I noticed a pattern in my book buying habits the other day when I found myself running down to the local book and music store to snatch up the last paperback copy of Wolf Hall. Since there is a lot of talk about “discoverability” in this new digital age, this might be interesting to look into, both other people’s buying processes and your own.
For me, I do a lot of searching on Amazon for new books and writers. It’s my first stop to find something I might like. Particularly I go there hoping to find a new indie writer in a genre I enjoy (usually Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and now Historical Fiction). The algorithms are pretty good at predicting what I would like, but I don’t trust them 100%.
Instead, I browse the Top 100 lists and the Also-Boughts. If I see a cover I like, I click on it and check out the description. Right after that, I read a bunch of reviews. I get a lot of enjoyment out of reading reviews, and I usually go from the 5-Stars to the 1-Stars. If the 1-Stars have ridiculous criticisms, I dismiss them and check out the “See Inside” feature or download a sample if the book is on Kindle.
From there, I decide if I’m hooked enough to buy the book.
Now, as far as digital over physical copies is concerned, I do like to have a physical copy of certain books. If the fantasy has beautiful maps and diagrams in it, I do not go for the Kindle edition. If it’s traditionally published, I will seek out a physical copy at BullMoose Books and Music down the street from me. They have a very reliable website that lists if a book is in stock, and which locations have copies. They also do a fantasic job of letting me know as I’m searching if a location has limited stock, which means there is only one copy left on the shelf. If that’s the case, I make a run to the store as soon as possible to pick it up – or call ahead if I’m 100% sure I want to make the purchase, and have them hold the book for me at the front.
If the book is indie published, I usually go for the Kindle edition because it is cheaper and the quality is not too different from a printed book from CreateSpace. I have been surprised by some interior design in the indie world, however, though I haven’t been tempted to buy a POD paperback…yet. We’ll see what tempts me out of this comfort zone in the future!
So, there you have it. That is the process I make when looking to buy a book. I also check to see if the local library has copies of a book available as well if I am crunched for money.
What about you? Any interesting or quirky habits as far as your book buying process is concerned? I’d love to hear from you!
Franklin Kendrick 
I’ve actually started to lean on bookbub for finding new books and authors.
They send about 5 or 6 books everyday for me to consider, so that’s nice. Often a boom I was already thinking about grabbing pops up at a steep discount. So I scoop it up.
I’m perpetually behind on my reading, so I’m rarely actively searching for books.
I firmly believe that readers are far more likely to buy a book they’ve heard something good about or they recognize the author’s name because that’s the first sign of quality for me. It may be a bad sign, but social proof has an effect on me.
Since I’m into writing, I hear a lot of author interviews, so I’m exposed to a lot of different authors. The ones that stand out in my mind either get a buy from me immediately or when I see their book happen to pop up on bookbub.
I also don’t just buy a book because it’s cheap. Yes, I’m more likely to buy it if it’s cheap, but if I’m not interested at all, I won’t even get it for free. I just don’t want to clutter my collection with stuff I have no real intention of reading.
I go to book stores often, but rarely buy anything.
I bought the first two Song of Fire and Ice (and some other books) from Savers (a used items resaler). Again, I don’t grab anything I don’t intend to read.
I also buy audio books if I like the narrator(s) and interested in the story or content. I’m picky about the narrator though.
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I definitely agree on word of mouth and name recognition. I picked up a bunch of audiobooks because Victor Bevine did a masterful job on a series I had started listening to.
I used to grab things that were on the free lists on Amazon, but then my algorithms got all cluttered. So, I usually don’t go for the free things anymore unless they are a genre I’m reading, or happen to be part of a series I’m interested in. I’m a huge fan of used book stores, too.
Having gone through my book collection, I certainly have narrowed by buying habits for physical books since I only have a finite amount of space left on my shelves! 🙂
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