except when their life is important to understanding their work."

13% (2/15) did not answer.

6. What are your favorite books and how did you discover them?

"Twilight--Amiee bought the entire series for me for Christmas and told me I had to read them.  I loved these books.  I read each book in 2 days.  That's a record for me."

"The Great Gatsby--Read it in high school for an English class and enjoyed it.  Re-read it when I found out they were making a movie."

"The Hunger Games--A certain niece told me about it, took me to the movie, and started to read the book to me."

49% (21/43) of books came from Friends or Family, with 8 specified as Recommendations, 4 as Gifts, and 3 as Loans.
13% (6/43) of books were discovered from School, with 3 Assigned Reading, 1 from an AP Practice Test, 1 from SAT Essays, and 1 from a Book Order
13% (6/43) of books came from Bookstores, with 1 specified as from the Library Bookstore, 1 from Barnes and Noble, and 1 from Borders.
7% (3/43) of books were discovered when a Movie came out.
5% (2/43) of books came from an Anthology
5% (2/43) of books came from Book Clubs
2% (1/43) of books came from an Amazon Recommendation
2% (1/43) of books came from Book Exchange
2% (1/43) of books was discovered because they Already Knew the Author

By the way, the The Top 3 Favorite Books/ Authors are:

#1 Harry Potter/ J.K. Rowling (6 Mentions)
#2 The Hunger Games/ Suzanne Collins (4 Mentions)
#3 (Tie) Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy/ Douglas Adams (3 Mentions)
#3 (Tie) Twilight/ Stephanie Meyers (3 Mentions)
#3 (Tie) Agatha Christie (3 Mentions)

Honorable Mentions: Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis, David Sedaris, Cormac McCarthy, Neil Gaimon, Chuck Palahniuk, and Terry Pratchett

Conclusion

Most readers seem to find their books via recommendation, whether through friends or Amazon.  There's still a lot of physical circulation of books, through loans, gifts, libraries, bookstores, and used bookstores.  The title and cover are what catches people's eyes, but it's the summary and actual writing that seals the deal.

Interestingly enough, when asked when knowing the author is important, most people, whether they answered yes or no, say they learn what they want from the writing and will continue to buy books from an author they like.  Neither group seems to seek out supplementary info via a blog, social media, etc.  They might glance at a bio, though.

Almost half the favorite books were recommended by friends and family, many of whom passionately force their favorites onto others.  This means the same books keep circulating.  Online websites don't actually seem to match people with their favorite books--at least, not in this survey.  Even browsing and school did a better job of that.

Poll: How Do You Discover Books?

As everyone knows, I'm trying to transition from writing my book to selling my book.  That's hard for me, because I'm not a salesman and I feel about as wise as toe jam in this arena.  So this week has been all about gathering information.  But as I sort through platform-building and agent-researching, a more simple thought has caught my attention.

How do people get their books?  How do they find them and what makes them buy them?

It's not like buying soap after all.  Books are extremely personal.

I always start by analyzing myself, in this case, looking at the way I buy books.  But that only goes so far.  So I'm going to try something different and do a quick poll of my friends and family, especially those who read within my genre.  I'll collect data and try to analyze it.

I've never done this before, so I guess it will be an experiment.  :)

Poll!  Poll!  Poll!

1. How many fiction books/ novellas do you read a year?

2. How do you find new books?  Be as specific as possible and list websites, if any.

3. How does a book first catch your eye?

4. After getting your attention, what makes you decide to buy/ read a book?

5. Is feeling like you know the author important?  If so, what ways do you get to know them?

6. List your top 10 favorite fiction books at this time and how you discovered them.

Thank you.

Example Answers (Filled-In By Me)

1. How many fiction books/ novellas do you read a year?

Sigh.  I used to read more.  Right now, I'm probably lucky to read 1 a month.  So, 12.  (Hangs head in shame.)

2. How do you find new books?  Be as specific as possible and list websites, if any.

The Brea Library and used bookstore.
Barnes and Noble bookstore.
Amazon.com.
Recommendations and loans from friends.

3. How does a book first catch your eye?

If I'm browsing, the cover art and title are important.  Same thing for Amazon, except I'm also paying attention to the star count.  If someone is recommending a book to me, I listen to the summary (to see if it's something I'm interested in) and gauge the enthusiasm of the speaker.

4. After getting your attention, what "seals the deal" for you to decide to buy/ read a book?

I want to know what makes the story different or interesting.  Once I bought a book that talked about the children of Lucifer and an angel and promised "an epic custody battle."   On the other hand, if I come across too many cliches, I put the book back.

The author's prose is also important.  I like to scan the first few pages.  If the prose seems unprofessional, confusing, or dull, I won't read it.

If someone recommends a book, I want as many details about the story as possible.  My mom actually gave away the ending to the Lord of the Rings and it only made me want to read it more.

Four-and-a-half star reviews on Amazon.

5. Is feeling like you know the author important?  If so, what ways do you get to know the author?

If I happen to be friends with an author or if hear them speak and find their premise intriguing, I'm willing to at least give the book a glance.  But I'll usually only buy/ read it if it's something I'm interested in.

Other than that, I don't care.  I get to know the author through their writing.  A good story is the most important thing.

6. List your top 10 favorite fiction books at this time and how you discovered them.

1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Recommended.  My mother basically gave a (brief) summary of the novels during car rides.  I dug it up at the library in 6th grade and was a fan ever since.

2. Watership Down by Richard Adams
Recommended.  Again, this came from my mother.  She told me about it.  Later I found it in the library in junior high. Read it and loved it.

3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Browsed.  I found this book in the public library in high school.  I liked the title and the cover art intrigued me somehow.  The summary sounded iffy, but since it was just a library loan, I thought I'd give it a shot.  Read it in 2 days.

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Amazon.  I think my Amazon account recommended it to me directly.  I was living in Japan and desperate for English books.  It sounded too much like Battle Royale, but the high star count persuaded me.  Since then, I've personally gotten a cousin and an aunt hooked on the series.

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
Recommended.  My friend in college told me the plot (which, surprisingly, was not a fusty tome about racism but a cute little romance) and loaned it to me.

6. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Amazon.  In Japan, I browsed the fantasy section and I noticed this book kept coming up and that it had a high star count.  The back cover says, "Once a hero arose to save the world.  [...] He failed."  That struck me as different and intentionally playing against fantasy stereotypes.

7. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Inherited.  Found it among the books left behind by my predecessor in my apartment in Japan.  I liked the title and cover art.  A few pages in, and I was hooked.

8. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Browsed.  I was introduced to Agatha Christie by my aunt in 6th grade, but I found it too difficult for me at that time.  Later, I started reading her again.  I got on an Agatha Christie kick while in Japan.  I bought several of her books, but this was my favorite.

9. The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
Browsed.  Found it in an English bookshelf in Japan.  (Did a lot of reading there.)  The cover art intrigued me.  The snarky voice of the narrator on page 2 and the weird but wonderful footnotes sealed the deal.

10. Ella Enchanted by Rachel Carson Levine
YouTube.  I randomly stumbled upon a YouTube video of a girl reading the first chapter.  The whole thing was a cover of the book and a disembodied voice.  But the prose was so lovely and the first chapter was so good, I got hooked.  I had to buy the book for myself to see what happened.

After I get the results, I'll post it in one of my blogs.

By the way, if any of my readers want to participate, you can email me your answers to my poll at reddragonfly1285@yahoo.com.  Or you can post in the comments, if you like.  I'm especially interested in any out-of-the-ordinary methods, but any info is useful.