Rose Montague created a poll in the event and because the replies provide the authors with valuable information, so we added a few to this magazine.
Readers Poll (and I realize most authors are big readers as well). What is it that gets your attention and leads you to purchase a book? Sometimes that can be more than one thing and if that is the case vote for those things you feel are most important to you when the decision to buy that book is made.
The poll had very informating votes by readers:
90 Blurb
80 Cover
35 Author name
30 Title
22 Reviews
16 Excerpt
7 Price
Aimee DeGagné
"For me, as a reader, price is only one factor. It is in the mix but not the first thing I look at. I buy about 3 books per week; but I want to enjoy those books. So if I buy 3 books for $0.99 and hate them or they are badly written and I can't finish them I will go out and buy more books (therefore spending more money to receive something I actually want) . In the end, I would rather have spent more money to purchase books that I will actually enjoy from the beginning. Don't get me wrong I, just like a lot of people, like a good bargain but it doesn't rank as high on my list as the blurb, for example."
Jesse Frankel
"For me, blurb, cover art, and...I'm Batman. As for the author's name, if it's someone I know, chances are the book will be good. I know everyone has put out a clunker every now and then, but generally speaking, I'm willing to trust an author whose work I've read before."
Tima Maria Lacoba
"The blurb does it or me. I usually only notice the cover after I've been drawn in by the blurb. I've bought a lot of bad-covered books that way but I thoroughly enjoyed the story."