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

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Would you rather read:
a theme anthology

-- Specifically, on a theme in which I'm interested, particularly existing universe anthologies. I find that anyone else's 'best' rarely matches mine.

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

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

-- Yes, either or both depending on the author(s) involved (both the original author and the current one).

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 cover art can catch my attention, a good title is more likely to get me to open the book and consider it.

When it comes to cover blurbs you:
almost always read them
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*?

-- Heh. Can I add "sometimes want to shoot them for giving away the whole point of the book"?

Do you go to book signings? Not usually.

-- There are rarely any close to me, and at cons I don't want to spend hours waiting in line. I will, though, for particular authors I like a lot, but I'm more likely to carry a book around in case I bump into the author in the bar or something.

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?

-- No, bookstores I know generally don't have room to do that without obscuring other books, and the owners tend to frown on that sort of thing.

Do you go to science fiction conventions? Yes, sometimes.

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

-- Generally, I don't bother about the guests. They are generally too busy when being guests to do more than appear up on a stage (there are some, though, whose stage presence is enough to make that worthwhile). I'd usually rather catch them at a con where they aren't guests and have time to sit in the bar and chat.

-- My 'home' convention is the UK annual filk con, in February each year; secondary is FilkCONtinental in Germany end of September. I'm intermittent at the annual British Eastercon.

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

-- No, I don't get on with spoken materials. I don't generally like talk radio either. I either ignore it if I'm driving or I find it distracting (or worse combine the two, miss bits and then get very confused at the bits I hear).