Oh goodness. Foooooooood coma.
I think my stomach is going to 'splode from all the chicken and dumplings I just chowed down on, but I can't bring myself to care. So very, very good. Yay me for making with the home-made cooking, and all hail the wonders of the crock pot. It is the working girl's best friend.
My little rounded belly aside, I was pondering a question Jason asked, "BSC, what books do you see exciting customers? Is it genre? Book covers? Blurbs? Following favorite authors? What are the common reasons people give for choosing certain books?"
I started to write a post covering all these questions, only to realize that I was verging on an epic length essay that would take several different posts to cover. Given that I just realized today that the gray letters on the cover of Joan Didion's book spells out her husband's name. I've been staring at that cover for weeks. Weeks! If I haven't had the brain power to realize that John was spelled out, I surely don't have the power to post this essay tonight. Besides I would like to get some feedback from y'all.
Do you want me to focus on certain titles (e.g. why did the Da Vinci Code succeed while the Traveler failed?) or just covers? Do you want me to try to chart the rise and fall of a certain book in my store and area? Would you like me to chart the differences between an urban and suburban shopping area and why they differ?
Hit me with your best shot ladies and gents, and I'll try to incorporate them into the parts of my essay (or answer them the best I can on their own). Meanwhile you too can puzzle over my complete and total obliviousness when it comes to the Didion cover.
Joan Didion's Year of Magical Thinking
2 comments:
BSC, thanks for taking up the challenge! At least for me, I'm not looking to understand the mega books like the Da Vinci Code or Harry Potter. To me, those just are. No use trying to predict the next one.
What I'd like to know is the buying habits of the public over say, the last two years. What seemed to be the reason for the majority of sales? Is it utterly random, one book here, one book there, or are there patterns over the genres? What is motivating people to buy the fiction they are buying?
I'm coming at it from a different angle.
Never before published - first timers- what gets people to pick it up over an established author's book. Is it the cover, the title, page count or the synopsis on the back? What , of the four, makes the difference? If the publisher hasn't "Promoted" it, in anyway..it's dependent on the shopper.
Anyone ever ask this???
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