Comments on: Readers’ turn: Would meeting an author matter?

By: PSC

PSC — Thu, 04 May 2006 02:52:18 +0000

1. I might if the genre was somehting I was intereted in.

2. yes. Makes it more personal if I met the person.

3. Yes.

4. No I am not interested in an autographed book if I wasn’t there when it was autographed.

5. recommendation from a friend

By: Diane

Diane — Wed, 03 May 2006 20:01:45 +0000

I am a book addict. I have the genres I love and I dabble in some others. I have had the opportunity to hear some authors and have loved it. But those authors were comfortable in front of a crowd. I think the next best thing is to read an author’s blog. It is another way to get inside their head. I have had a hard time convincing my friends that it is fun to do. (But I like technology…..)

If I haven’t heard the author speak then the autograph doesn’t mean a thing.

By: Lizzie

Lizzie — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 01:55:22 +0000

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. As long as it’s not a genre I explicitly DON’T like, I’m down for whatever.

4. Yes

5. Definitely a push from a friend.

By: annette

annette — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 00:30:54 +0000

i love meeting authors. well not so much “meeting” as listening to. its fascinating to me, a non-writer, to gain some insight into the creative process. does it entice me to buy their book? my first inclination was to say no. however on reflection i have never not bought a book at a reading, even if it was not a genre or topic of particular interest to be, gifting them forward. rarely have i hung around to get a book signed unless i want to tell the author that i’m a fan(i figure if they took the trouble to write it i can go to the trouble to let them know i liked it). recently i went so far as to send a letter to a writer i admire (very professional, not a cathy bates, stalky-wierdo thing). i had been thinking for a while how profoundly the book in question had affected me and telling the author just seemed like the right thing to do. i would love to meet her, i’m sure we’d end up really, really good friends and she’d probably invite me to spend summers with her in the south of france and i’d probably end up editing her books because i’d be the only person she trusts to be completly honest with her and when she’s on oprah plugging her book club book and oprah asks the source of her inspiration…

By: MJG

MJG — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 22:22:21 +0000

I go out of my way to buy a book that the author has signed. This makes the book extra valuable, sorta like collecting antiques.
Meeting the author in person or listening to a reading, presentation enhances the interest in the book for me. I like to speculate (if book is fiction) how much of the writings reflect the author’s own life experiences. Any little hint of personal experience tied into the novel only makes me want to read the book faster. If I don’t have the opportunity to meet the author in person, then I linger over the book jacket, all the personal stuff I love!!

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 02:52:53 +0000

1. I do enjoy meeting authors, If it was convenient, I would certainly take a minute to speak with a writer about their work, especially if I was already in a mind to read it. Frankly, I like it when I have a personality to go behind the secret voice that all of you writers try to hide, or exposition, or whatever. It’s like studying the life of, oh, say, John Milton, and gaining a greater appreciation for poems like “When I consider…” (It’s a sonnet, and oh so good). Knowing something about the man behind the curtain is always a positive thing for me.

2. I don’t generally buy books that I’ve heard about in magazines. I will, however, browse the reviews when I do peer-reviewed journal research. But those are academic things…
Short answer, I’d rather hear about the work from the author, not some guy with a Bachelor’s in Communication and Journalism.

3. I am a bit loyal to my genres. However, I have been known to break out, including once after hearing an author speak about her book. So, yes, I would.

4. On a budget here- if the autograph costs money, I’ll probably go with the paperback without it. I think it’s also sort of like being a poser- ask if someone would say, “Oh, I went to a book signing, and LOOk at my book! It’s SIGNED!” I think it’s better to do that sort of thing in person.

5. Depends on a friend– if, say, Robin told me that a book was awful, and offesive, and otherwise unsavory, and I heard the author at the book store talking about it, I’d probably listen to Robin. But if someone like that kid from my English Class who loves the Greatful Dead and only reads poetry books recommends some novel, I might not listen to him, but listen to the author.

I think the point of this questionnare is to get a sense of whether book signings are worth it, in the end. I really would say they are. You get a chance to meet people who read your work, or are into it, or hate it. Lots of raw, uncensored feedback from inside the lion’s feeding area (the bookstore). I would be intimidated, but I think it’s probably still worth the stress.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 17:56:00 +0000

I would respond to your survey as follows:
1) I would never buy a book just because I met the author.
2) I would probably buy a book if I read something about the book beforehand but not because of meeting the author.
3) I would only buy a book that falls within a genre that I’m interested in.
4) An autograph of a person means absolutely nothing to me.
5) A recommendation from a friend means so much more to me than contact with an author.
However, I am a rare bird because I am rarely impressed by famous people or authors or whatever. I read books that my friends give to me or recommend to me. I have never been impressed by a famous author. I consider people to just be people. I am much more impressed by subject matters that are thought provoking which is why I would buy a book that I read about in a magazine if I knew a little about the subject matter. I’m a weirdo and have never been much for rubbing elbows with the beautiful people or showing off autographs. However, I do think there are far more people in this world interested in the whole “knowing the author” thing and that a book is autographed, etc. Those people generally buy the books but never read them. So,that’s my two cents about that!