Discoverability: Where did you find that book?

[Rob Lister]

First, hat tip to stonetools for linking me to an article that had an annoying html5 pop-up linking me to another article on book discoverability ... on which, I surprisingly clicked!

Social reading, discoverability and other unsolved problems at BEA 2012

snip...

Start off by assuming that social reading means being able to interact with a book through social media or with social features inside the book, and discoverability is the challenge of finding new authors and books.

The stuff about social reading was interesting, and perhaps threadable on its own, but this thread is about discoverability ... until somebody rudely [or mercifully] derails it.

Bookstores are going down and taking discovery with them

Social tools haven’t taken the place of brick-and-mortar bookstores, which are declining as a source of discoverability for books, industry consultant and analyst Peter Hildick-Smith noted in a Publishers Launch BEA panel on Monday. His company, Codex Group, tracks discoverability by asking readers where they bought the last book they read. Two years ago, 31 percent of respondents found the book in a bookstore. As of the end of May 2012, that number has 45 percent, down to 17 percent.

Where I bought my last book is not where I discovered my last book, so I think he asked readers the wrong question.

That’s bad for book sales, Hildick-Smith said, because bookstores prompt a lot of spontaneous purchases. The Codex Group asked book buyers if they had a specific book in mind to buy the last time they went to a brick-and-mortar bookstore. Only one in three had a specific title in mind; the rest were going to browse and buy. Kindle owners are even more likely to browse in bookstores — 76 percent go in spontaneously — suggesting that online solutions (like Amazon’s algorithms) aren’t yet doing the trick for discoverability.

I think Peter is utterly convoluted in his analysis but ... whatever. Book readers like to browse books, as is evidenced by 76% going in spontaneously. I think the 'trick' has more to do with the actual tactile feel of real books, the aroma of new books, and maybe even the hot college girls that roam the aisles (and don't at all think I'm a creepy old guy) of real brick and mortar reality stores. Nothing more complicated than that.

Damn, this post has been all digress and no topical ingress.

I 'discovered' my last book while reading the winners list for last year's Hugo Award. Embassytown by China Mieville caught my eye. I'd heard of him somewhere but never read him. I then 'bought' his book from the B&N website. Still reading it. Very good read thus far. He has an obvious love of language.

Where did you discover your last book?

[BeccaPrice]

I went in to B&N yesterday, the second time I've been in a book store this year. There were tables and tables of "new" books, including one huge table covered with the third "shades of gray" book. I wasn't interested in a single book they had on their "notice me!" tables. I bought a coffee mug. The previous time I was in B&N, I didn't buy anything.

Bookstores rarely have the books I'm interested in, so I've stopped bothering. (I'm really not into urban fantasy, and that seems to be the extent of the SF collections).

I discover new books by reading review sites, and by getting recommendations from friends (my last two purchases were technical books in my field that I need for a class I'm taking - neither one of which would ever be in the b&m store.)

[steven522]

I "discover" paper&ink books that I read in various used book stores. I go in and randomly browse around looking for covers that catch my attention. If the back cover blurb sounds like something I might find interesting, I get it.

I "discover" e-books that I read while browsing around various sites such as MR and others whose main purpose is discussion of books and/or readers for the electronically savvy.

I currently and mid-read of an epub loaded on a reader and have about 5 old paperbacks stacked on my desk for when I am done.

[Giggleton]

I allow the books to discover me.

[RainingLemur]

Once I find myself getting close to the end of whatever book/books I'm reading, I'll go check Amazon and see the "Users who bought this also took a look at..." lists and poke around.

And, if all else fails, there's a site I go on that has a GREAT recommendations sub-forum. I forget what it is, though. I have it bookmarked somewhere.

[Phogg]

The last few ebooks I have bought, have been through searching for a topic in fiction on the internet, and then reading through short reviews of the books that turned up on various forums and review sites.

[maxiart]

Mostly everything I've read this year has been found in Goodreads, except for a series I read about in Twitter (MBotF), and one reviewed in a certain blog.

[wyndslash]

I just visited a Barnes & Noble a few days ago when I was in Hawaii (not a US citizen) and was able to find some of the books on my GR list there, so I decided to get it there. I truly enjoyed the experience of looking through the stacks, though. I miss it; browsing online has a different feel, of course.

In any case, even knowing I could get the books cheaper on Amazon or on another book site, I still opted to get it there for the wonderful experience I'm a sap.

[Belfaborac]

In the old days: recommendations from friends, mailing lists and browsing book stores.

Pre-eReader: recommendations from friends and Amazon, various forums.

Today: recommendations from friends, very occasionally from Amazon, Mobile Read.

To be honest though, I've got so many unread books that I really shouldn't buy any more, ever.

[xg4bx]

for me, recommendations from amazon/users also bought, genre groups on facebook, author self-promos on here and piracy.

yes, piracy. my shelves and kindle are filled with (legitimately purchased) books/authors that i discovered through pirate sites. i dl a book and if i read and like it, i'll start buying the authors books (often in print, if applicable) and following their careers. and, being the compulsive shopper i am, i'll often purchase the complete bibliography in one fell swoop due to my enjoyment of one 'ill gotten' book. theres a particular indie fantasy author who i ended up purchasing not only individual print books by but the print omnibuses as well, essentially buying them all twice, all off of one ill gotten download. and then i'll go on facebook or amazon to see who they enjoy or recommend and i'll start buying books from them too. one seed leads to 50 branches of me buying books.

of course the process is a lot less complex than my drivel would imply.

(and no i don't pirate regularly, a handful of times each month at most. i don't just take to take, i'm not greedy or abusive. i have so many purchased books to get to that i don't need a constant influx of ill gotten ones.)

[maxiart]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

(and no i don't pirate regularly, a handful of times each month at most. i don't just take to take, i'm not greedy or abusive. i have so many purchased books to get to that i don't need a constant influx of ill gotten ones.)

No need to pursue your justification so desperately.

[John F]

Books mentioned at Mobileread. Stuff my kids are reading. Something that catches my eye when browsing new ebook additions to the library.

[Rob Lister]

Originally Posted by John F

Books mentioned at Mobileread. Stuff my kids are reading. Something that catches my eye when browsing new ebook additions to the library.

Very random. As I guess it is for me and most. How does 'buzz' influence you? Are there professional critics and reviewers you actually trust?

Books could use something like the Music Genome Project. It does a very good job of introducing me to new artists (or at least new to me).

Amazon and B&N use something like it ( "Customer who bought this also bought..." ) but that always seems to miss the mark for me.

[DMB]

I read book reviews in print media like New Scientist, New Humanist The Guardian. This has been my chief method of finding books since I moved to a non-English-speaking country 27 years ago. I also follow up on mentions of books in blogs and on discussion boards.

In addition I look for new books by authors I like.

I don't really have a problem finding books; the real difficulty is managing to read them all.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Rob Lister

... How does 'buzz' influence you?...

If something is a hit, I may read it. For example, I'll be reading 50 Shades... eventually (I'm on the waiting list at the library), and it isn't my normal cup of tea.

... Are there professional critics and reviewers you actually trust? ...

Nope. I can't even name a professional reviewer/critic.

...
Amazon and B&N use something like it ( "Customer who bought this also bought..." ) but that always seems to miss the mark for me.

I don't pay attention to those.