Thursday 1 June 2017

Armchair Book Expo: What Do Readers Want?

Ahhh, it's time for day 2 of the Armchair Book Expo and I still wish I was at the real thing. However, today was the book birthday of a book I really wanted and I've managed to grab that so being at home isn't all bad.

Being at home has also allowed me to add an actual follower widget that I didn't have before. Ooops. But thanks to the lovely Erica pointing how to do it, you can actually follow my blog properly now and you don't have to follow by email. Though you can do that too if you want. Just how much do you love me ;).

All of this is besides the point though and the point is what the hell do you readers want?!

Hey look, some of my WIP ;)



As a writer I've asked this many times before and as a reader I've been reading stuff and seeing stuff and thinking we need more of this or less of this and so on. As both readers and writers we can be very fickle and maybe that's why sometimes it seems like we have ten million different versions of a story line. Well, okay, maybe not that many if you're specific but there are only a limited amount of story lines and we've been writing the same ones over and over since we started telling stories. It does mean it can be very difficult to be original. This can be a good thing for readers because if means if you feel like reading a certain sort of story, you know you can probably find another.

The problem is that what can make or break a book can be personal. Diversity is a great way to make a book now and personally, I love seeing diversity, but at the same time that can't be a plot point for the sake of getting more readers. I'll write more on diversity tomorrow though so come check that out then. Other than that I love books that have a fantastical twist, I like cute romances and hilarious friend groups and I want twists and plots that'll keep me thinking about them for days. I love angst too and I'm always after fantasy or sci-fi with something painful and beautiful. You wanna put me off a book? If it's for adults then fill it with pointless smut and for any age group, make the love interest abusive or a dick then romanticize him. Bore me by trying sound cleverer than the book actually or act is if this book is morally better than others even if there's issues. The thing is that those things are going to be make or break for other people too and they may feel the opposite to me. A book isn't going to please everyone which is why it's okay to dislike something that's popular. Just because everyone else seems to love, say, Throne of Glass or The Hunger Games for example, doesn't mean you have to too. One of those series I originally liked but as more has been released, a lot of aspects of the books have broken the series for me and the other I just generally couldn't get into.

Sometimes when I'm writing I want to scream. I'm doing the best I can to write a book that I love but that others will love too. The thing is that I can't always know what people love because simply the time that book is published can make or break it with whatever's popular at the time. All I can do as a writer is write what I wanna see and throw in a bit of what other people seem to love. Mix it all together and maybe my manuscript will make it. As for the books I read that I want to make it? All you can do is review, recommend and share. Be as loud as you can and rate it as highly as you can wherever you go. You'll not only make the author happy but maybe you'll help bring them success too.

As it is though it's impossible to even say in discussion what makes or breaks a book because when it comes down to it, it's up to you.

6 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading your blog post! All the best :)

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  2. I tend to be a reader who doesn't get swept up in whatever the super popular thing is. My favorites tend to be quirkier.

    Armchair Book Expo day 2: What do readers want? and Collaboration

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    1. I don't always tend to either but I at least like to check popular things out. They tend to be popular for a reason.

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  3. Great post! I totally agree that what makes or breaks books is a personal thing that varies per reader.

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    1. It really is. I guess that's why it's so hard to realise what writing authors write will sell and what won't.

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