Quick: a small non-poll

[kinzel]

A few questions for the readers in the peanut gallery:

Would you rather read:
a theme anthology
a year's best anthology

In a bookstore would you rather buy:
a new novel by someone you've heard of but never read
a new novel by someone you've never heard of

Would you more likely buy:
a novel set in a tie-in universe
a novel set in an original universe

The first thing you notice about a new author is:
the title of the book is good
the cover art of the book is good
the gender of the author

When it comes to cover blurbs you:
almost always read them
almost always ignore them
read them if they're by authors you like
always think they waste space
consider writing to the blurbers and ask them what were they drinking when they wrote the blurb, and where can you get some of *that*?

Do you go to book signings?
Elucidate above

Are you a member of the BTC -- that is, the Book Turners Club? Do you turn books by authors you like cover face-front in a bookstore?
If yes, above, will you do it for us RSN? Thanks!


Do you go to science fiction conventions?
If yes above, do you go because particular guests will attend, or for the general fun of it? Do you have a "home" convention?



For the writers:

do you think the audience for your work is:
mythical
average read-anything types
hardcore fans
geeks only
housewives in Iowa
your agent first, then your editor
the marketing department at B&N

And one last question...
do you listen to podcasts?

If so:
http://fledgling.fireheartfoundry.com/2007/12/19/fledgling-chapter-23/
the latest Fledgling podcast from Fireheart Foundry

Comments

[liadan-m.livejournal.com]

I read theme anthologies if it's an editor I trust- Esther Freisner, for example.

I will pick up books by authors I have heard of before an unknown- but between the shelves in my house and those of my friends we've got a good chunk of the past 40 years of the genre.

I rarely read tie-ins, mostly because I so rarely have the frame of reference for the original universe. If it's a tie in to a literary universe I am much more likely to read it, esp if I know and love the original. I think I own 4 tie-in books, one of which is How Much for Just the Planet?, which I don't think really counts.

I look at the cover first. Like many avid skiffy readers, I can spot a Baen cover from across the room. You don't waste Michael Whelan covers on crappy books. Roc has an artist they've used on Gail Baudino's books that seems to only go on *really good* fantasy novels, and it's a sure way for me to at least pick up the book to investigate further. Most of the major houses have a cover flavor that identifies them, and I know that I personally prefer the editing staff at some of them more than others.

I always read the back blurbs. Even as erroneous as they can be, they give me a sense of the subject matter and if I'd have any interest. There are some sub-genres that I prefer more than others, of course, and days where I want crunchingly hard sf or cloud-fluff fantasy- The back blurb gives me some of that information.

no book signings and I don't turn books- it would drive the people at Hugo's nuts. Not enough room as it is.

My home con is SuperCon, with a heavy side of Convergence.