Ariel’s post on Monday was provocative. She mentioned several factors that cause people not to read a book, and she noted that many times we make such decisions based on recommendations from others.
But perhaps now more than ever, a prospective book buyer can evaluate before buying: Some online booksellers give you the opportunity to read a sample chapter or to search within a book you might be interested in.
But of course you don’t buy (or, if in a library, check out) every book you sample.
Why not? I’d like to get the discussion started with--
Eight things that will cause a reader to put a book down
1) Nothing itches enough during the first chapter that would make you want to scratch the second chapter.
2) There is no compelling reason to care about the protagonist. He or she could go straight to hell and you’d wave goodbye, because they’re just characters in a book.
3) You can predict the next plot development. And the next
4) The protagonist (or what she loves) is in tepid water.
5) The story isn’t believable – either illogical or not true to life.
6) The story is too true to life. (Most of life is quite ordinary and doesn’t make good reading.)
7) The book’s outer appearance – art, cover copy, endorsements—writes a check the writer can’t cover.
8) Stereotypes. Of any type.
How about you? What causes you put a book back on the shelf?
