Have you bought a book lately? How about an ebook? Recently, I wrote about my reading habits in a post on Rebecca Berto's Novel Girl Blog - I Never Met A Free Book I Didn't Download. Today, I'll examine why I would actually buy a book when there are so many free ebooks out there every day.
Here is a snapshot of my recent Amazon Purchase History:
What would you do for a second chance at your first crush?
The perfect summer read if you're a fan of lovable characters, witty observations, charming storylines and adorable relationships...
The perfect summer read if you're a fan of lovable characters, witty observations, charming storylines and adorable relationships...
There was no cover and there was a free book listed right above it and one right below it. So I clicked and clicked down the list downloading. I think I realized my mistake right AFTER I hit the Buy Button. Since I am an author and I don't like returns, I went back and read the description, looked at the cover and decided, yes, well, I might read this book, so I kept it, but haven't started it.
At a freshman party she doesn't remember...Jess Jordan was almost raped.
...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite. Three years later, Jess has managed to make everyone believe she's better. Over it. Because she is....Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.
Unfortunately, until Jess proves she's back to normal activities, her parents won't discuss college. So, she lands a summer internship and strikes a deal with hockey jock, Gray Porter: He gets $8,000. She gets a fake boyfriend and a social life.
Jess has no idea Gray signed on for reasons other than money. She also never expects to fall in love. But Gray's amazingly hot, holds her hand all the time, and makes her forget that he's simply doing his job. It's like having a real boyfriend
...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.
Gray Porter is hiding secrets of his own. About Jess Jordan. About why he's driven to protect her, why he won't cash her checks, or deny her anything she asks.
The cover? Lacking and I wouldn't have given it a second look. But the repetition of "Almost. Very nearly. Not quite." and the hidden secrets made me pick the book up. Oh, and 99c, impulse. There are a lot of fake boyfriend stories, and most of them are trite and boring. But what sold me was the voice. The voice in the description promised a voice I'd like to spend time with. SOLD. I started reading this book immediately and love the snarky voices of both characters and the geeky environment they're in.
So that's the story of the last three ebook purchases I made. The common thread here is email newsletters. But beyond that, it's the blurb or name recognition. I never glanced at the reviews before buying because I didn't want to be influenced. I usually read reviews after I've finished the book and written my own review and then go through to see who agrees with me.
What about you? Where do you find your books? What makes you buy and ultimately read?
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