Links for previews to May releases by Jennifer Ashley, Nina Bangs, Angie Fox, and Susan Squires, along with Joy Nash’s June book, A Little Light Magic, have been posted on the Coming Soon page.
Do excerpts help you determine what to buy? Where do you find them? How far in advance do you like to read them?
Edited to add: By excerpts, I mean first chapters posted online, in the back of other books, promotional booklets. Thanks. Every now and then I need to edit myself for clarity. 
Take the poll, then leave a comment and one lucky poster will receive a full set of March titles, including:
SOMEONE LIKE YOU by Leigh Greenwood; THE ROSE AND THE SHIELD by Elaine Barbieri; VEXING THE VISCOUNT by Emily Bryan; IMMORTALS: THE RECKONING by Jennifer Ashley, Joy Nash, and Robin Popp; BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HEART PLACE by Natale Stenzel; A TASTE OF MAGIC by Tracy Madison; and FALLEN by Celeste Bradley
February 17, 2009 at 11:24 am
I really don’t like reading the back before reading the book. It gives stuff away! And I’d rather be surprised. I do like to read them aftwards though. It’s interesting to see what plot point made the back over all the things that happen in the book.
I find a book by word of mouth, or maybe by reading something interesting on the internet somewhere. If I’m just looking for a book to read, I’ll randomly pick from the shelves (“Oh, cover model’s wearing a cute dress” or “Love that house in the background”) and read the first page to see if I like it.
February 17, 2009 at 11:38 am
Yes, the blurb makes a difference. The cover attracts my attention, but the blurb seals the deal. Especially, when I am trying a new author.
Sometime I will read the first couple of pages IF the blurb is good. Sometimes the blurbs are just dumb or they sound just like the last book I picked up.
I know I have missed some good books because of the cover or because the blurb didn’t reach me. Friends have later recommended these books to me. Lori Foster’s books are the cover example. I thought she was chick lit for the longest time.
Anya Bast’s book are an example of blurbs. I have picked up her witch books several times and not bought them, because the blurb didn’t grab me. I downloaded 2 of her free reads and now I want to read her witch series.
There probably is a formula, I dont really want to know if there. lol I like to think that I am original in my reading choices, but I am really just one of the masses.
Great Topic!!
February 17, 2009 at 11:46 am
I should probably clarify excerpts – and I’ll do so in the actual post, too. I’m asking not about the back cover copy (though I always appreciate the input), but first chapters posted online or in the backs of other books or in promotional booklets.
February 17, 2009 at 11:48 am
Often someone will mention a book or I’ll read about one that sounds interesting. If I haven’t read the author’s books before, I’ll go to the website and read an excerpt. A good one will make me want to buy the book.
February 17, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I love excerpts. They give me a feel for the author’s voice and the book’s tone. Amazon’s “search inside the book” function is a great tool.
I rarely go to an author’s website and never read excerpts there. I suppose if I love her books already, I’m likely to buy the next one that comes out. If I haven’t read her before, I’m probably going to decide to buy based on personal recommendations or Amazon reviews (plus Amazon’s excerpt).
I also don’t tend to read promo booklets–but that’s probably because the only time I get them is once a year at RWA National, and it takes me forever to dig through all the goodies I get there.
I do, however, read the back-of-the-book previews for future books. To reach one, I have to have enjoyed the author’s current book and read it all the way through. And then the preview is an extension of the pleasurable experience of reading the book. Make sense?
February 17, 2009 at 1:11 pm
I always read the excerpts for my favorite authors because I can’t wait and just want to get a little taste of the next one to hold me over. In regards to a specific book the excerpt doesn’t usually persuade me to buy it the blurb does that, but it has stopped me from buying before. If I read the excerpt and just don’t like the flow or find out it is in first person, then I don’t buy the book.
February 17, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I’m fickle that way. And “hello,” this is my first post here.
For my absolute tops authors, I avoid all excerpts, blurbs, reviews, back cover copy, etc. I want a pristine reading experience.
For authors who’re not an auto-buy for me and who are new to me, I’ll take recommendations of people whom I trust and will read excerpts before I decide to buy.
Then there are those one-offs: I adore the cover, something in the back cover copy jumps out at me, I meet the author online and really like her, etc.
February 17, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Oh yes–once my Kindle 2 arrives next week (wheeeeee!), I’ll be all about the downloaded Kindle samples. They can make or break a purchase decision. I relied on them constantly for my original Kindle, which I sold a couple of months ago to fund K2. (And yes, the withdrawal symptoms have been excruciating.)
February 17, 2009 at 1:40 pm
OH! My bad. Well in that case, a big ‘ol YES! I do read excerpts that come at the end of books, ones I come across the internet, and anywhere else I might happen upon them. The best ones that get me to buy are from chapter one. I don’t much care for excerpts that are plucked out of the center of books and used for attention grabbers (probably for the same reason editors/agents like to see the first 3 chapters rather than ones that are chosen on the author’s whim.)
Excerpts on book 2 of a series at the end of a book are great, but I also like seeing a different author’s book advertised at the end. I’ve bought lots of books this way.
You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone ask this before….
February 17, 2009 at 2:47 pm
I know I’m probably in the minority, but I don’t read excerpts. For one thing, if it’s a book that isn’t out yet, I’ll either forget the excerpt or forget to buy the book when it does come out – OR, if it seriously whets my appetite, I’ll be miffed that I have to wait to read the rest. So, not a win-win for me!
) Like I said, I’m sure that’s a minority reaction.
And certainly, an excerpt would only *stop* me from buying a book if I happened to check it out, and discovered I really disliked the author’s voice or subject matter. But the same effect would happen by reading the first few pages in the store before purchasing, which is what I usually wind up doing.
February 17, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Ah Um oops lol *blush* Sorry I didn’t read as carefully as I thought.
If I am shopping at an online bookstore I will read the excerpts. If if is a new author for me I get the feel of the authors voice. I generally don’t read them for authors I already auto buy. Mostly this is so I don’t go crazy waiting for the book to come out.
Excerpts are very valueable when online shopping, I have picked up a couple of new authors I might not have because an excerpt was available.
still blushing!!!
February 17, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Having the first chapter online is great and I think it reaches more readers. Although I like the idea of having the first chapter in the back of a book, unless it’s an author with a large readership, fewer people will read that first chapter.
Example: if it’s in the back of CL Wilson’s books then countless people will read it, however if it’s in the back of a book where the readership is still in the growing phase there will be less.
In a bookstore, I don’t check to see if there is a chapter for another author in the back of the book.
Just my thoughts.
February 17, 2009 at 9:34 pm
I love the samples you can get on your Kindle, that is my favorite way for deciding. Otherwise, I skim the first chapter of a bound book in the bookstore. For authors that I am already reading, the sample serves only as a teaser – it’s already a given that I’ll be buying their next book. As for going to a website of an author I haven’t read to try a sample, well, I am just starting to do that, but not with any frequency.
February 18, 2009 at 2:05 am
Ooh, a chance to win free books!
Excerpts matter most to me when it comes to authors I’m not familiar with. With very few exceptions, if I haven’t read the author before or if I’ve only read a few of their books, I want to read an excerpt before I buy the book. And I much prefer lengthier excerpts to short 1-2 page excerpts.
I most often go to author websites for excerpts. Of course, this means I need to have some awareness of the book first. When books are excerpted at the end of another book, I need some sort of context (a short summary or the description that will be the back cover copy). If it’s just something along the lines of “Turn the page for an excerpt of Book X by Author Y, coming in Month Z,” chances are I’ll skip the excerpt.
As for when I like to read them? Actually, I don’t think timing matters as much to me as it does (or should) authors and publishers. I think the book info and excerpt should be online by the pub. date. Beyond that, if the goal of the excerpt is to create buzz or anticipation, or capitalize on buzz, the sooner the better for both the author and publisher, right?
February 18, 2009 at 2:10 am
I should add that what I wrote applies only to romances because I buy the majority of the romances I read. For other types of books, I get them at the library and so excerpts don’t matter so much to me then.
February 18, 2009 at 9:12 am
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February 19, 2009 at 10:32 am
For authors who are new to me, yes, excerpts really help. I can tell if the writing works for me.
February 19, 2009 at 11:13 am
[...] everything from full novels by bestselling authors to sheet music. There are also a number of excerpts, including one from Suzanne Brockmann’s [...]
February 19, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I don’t rely on chapters or excerpts to buy books. For me, the experience of going to the store and picking up the book, checking out the cover, and reading the back is the delicious part. If an author I love has a book coming out, I buy it automatically. If I’m looking for something new, I either decide on a random beauty at the bookstore or take the advice of a friend.
February 20, 2009 at 5:11 pm
I love excerpts! I love to know what my favorite authors are coming out with, but most importantly they can help me decide whether or not to buy that book I have been vacillating on. You can’t always tell by just the back blurb whether or not to use your book budget money to buy an unknown author, but the excerpt can make or break that decision.
February 21, 2009 at 9:30 am
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February 21, 2009 at 10:55 am
Excerpts definitely make me want to buy a book. My favorite thing to do when I get a new book is check the back for a possible sneak peek for a new book/next in the series of the book I just bought. So of course I love to check out excerpts online!
Margay
February 21, 2009 at 11:37 am
I use back cover blurbs more than anything else to decide whether or not to buy a book. If I come across an excerpt, I enjoy reading it, but it’s not usually the deciding factor.
February 21, 2009 at 3:44 pm
I do want to read excerpts if the author is new to me, with so many authors I’m already reading, I want to be sure it’s one I’m going to like, excerpts give me an idea of the authors style and a bit more about the book. I do pretty good avoiding those I might not care for.
February 21, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Have read online excerpts but that’s unusual. I do read the back of books. I do read excerpts in the back of books (first chapter of next book, or excerpts from other, similar books).
February 22, 2009 at 8:14 am
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February 22, 2009 at 11:59 am
For me the excerpts help a lot, especially if it’s a new-to-me author. The cover and/or title is usually what grabs my attention, but if I don’t like the blurb and excerpt I don’t buy the book.
February 22, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Blurbs and excerpts can totally make the difference on if I am going to read a book, especially if its an author I havent read before.
February 22, 2009 at 11:21 pm
I read excerpts that are in the back of books I’m reading and have found a few new-to-me authors that way, but generally I don’t go searching for excerpts. I’m more likely to choose my reading material by blurb. A good clear blurb is really important to me.
February 23, 2009 at 10:52 am
I rarely try a new author without reading an excerpt from their work. A great excerpt can really sell me on a book – when I checked out the prologue to Scott Lynch’s fantasy debut The Lies of Locke Lamora, I was so blown away I spent the next few months simmering in my excitement. Couldn’t wait to go out and grab that book.
April 15, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I love reading the excerpts as it does give me an insight into the meat and potatoes of the book. I sometimes need to be grabbed in the first chapter to be enthralled, but not always. So by a brief look into the book, I can know if it will be worth it or not; especially if I don’t know the writer.
September 2, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I like getting the tri-fold excerpts. They are a great introduction to a new author or a new title.
June 13, 2010 at 6:24 pm
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