Fed up with samples that don't contain anything useful

[Mike L]

May I be permitted a little rant.

It's good that ebook vendors allow you to download free samples before you commit yourself to a purchase. But I hate it when the sample is full of the introductory matter - "about the author", "praise for ...", extended table of contents, extended list of illustrations, acknowledgements, notes on sources, preface, etc etc. - and there's no room left for the sample of the actual book.

I've seen this many times. The latest was today, when I downloaded a sample of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, to find that almost the entire text consisted of an introductory review by a modern critic, without any of the text of the book itself. That's completely useless.

I don't know if this is something that's within the author's control. If it is, the author ought to make sure that the sample contains at least one chapter of the book. If the author can't control that, then the publisher or the vendor should do something about it.

Rant over. Thank you.

Mike

[eschwartz]

reviews should be shot at birth?

And maybe the reviewer as well, as I've never seen one that's useful.

Me: "No it's not the next Harry Potter, you lying #@!&$% this thing doesn't even have a plot! DIE FIEND!"

No I'm not joking!

[QuantumIguana]

Are samples a fixed percentage, or can the author choose what percentage to offer? If if can be chosen, the author should increase the percentage to ensure that it includes enough for the reader to actually sample the content. I see this a lot with short stories, sometimes you don't get even one single word of the actual story.

I think that everything that can be put to the back of the book should be. Get it out of the way. If the reader likes the book enough, they may read it, but generally, it's not an enhancement having it at the beginning. Reviews don't belong at the beginning. I already downloaded the sample. If I like the work, I'll be happy to read about the author's other works at the END of the book.

[pidgeon92]

I think a percentage of the book would be fine, as long as it starts at the beginning of the actual book text. It should bypass all of the other useless items.

Audible has a similar problem with audiobook samples. Often the samples are of the prologue, and those aren't always narrated by the same person who is doing the actual book text.

[PeterT]

I've bitched about this to Kobo many tines; their previews are often totally useless.

[poohbear_nc]

I think the standard Amazon sample is the initial 10% of the book - which usually contains the pages of reviews for other works by the author, the acknowledgements, the TOC, the Preface/Introduction, and maybe .... just maybe ... a few pages of actual text.

[Jessica Lares]

I agree.

I think it would be best if they allowed you to read the entire first chapter, and it being specified by the author/publisher when uploading. It makes more sense than the way it is now.

[greenapple]

I've come across too many previews that stop precisely before the actual content. Most of these are non-fiction works, where the previews consist of just the forwards by a different author.

[4691mls]

When I first started using the Overdrive library I downloaded a couple of previews but they were all just the kind of junk Mike L was complaining about, so I gave up on them.

I would like a preview to be the first few pages of the first chapter of the book.

[xg4bx]

The topper for me was the 4 page Nook preview of the first Wheel of Time book. You got the cover, copyright info and that is all. I felt like I was being trolled.

[Tarana]

I think it's a matter of how you choose a book. I choose a novel totally based on the blurb on the back. I don't want a sample of the writing. I'll read it when I buy the book. Nonfiction, especially craft/hobby or cookbooks are a different story. You need to see something of the recipes, writing to determine if the book is going to meet your needs.

As far as Audible, I have yet to come across the issue of the sample being different from the actual narrator and I have over 400 audiobooks. Have you complained to Audible when this happens? On the plus side, if you buy it from Audible and it is not what you expected, you can now return it for your money back. How can one argue with that policy.

[Anabana]

When I'm considering something on Amazon, I look at a paper book listing to see if there is a "Look Inside". Then you can actually read a few of the pages. I don't care what other mystery writers think of [it] a new mystery by another author (or are paid to write about it) -- hmmm, so who said something like, " If I liked this kind of book, this is a book I would like." ?? THAT I can appreciate!

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by Mike L

I've seen this many times. The latest was today, when I downloaded a sample of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, to find that almost the entire text consisted of an introductory review by a modern critic, without any of the text of the book itself. That's completely useless.

Fortunately, I have yet to come across a sample like this.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

I would like a preview to be the first few pages of the first chapter of the book.

With physical books, I usually flip somewhere to the middle of the book and read a few paragraphs there. The first few pages are often especially crafted to hook readers, and don't necessarily represent the rest of the writing. It's best when you get to choose the fragment, rather than accept what the author/publisher want you to see.

[FizzyWater]

Oh, agreed! In addition, I'm fed up with "blurbs" that are about the author, instead of the book.

Very-important-author has 22 New York Times best selling novels and has been a member of snooty-literary club since the tender age of 6 months old. Yadda-yadda-blah.

Sure. There are a few authors I'll buy on name alone. I can't remember the last time I read the blurb on a J D Robb novel before deciding to buy the book. But most of the time, I want to know what the bleeping *book* is about!