[Gary Wassner]

Is it the author's image, word of mouth, reviews, cover art? What makes you take that one particular book to the register when you leave the store.

[JamesL]

Blurb. The blurb (at least for me) has to be relatively cliche-free, as well as giving enough information without revealing too much. It has to grab me, make me want to find out what happens.

Also - and this is terrible - but I have to admit that cover art is a huge factor for me. If a book has a cliched front cover, or simply bland, uninspiring artwork then it really puts me off. "Never judge a book by its cover" and all that, and while I don't judge a book by its cover, I may well decide not to read it based on its artwork (Though only if the blurb is poor as well - if the blurb sounds good then the art is much less of a factor.) At least you are sorted there Gary - the artwork for your novels looks pretty nice! :D

Blurb however, is more important. If the blurb is good, I get the book regardless of cover. If the blurb doesn't quite grab me, and the cover looks a little suspect, then I put it back.
Terrible I know, but thats the way I work. :rolleyes:

[Gary Wassner]

Good to know these things. That's why I asked the question. I think that if an author takes the time to be involved with the artist who is creating the covers, then there is a good chance that the covers will be meaningful and say something accurate about the books, just like a good blurb. I worked long and hard with Robert Sammelin, the artist for my books, from the very beginning. I wanted the colors to reflect the moods and the images to be indicative of what the reader can expect from the story.

My covers definitely are unconventional and they offer a new look for fantasy books in general. The backs of the books are just as interesting. In one case, I was actually unsure of which should go on the front and which on the back.

The author Steve Savile, wrote the most significant blurb on the back covers of mine. It was actually excerpted from a longer review which he wrote after reading them. It was truly flattering and I am grateful. To be complimented by another author whose talent I respect is quite meaningful to me. Here is what is on the backi:

"For the first time in a long time, I lost myself in someone else's creation. We all remember fondly the words we grew up reading, be they Narnia, Middle Earth of Lankhmar. Mythical places that shaped our imaginations and our creative minds, became a part of who we are. In these books we were unfettered, free to dream, to strive, to escape the mundane world that would hold us prisoner. That is the storyteller's greatest gift. Gary Wassner has that gift."

[juzzza]

I just realised two things:

1) I have never walked into a bookstore without knowing what it was I wanted to buy... I have never gone in just to browse and pick something up that takes my fancy for any of the reasons you just mentioned. Even if a book's artwork blew me away, I would not (or at least, have not) buy it.

2) I haven't walked into a bookstore for ages... All my purchases happen at Amazon!!!

So, for me it is reviews and recommendations.

Based on JamesL's criteria Gary, your book would walk out under his arm, your artwork is incredible. That is certainly a grabber.

[Gary Wassner]

Electronic purchasing definitely has changed the way people buy books. I do go into bookstores. NYC has some great ones, classic ones, like The Strand and Lennox Hill. But I also go into B & N and pick up a few books that I never heard of, sit with a cup of coffee and browse them. If one strikes me, I may buy it. I read the blurbs, and i agree that if they describe the book in a way that appeals to me, if the subject matter and the tone of the commentator seems like something I might enjoy, then I will buy it. The first thing though that draws me to the book is the cover art. Not because I intentionally choose what to look at for that reason. But there are just so many books on the shelves that something has to draw your eye before you can even read the back cover.

Online, you need to know what you want before you shop. That's a different ball game altogether.

[Miriamele]

I'm the same as Juzz. I never go into bookstores any more. Amazon is so much easier when you already know what you want, which I normally do. And I know what I want from listening to the folks around here, although I read the Amazon reviews as well before I buy something.

BUT when I used to work in a bookstore I would often bring home books that I hadn't heard of but had caught my fancy. What made me take those books to the register? A combination of a) cool cover art, b) interesting blurb, c) I read the first page and the writing didn't suck. That last is the good part about holding a book in your hands at the store; you can read a few pages to get a feel for the author's style. If a book looks like it has an awesome story but I hate the style, it's going back on the shelf!

[JamesL]

I think that if an author takes the time to be involved with the artist who is creating the covers, then there is a good chance that the covers will be meaningful and say something accurate about the books, just like a good blurb.

This brings me onto another point - I don't like 'generic' front covers. That is to say, front covers that don't seem to bear any relation to the book they are meant to be representing. Sometimes you'll get fantasy novels with a picture of a castle and knights or something, you'll read the book and then realize that the front cover doesn't relate to anything in the book. It's just a picture of a castle. No particular castle; just a castle. As if the artist has thought "Right, let's see...have to do something for author X's book. Hmm, what type of book is it? Ah, fantasy. Ok. A castle here, a knight here...maybe a dragon..." etc. Ok, so this is simplified to the extreme, but this is what I don't like, and it does happen.

I like artwork that portrays the book itself. The artwork for your books Gary would be a good example. Aside from yours, probably the best artwork I've seen recently (first-hand at least) would be the artwork for Cecilia Dart-Thornton, for her novel The Iron Tree. Fantastic - moody, atmospheric. I particularly like the idea of a central picture with a border of tangled vines, frog-like creatures, etc.

I've posted a link HERE (http://members.optushome.com.au/neptune5/img/ironinfo/iron_uk.jpg) . The artwork looks better first-hand, but still looks good over the net.

[JamesL]

I read the first page and the writing didn't suck. That last is the good part about holding a book in your hands at the store; you can read a few pages to get a feel for the author's style. If a book looks like it has an awesome story but I hate the style, it's going back on the shelf!

Definitely - when perusing books in the store, if I pick up a title by an author I'm not familiar with then I'll always read the first page or so to check out the writing. I'm loathe to say it, but there is no shortage of average, published-for-a-quick-buck fantasy novels around. A quick read of the first few pages will root quite a few out.

[Miriamele]

James, the artwork for The Iron Tree really is fantastic. That's the kind of cover art I like to see as well; relevant, detailed, and just plain beautiful. Good stuff. :)

[Gary Wassner]

Miriamele - Don't you think though that electronic purchasing has drastically altered the choices that readers now make? You can't browse, and if you go to amazon, you are deluged with 'favorites' - if you bought this, then you will like this... Those are not personal recommendations. Let's not kid ourselves. They are computer generated stats. And I cannot recall ever having seen an indie title on one of those lists. The small presses and independents are usually not included in the 'if you liked this...' list. So how do you choose what to read? Reviews? That's a good way certainly. But not mainstream reviews, because they don't review fantasy. Don't look to the best seller list.
A publisher can pay to get their books to the forefront on Amazon and B & N. So the big guys get the play. I still like to browse the shelves, and I wish B & N online would figure out a way to browse a shelf as if you were in a store yourself. How cool would that be? Click on the spine of a book and see the cover. turn it over and read the blurbs. open the first page and read an excerpt. Put it back and go to the next one on the shelf.