MOST EAGERLY ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR!!!
I've been wondering lately about book advertising. I don't know if it's just that I'm more aware or if it's been increasing more, but what is with all the crazy and sometimes overwhelming advertising surrounding new books? I've started to be annoyed with some of the campaigns; they just seem a bit over the top. I think maybe it's a sign I'm getting old and grumpy or something. :)There are so many superlatives (most, best) and adverbs (eagerly, highly) thrown out there describing new releases that they begin to lose meaning. Does using these words/phrases actually make people want to read them? Does this convince us as readers to seek out these books, describe our NEED for them, and otherwise blog about them well in advance of their release date? I know I'm often convinced by the big campaigns, the flashy ads, and the "highly anticipated" description of a book. But sometimes, most often lately, when I see those ads telling me a book is the "most eagerly awaited," I want to avoid it. I almost wanted to avoid seeing the Hunger Games movie because the obnoxious Capitol products and advertising kind of annoyed me. (I saw it, of course. And it was good, of course.)
And what about those author blurbs? If "NY Times Bestselling Author" said this book "made them stay up all night to read" or "made them green with envy over the writing" or was just "plain good," do you care? Do you make you want to read it more or less? What does make us want to get our hands on a book months before it will ever hit shelves?
I admit, I've been swayed by all of those things. Favorite Author said it was "Awesome?" Bring it on. Publicity is saying this is the Next Big [fill in the blank]? I might be a bit more leary, but will keep my eye on it still. Do you find yourself skeptical or eager when you see things like this?
I've discovered books on my TBR, added for whatever reason, that I honestly can't remember why I would have put it there. It might have been some advertising/blogging/blurbing/something that caught my eye. But, what makes a book go from TBR to actually read? What moves things up on that list? For me, I think it is a combination of things - plot, bloggers, and hype. Yes, even the hype. I am, unfortunately, not one of those cool enough to say "I won't read this book, because everyone says it's amazing and I want to swim against the current."
Usually, I'll take the blog raves with a grain of salt, depending on the blogger raving. There are bloggers who I know don't rave unless they find it absolutely necessary, and there are those who will rave about anything and everything, so long as it's popular and in their hands (I'd like to note that I think I'm somewhere in between these two). Also, summaries, even though I don't usually religiously read them, will often be what attracts me. I like a smart concept, sometimes even just a snippet like "future world where chocolate and coffee are banned" and that can move a book right to the top of Mount TBR.
But enough yapping, I want to hear your opinions. What you think of ads touting the "best/most eagerly/exciting/acclaimed/award-winning" book of the year, blogger buzz, author blurbs, summaries, and anything else about books that make you want to pick them up (or throw them across the room)?
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I look at books on my TBR list and think the same thing-- WHY did I say I wanted to read that??
ReplyDeleteReviews from other bloggers that I "know" and trust hold more weight for me.
Do you ever watch Castle? There's an episode where he has a bunch of books he's supposed to write blurbs for and he holds them up to his forehead one by one to come up with them. Sometimes I think that's how a lot of those quotes are written. :)
I'm so glad I'm not alone in finding random books in my GR TBR list. I find that "real" people opinions are more appealing than the ads or campaigns that try to suck you in. I agree that author quotes are sometimes totally ridiculous, though I've picked up a few books based on who blurbed it :)
DeleteIt generally garners an *eye roll* from me, and then I promptly ignore it. On the other hand, if a dozen of my favorite blogs are raving about a book, I can't wait to pick it up. I guess that tell you where my priorities are.
ReplyDeleteI've become this way too (though I think when I first started seeing those campaigns, I was easily convinced). I definitely feel like rolling my eyes when I see them now. Which makes me wonder if they really work with certain kinds of people.
DeleteRecommendations from friends, family, and bloggers I like hold weight with me. Their review of a book are on a 'normal' level. They just tell it like it is. They liked it or they didn't. I do not care for critical reviews, at all. Screw NYT.
ReplyDeleteI like the hype surrounding books. I like when it created interest in a book. What ever gets people to look at a book is great in my eyes!
I like a personal recommendation any day - usually because they will at least have some knowledge of what I might like. I'm pretty sure I've never picked something up based on a professional review.
DeleteI hadn't thought of it as creating interest in a book! That might make those sometimes annoying phrases more palatable :)
If a certain favorite or respected author has a blurb I pick it up.
ReplyDeleteIf Powells Books or Book List or similar venues have it among their top picks? I can be swayed.
I would like to say bloggers can sway me but I am skeptical that an early reviewer is not going to be as critical as a post-publishing-date review. I, too, am skeptical of anyone who doesn't post a less-than-glowing review once in a while.
Course, the bloggers I am most familiar with can sway me and I don't mind any exuberance--I hope they don't mind mine upon occasion.
Like you, I am leery of the marketed comparisons of "like this author" or "series". but they are useful. if it turns out true, then great! but if not, I am even more offended by the experience than I might have otherwise--really, I can get quite cranky with those types of exaggerations.
This is a fun post; good thoughts and questions!
~L (omphaloskepsis)
Excellent points! I'll have to think about whether I am liable to be less critical before a book comes out. That's really interesting - and I think there is some truth in it. I guess we all have bloggers whose reviews we feel we can trust. I know there are a few bloggers whose negative reviews are just as useful to me as their positive ones. It's nice to see a balance.
DeleteOh, and relating new books to super famous books/series is one of my newest pet peeves. They can be useful when correct, but I often find bloggers will let me know if it's correct or totally off base. I'd rather hear it from them :)
Most of the ones that say "best book in the universe" or whatever have the opposite effect of making me want to read it. There are some writers I respect that if they do a blurb, I'll look at it twice, but then there are some writers that do so many blurbs (Stephen King, Emma Donahue) they couldn't POSSIBLY be reading (and loving) all these books, so I don't pay attention! But I'm with you: I saw "coffee and chocolate banned" and was ALL OVER that book! LOLOL And yeah, it wasn't "the best book in the universe" but it was cute and entertaining nevertheless!
ReplyDeleteI've definitely been drifting this way, because it seems like there's always a book coming out that is "best in the universe" - they dethroned all those previous ones? Author blurbs have become less of a selling point too, especially those whose names keep reappearing. Give me a good concept any day and I'll probably try it.
DeleteGood question. Honestly, the only books I've seen that form of advertising with is Matched by Ally Condie, Twilight, and The Hunger Games. With Matched, I saw it in an article. But, I already had a vested interest in it because Ally Condie is a friend.
ReplyDeleteWith Twilight, it was only once it became big. I saw things touting it as being the next Harry Potter or Stephenie Meyer being the next JK Rowling. The same thing happened with The Hunger Games. Fortunately, I read both of those because they became super big and I loved them for them not because they were super popular.
I'm drawn into a book for three reasons:
1. Cover. I admit it; I'm shallow when it comes to books. If the cover is pretty, I'll give the book a second look.
2. Synopsis. If the synopsis sounds remotely intriguing, then I'll put it on my TBR list or read it. (The cover usually gets me to read the synopsis.)
3. Recommendation. This can be a recommendation from another reader or an author I admire. I'll admit that I'll take the recommendation more seriously if I know the recommender personally and they have the same reading interests I do.
I was ahead of the curve on both Twilight and HG and I was quite swayed by advertising to pick up Matched (which I enjoyed anyway). I've been seeing a LOT more advertising of this sort. I wrote this post after reading my Shelf Awareness and seeing about 3 different ads using some of this "best/most" phrasing. I think the more books described like this, the less true it will become.
DeleteI think a good balance of things that make you want to read something is the best way to choose. And I'm shallow too, when it comes to covers. The pretty ones always make me want to know more. Recommendations are my number one source, I think.
This sort of campaigns will attract my attention and will keep the book advertised on my radar, but I will not actually read it until I have some trustworthy friends actually like and recommend it. Blurbs mean nothing to me.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense. I suppose that is one purpose of all that advertising - getting the title/author out there and having any kind of publicity. Sometimes I just feel like it's maybe setting a book up to fail if you say so much about its amazingness :)
DeleteOh yes, such advertising raises the bar very high, and then when you see actual reviews come in, the ratings start plummeting at a speed of light.
DeleteIt makes me wonder if they didn't set the bar quite so high if people would generally like it more...
DeleteI don't care what people are saying about a book. I choose what to read based on whether it sounds good. That being said, I sometimes find myself reading a book because everyone's raving about it but not too often.
ReplyDeleteSo, yeah, the hype is annoying but I won't let it sway me. In fact, if it's THAT popular I usually assume I'll hate it. ;)
Oh if only I was cool enough to not care what people say about books! :) That's one reason I love to read your reviews - you think so differently from most people that I can see books from a totally different light.
DeleteAs everyone seems to be saying, I am most swayed by the buzz here on the blogs. The advertising itself isn't that big of a thing for me. I get a kick out the author blurbs because I have a feeling they are all friends, doing it for each other, and so those blurbs need to be taken with a grain of salt! But that being said, the exciting preceding a book is fun, if nothing else! :) (Sorry it took me so long to get over here and make a comment. I sort of took a computer day off yesterday!)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got a day off - you probably were overworked after last weekend! I always think that about blurbs too - the authors are buddies and sort of already love the books. Yeah for bloggers' influence!
DeleteI judge a lot of my books based on their cover. I usually avoid books that are slammed with art from the movie or hammed up with anticipatory words that are designed to make you want to pick it up. I don't like people telling me what book is "in fashion" to read right now. Books will often end up on my TBR list just by the simple act of asking someone to recommend their favourite book, by going through accredited book lists, spying interesting cover art, and of course by reading blogger reviews.
ReplyDeleteI tend to avoid the books that are "in fashion" too, but I've picked up more of them recently than in the past. Love books with good cover art - they can really make or break it.
DeleteI agree that books are becoming more like movies and CD's and that publishers are creating massive hype's about them before they come out. I also think some of the comments made to market books can be so generic! Like NY Times saying a book is a 'rip-roaring read'. I always think, who from the NY Times said that? And what does 'rip-roaring read mean? It is sort of like what one of the other people said in the comments, they put the book to their forehead and come up with random quotations!
ReplyDeleteIf I ever choose to buy a newly released book I always look at the author and see if they have written anything else I have read. Or I sometimes wait for friends who are into the same books as me to suggest a book they really liked. An example of this is that a few of my friends suggested The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and I love it!
I wonder too what some of those comments mean - what is a rip roaring read? You want to rip and roar at it? :) Depending on personal recommendations is the BEST way to find good books, I think. But, being a librarian, I might be biased that way...
DeleteI think I'm most likely to be swayed by who else liked them, e.g. my favourite author, a blogger/reader I know has similar tastes. But the blurb is a huge part of it for me as well.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that if a lot of people are talking about a book then I'm intrigued, but the blurb or over-hyping can still put me off.
I wonder what the perfect balance of hype and blurb use would really look like. Moderate, but not over the top. Would we even notice those kinds of books? I think Hunger Games didn't have TONS of advance advertising (at least the first book), but it did really well in spite of that. Great thoughts!
DeleteI find reviews from my favorite bloggers most useful. To be honest author blurbs, even those from favorite authors, don't sell me and the campaigns vary for me. Some peak my interest and others turn me off. Like the Twitter Insurgent campaign that's been running has been a total turnoff. They flood my feed and I've stopped checking any of them out and just find them irritating.
ReplyDeleteI've been a bit annoyed by the Insurgent thing too. Not enough to not read it, though. I'd probably like it more if I were involved, too :) I'd like to do a study (oh the geekery) on what types of campaigns people generally are drawn to...
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